Socorro County Historical Society
Socorro, New Mexico, USA
San Marcial, NM
Post-flood Photos 1964-1966
The Brimhall/Johnson Collection
On this page:
Brimhall/Johnson
Photo Collection
Photo
Gallery
0810/20b
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This is a marvelous collection of photos of the San Marcial area — showing how the remnants of San Marcial, and the villages of San
Geronimo and Plaza Viejo (Old Town) appeared in the 1960s. Since that time, much of the adobe walls have melted, wood structures
have rotted and collapsed, other structures destroyed by bosque fires and recent flooding, leaving today only scant traces of foundations
in fields of mesquite and tamarisk – making these 1960s views truly unique and historically important.
The Clifford family lived
in San Marcial 1913-1925. Louise (Clifford) Brimhall, husband Gail K. Brimhall, and son Gail K. Brimhall, Jr. visited San Marcial
in July 1964 and again August 1966. Photos were taken by Gail Brimhall, Sr. and donated by Cathy (Brimhall) Johnson.
More
information on the Clifford and Brimhall families here.
Photo: Gail Brimhall, Jr
Louise (Clifford) Brimhall and husband Gail visiting San Marcial in 1964.
Road to Plaza Viejo showing diary and Hunter ranch.
Click photos to enlarge
All photos by Gail Brimhall, Sr. unless otherwise indicated
Different view of the ranch house and rock cistern water tank north of the old dairy.
Photo: Paul Harden/SCHS
Ground floor and garage of the ranch house today. Upper (2nd) story now collapsed.
Hunter ranch and old diary buildings and corrals. The Hunters were the last family
to live in San Marcial.
Old railroad water tank now used for the Hunter ranch.
Remnants of San Geronimo near location of the Trujillo Store.
Flood damage with old Acequia Madre
in distance
Ground floor and garage of the ranch house north of the San Marcial dairy.
Ranch at south end of San Geronimo.
Ranch at south end of San Geronimo.
Unidentified structures at Plaza Viejo
Possible remnants of Clifford family home
Barn and corrals
at the dairy farm.
Likely the Gonzales home and store atop the hill at Plaza Viejo. Only the concrete foundation remains today.
Louise visiting the San Marcial Masonic Cemetery in their 1966 visit.
Photos of the San Marcial cemeteries today here
Remnants of the AT&SF railroad roundhouse in 1966 – heavily damaged in the 1929 flood.
Photo: Paul Harden/SCHS
Today, the roundhouse has largely crumbled, leaving only a portion of one wall left standing.
More AT&SF and roundhouse photos today here
Newspaper photos
Photos by Gail Brimhall, Sr.
John Albert Clifford (1882–1944) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada married Jetta Burgess (Bell) Clifford (1894–1975) in 1910. Their
first born was daughter Catherine Louise (Clifford) Brimhall , born 1911 in Georgetown, Texas. Shortly thereafter the family
moved to San Marcial, New Mexico where John Albert worked as a barber. Two sons were born in San Marcial: John Raymond Clifford (1913–1989)
and Robert Lee Clifford (1915–1989). The three children attended the San Marcial school. Among their teachers were Mrs. Anne
Brownfield, Mrs. Grace Howard, and Mrs. West. Some of their schoolmates included Bruce Hanna, Donald Roser, and Emil Grandjean,
all of whom became prominent San Marcial businessmen.
The Clifford family moved from San Marcial to Las Cruces, NM in 1925
where son, Billy Paul Clifford (1926–2013) was born.
Louise Clifford married Gail Brimhall. It was Louise and Gail Brimhall,
and son Gail Brimhall, Jr. and his sister Cathy (Brimhall) Johnson that donated the above photos to SCHS to share with others
and to help keep the memory of San Marcial alive.
Louise at entrance to the Catholic cemetery
in 1964
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