Queen is an unincorporated community in Eddy County in southeastern New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. Although it currently has a population of around 50, it was formerly considered a ghost town.Pearce, T. M. (1965) "Queen" New Mexico place names; a geographical dictionary University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico, p. 128, Julyan, Robert (1998) "Queen" The Place Names of New Mexico (revised edition) University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico, pages 280-281, Located in the foothills on the east side of the Guadalupe Mountains, in the southern Lincoln National Forest, it flourished in the early 20th century as a ranching center. Queen is located alongside NM Route 137, about 27 mi (50 mi by road) southwest of Carlsbad.
History The area was originally settled by the agricultural and hunter gatherer Jornada Mogollon people about 200 CE whose suzerainty ended with the influx of the Apache and other plains raiders around 1450. Two Mogollon archaeological sites are located in Queen, Archeological Site No. AR 03-08-03-195 and Archeological Site No. AR-03-08-03-232."New Mexico - Eddy County - Vacant / Not In Use" National Register of Historic Places
The recent community was founded in 1905 by entrepreneur J. W. Tulk who contracted with the local Queen Ranch (now Womack ranch) for water and land, and built a store and negotiated for a post office. As part of the bargain, the town was named Queen. The post office lasted from 1905 until 1920, when ranching in the area had declined. For a while the only landmark was a single chimney, but the community began to repopulate in the late 20th century.
Attractions Near the center of the community is the ten foot stone memorial to Frank A. Kindel, The Flying Paper Boy Of The Guadalupes, a pilot who crashed here in 1964."Flying Paper Boy of the Guadalupes" Roadside America Nearby is the Last Chance Canyon Apache/Cavalry Battle Site,Adams, Christopher D. (2000) Last Chance Canyon 1869 Apache/Cavalry Battle Site, Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico Lincoln National Forest Heritage Program, Alamogordo, New Mexico, a New Mexico Registered Cultural Property."NM Registered Cultural Properties By County: Eddy" page 3, New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, Department of Cultural Affairs Sitting Bull Falls is a popular day hike and an attractive picnic spot.Martin, Craig (2010) "87: Sitting Bull Falls" 100 hike in New Mexico (third edition) Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington, pages 241-244,
Dog Canyon Campground, a part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, is 20 miles southwest at the end of NM Highway 137.
Economy there is no gas station in Queen. - Clipping of first and of second page from Newspapers.com (showing illustrations)
References
External links "Queen - New Mexico Ghost Town"