Studio39Designs

Fulsom, NM – Semi-Ghost Town

After we left the mesa, we came across what I call a semi-ghost town, called Fulsom, New Mexico.  In the 2010 census, the population was 56, down from 75 in 2000. 

The town is named after Frances Fulsom, the fiancée of Grover Cleveland.  She married Cleveland when she was 21 years old, in the White House (the only marriage to take place in the White House), and became the youngest first lady in history.  When you first enter the town, tho, there is a historical marker citing the bravery of another woman of Fulsom – Sarah “Sally” J. Rooke.  Sally was a telephone operator and on the night of August 27, 1908, she received a call that a “wall of water” was rushing down the Dry Cimarron River towards Fulsom.  She stayed at her switchboard that night, warning others and saving countless lives.  She, however, was not as lucky and perished in the flood that night.  Telephone operators from around the country contributed 4,334 dimes to honor her with the memorial.

There are a few sights worth highlighting in this glimpse back at yesterday…..

Wanted Poster

In the window of the old Fulsom Supply Company store, this wanted poster still hangs.  The door is padlocked and the inside is full of debris and items left when the store closed.  Is this wanted poster “real”?  I wish I could say this poster appears to have dated back to the day when Jesse James roamed the West, but truly, it looked a bit too new for that!

Fulsom Hotel

This is the old “sign” for the Fulsom Hotel, painted right on the building!  I love how the tree hovers over the window on the second floor.  I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had seen a ghostly apparition!

Look Into the Past

This is a simple image, but that old chair inside a deserted hotel just made me think about how many people sat in it, and what their lives were like.  I could make up entire stories – did Sally sit on it at one time? – but I’ll spare you!

Front Door

I like the inconsistency between the rough wood and brick front of the hotel and the reflection in the window that almost looks metallic.  The black iron gate is in front of the front door of the hotel and the window, I imagine, looked into or out from the lobby.

Interior Rock Wall

 I like this image because it makes me wonder what the interior rock wall was part of - the lobby, bar, restaurant?  I also like the reflection of the small little 2-lane road that you can see that runs thru the town.

Enjoy!