Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-06-24
WILLARD THE
hub CITY,
Thriving Junction
Town Rightly
Named
HAS 4 PROMISING FUTURE
Important Distributing Point
for Large Section.--lts
Citizen. Enterprising.
(By Matt Telin.)

tBy Matt Telin.)
Willard is one Of the busiest lit.
tie cities in the Estanca Valley and
having adopted the nickname Of "The
Hub City," it has good reason for the
latter. 1t is almost in the center of
this great Sunshine Territory geogra.
phically and commercially. The his
tory of Willard began with the com
pletion of the Santa Fe Central Rail
way and the construction Of the At
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe branch
from Texico, New Mexico, more ia.
miliarly known as the Belen Cut-Off.
The first buildings in Willard were
erected about four years ago and con.
sisted of few temporary frame
shacks built to meet the needs of
railroad camp. The rapid influx Of per.
manent settlers to the Estancia Val
ley and the success with which they
met in their agricultural pursuits soon
brought about the establishment of
several important business houses.
Today Willard is not only the pro.
duct OF excellent transportation facil.
tiles, but in large degree the result
|of ever increasing farming develop
ment. Here, within period of three
years a busy city Of 800 inhabitants,
with large Wholesale and retail
stores, hotels, two railroad stations,
bank etc, have been erected and with
in few months waterworks and
| lighting system run by electricity will
be installed. While in the surround.
ing country are found hundreds OF
contented farmers who have come to
this fertile valley to make their per
manent homes, till the soil and raise
abundant crops.
Location.
The town is located on a level plane
which stretches from Willard for a
distance OF thirty miles east and west
land for nearly sixty miles from north
to south and which contains an area
|of over one thousand square miles
The elevation at Willard is about six
thousand feet, which, together with
the fact that this valley is entirely
surrounded by mountains and mesas,
accounts for the favorable climatic
conditions which prevail the year
around. For the healthseeker from
lower attitudes in search. of pure
mountain air, the climatic conditions
here offer exceptional opportunities
and large numbers Of those who have
ALREADY come testify that they have
been benefited by the change. The ele.
walton insures against the undesirable
heat of summer and the surrounding
mountains furnish protection from the
extremes of winter.
| Soil.
! In the immediate vicinity of Will
ard the soil is sandy, thus insuring
for the growing city a desirable de-
gree of freedom from continued mud.
]dy conditions in time of rain. At
distance of one mile from town and
stretching for many miles to the east,
west, north and south a chocolate
loan is encountered with an unlimited
supply Of water from four to one hun
dred fifty feet deep. Some Of the fin
est specimens of vegetables have been
raised in the immediate vicinity Of
Willard Corn has been grown near
the city with yield of sixty bushels
to the acre; winter wheat has pro
duced twenty-five bushels to the acre;
sugar beets, nine inches in diameter;
Iturnips, fourteen inches in circumfer-
ence; tomatoes, six inches in diamet-
er and weighing almost nine ounces;
cabbage, onions, melons. beans and
large crops of cane and kaffir corn are
among the products of which the farm
ing district of Willard boasts. Fruits
of all kinds will be raised here with
lin short time. All varieties Of tame
grasses can be successfully grown In
this valley, among them alfalfa, timo,
thy, clover and millet do well. This Is
not all Willard depends on, for on the
south of the town at distance of five
mics there is a large area OF mesa
land which stretches away for many
miles to the foot of the Pedernal noun
tains, the surface of which is broken
with numerous fresh water lakes and
covered with rich pasturage OF gram
ma, the most nutritious Of grasses,
fContlnued On Pace Throe.)