Last updated: October 10, 2024
Place
Tiptonville
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
Mountain Branch Overlook, Watrous, New Mexico
Significance:
The village of Tiptonville, New Mexico was an important stop for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. It was located on the Mountain Branch (route) of the Trail and the Cimarron Branch, another major route for the Trail, passed just to the east of Tiptonville.
MANAGED BY:
New Mexico Department of Transportation
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto
Founded in 1870 by William B. Tipton, the village of Tiptonville was an important staging area for the Santa Fe Trail. Its fortunes were tied to nearby Fort Union and the Santa Fe trade. Tiptonville's bars, church, and Masonic Lodge drew the thirsty and the faithful. Its Methodist Mission Day School, the first in the territory, served the area until 1880, when Tiptonville's population peaked at about 125 residents.
Tiptonville was an important place to weigh the merits of two Santa Fe Trail branches (routes). The village was located on the longer, safer Mountain Route. Close by, travelers could access the faster, drier, Cimarron Route. As they did in Council Grove, Kansas, trade caravans met in Tiptonville to organize and exchange information on conditions, water resources, and dangers along the Trail.
At the outset of the Mexican-American War in 1846, the Army of the West followed the Santa Fe Trail through Tiptonville. In 1862, during the American Civil War, the US Military followed the Trail enroute to the Battle of Glorieta Pass, 60 miles to the west.
Site Information
Location (Mountain Branch Overlook, Watrous, New Mexico)
Today, Tiptonville is home to a few residents and has limited to no public services. Please respect private property and view the village from a distance.
Continuing north on New Mexico 161 from the Mountain Branch Overlook takes you to Fort Union National Monument. Fort Union is a staffed National Park Service Site with a variety of things to do.