In The Middle of This Nowhere
Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico
~ Title from Hammock's brilliant ambient piece. ~
This quietly fading historic fort on the famous Santa Fe Trail really is in the middle of nowhere, which is a shame because as a result few people ever visit. While I was there in that lonely landscape, only a single park ranger and one other couple were the only humans in sight. The place is so photogenic though, and if you let it effect you, it creates a haunting sense of the courage and determination of the settlers and adventurers who came this way so long ago.
Troops from this fort stopped the Confederate invasion of the West during the American Civil War in 1862 at the Battle of Glorieta Pass. It's a battle you have likely never heard of...except you have, if you have ever watched the great western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Events in the first half of the movie revolve around the Confederate invasion, and the two protagonists are taken prisoner after the battle.
One of the last stops prior to reaching the city of Santa Fe, Fort Union played an important part in the settlement of the West from 1851 to its obsolescence in 1891. The coming of the railroad brought an end to the Santa Fe Trail, which in turn brought an end to the fort. It could not survive in the middle of this nowhere.
Selected for FLICKR Explore May 5, 2023 # 36
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***
In The Middle of This Nowhere
Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico
~ Title from Hammock's brilliant ambient piece. ~
This quietly fading historic fort on the famous Santa Fe Trail really is in the middle of nowhere, which is a shame because as a result few people ever visit. While I was there in that lonely landscape, only a single park ranger and one other couple were the only humans in sight. The place is so photogenic though, and if you let it effect you, it creates a haunting sense of the courage and determination of the settlers and adventurers who came this way so long ago.
Troops from this fort stopped the Confederate invasion of the West during the American Civil War in 1862 at the Battle of Glorieta Pass. It's a battle you have likely never heard of...except you have, if you have ever watched the great western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Events in the first half of the movie revolve around the Confederate invasion, and the two protagonists are taken prisoner after the battle.
One of the last stops prior to reaching the city of Santa Fe, Fort Union played an important part in the settlement of the West from 1851 to its obsolescence in 1891. The coming of the railroad brought an end to the Santa Fe Trail, which in turn brought an end to the fort. It could not survive in the middle of this nowhere.
Selected for FLICKR Explore May 5, 2023 # 36
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***