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Las Vegas Area*
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No, it's not "Lost Wages" Las Vegas. But it was a thriving railroad town in the 1880s; and still has vestiges of a large roundhouse and a glamorous three story Mission style Fred Harvey Hotel. | Gallinas River Bridge (#1549):
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Bridge Street provided the link between the two communities which developed into present day Las Vegas. West Las Vegas, also known as Old Town, was established in 1835 as a Spanish settlement by settlers arriving from San Miguel del Bado on the Pecos River. This settlement grew up around the central plaza which served as the focal point of the community. West Las Vegas also prospered in tits early years due to its position as a stop and trade center along the Santa Fe Trail. In 1879, the Santa Fe railway entered the area one mile east of the Old Town plaza and a new community immediately began to prosper around the commercial activity brought about by the railroad. Building s were constructed and businesses were established along Bridge Street following the entry of the railroad.
The existing bridge on Bridge Street was constructed of two concrete arch spans and replaced an earlier steel through truss. It has a total length of 154 feet and a roadway of 44 feet. This bridge was completed in 1909 by the Missouri Valley bridge and Iron company of Leavenworth, Kansas, at a cost of #32,000. In addition to vehicular traffic, the bridge carried electric trolley cars until 1928.
This bridge is an example of an early concrete bridge built in the territorial days before statehood in 1912. It is known for its attractive arch design and decorative concrete railings. Its style and appearance is consistent with the surrounding buildings and it has been included in the Bridge Street Historic District. It is also the longest concrete arch bridge remaining in New Mexico.
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Hot Springs Boulevard Culvert (#S-44): |
This structure is a masonry arch culvert located over an arroyo on Hot Springs Boulevard in Las Vegas. This boulevard served for many years as the main connection between West Las Vegas and the Montezuma Hotel and Hot Springs located northwest of the town.
The Hot Springs Boulevard Culvert has an arch opening of 18 feet and a total width of 188 feet. It was constructed of a brown sandstone and was completed as a county project in 1888. This culvert is located near the Las Vegas Plaza Historic District and represented a major public works project upon its completion. The Hot Springs Boulevard Culvert is the oldest know bridge structure remaining in New Mexico.
| Gallinas River Bridge on NM65 near Las Vegas (#5307): |
After the arrival of the Santa Fe Railway in Las Vegas in 1879, an eight-mile branch line was constructed up the Gallinas Canyon to carry passengers to the Hot Springs and Montezuma Hotel. A series of ponds were also developed in the canyon for supplying ice for the Santa Fe Railway and Fred Harvey hotel and restaurant system.
The Gallinas River Bridge was originally constructed in 1919 as a railroad bridge on the Hot Springs branch line. It replaced an earlier timber truss railroad bridge built prior to the opening of the line in 1882. Since the abandonment of the Hot Springs line in 1937, the bridge and part of the old railroad grade have been used for vehicular traffic. The route is now designated as NM 65.
The present bridge across the Gallinas River is a steel through truss and has a total length of 105 feet. It is a Pratt truss with pinned connections and heavy members due to its railroad design. It is supported at each end by masonry abutments built of large cut stones typical of railroad construction. This bridge adjoins the Montezuma Historic District and is unique since it was formerly used as a railroad structure. The Gallinas Bridge has been by-passed by a new bridge and preserved in place by the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department.
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