Historical Faywood, NM

While we keep mentioning Deming, NM, our City of Rocks State Park Campground is really located about nine miles from Faywood. This little village consists of a post office, a few homes, a nearby orchard stand, a Catholic church, and some huge ranches which straddle the picturesque mountains of the surrounding area. Faywood is located on the Mimbres River, which occasionally floods in the spring but is mostly dry in the winter. One of our favorite people is Rosie, the friendly Postmaster with a great, contagious smile. She is an adoreable free spirit who would rather round up cattle on her ranch than eat. Her family history in this area dates back to the old range wars. She gives terrific personal service and is a wealth of information on Faywood. At the end of the day she spins away to the ranch in her unlicensed, vintage Toyota Landcruiser.
Other nice people that touch our lives are Ken, our amiable, dedicated Park Manager, shown overlooking the work of Bill, a volunteer. Multi-skilled Park Rangers, Robert and Larry, also supervise our host efforts. They are shown here with fellow Camp Host, Doug, as they build a rock facade around one of our new granite trail signs. Manager Ken and Robert live in the park and are available afterhours if we need them.

Nearby Faywood Springs is famous for its hot springs and baths. People have been coming here for years to camp or rent a cabin--believing that the springs have medicinal value. Back at the end of the 19th century, the old Chicago Whitestockings had a spring training camp at the Springs. Famous pitcher, Clark Griffith, who would eventually own the Washington Senators, worked out here. A.B. Spaulding, the founder of professional baseball, was one of the owners of the team. He built nearby Spaulding Station, where the team arrived and departed each spring. Those were the days when superstars played for the love of the game rather than for riches.