The Village of Columbus and Camp Furlong is a

National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

commemorating the 1916 raid by

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (, Orozco rebelled in March 1912, both for Madero's continuing failure to enact land reform and because he felt insufficiently rewarded for his role in bringing the new president to power. At the request of Madero's c ...

on the town of

Columbus, New Mexico Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, about north of the Mexican border. It is considered a place of historical interest, as the scene of a 1916 attack by Mexican revolutionary leader Francisco "Pancho" Villa that cau ...

, and the American military response to that raid, the "Punitive Expedition" led by General John J. Pershing. The raid and its response, set during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the Mexican Revolution, and an accompanying low-level Border War, played a significant role in diplomacy and military preparedness for eventual American entry in the World War. The district encompasses buildings which survived the raid, and military facilities used in the American response. The landmark designation was made in 1975. and

History

On March 9, 1916, Camp Furlong was the headquarters of the 13th U.S. Cavalry under command of Colonel H. J. Slocum. The 13th Cavalry was stretched along the border on outpost duty from Noria to Hermanas on the

El Paso and Southwestern Railroad The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad began in 1888 as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad, a short line serving copper mines in southern Arizona. Over the next few decades, it grew into a 1200-mile system that stretched from Tucumcari, New ...

. At least three troops were present during the raid on Columbus by Pancho Villa's irregulars. The hero of the day was Lt. Lucas of the machine gun troop, who while barefoot, set up machine guns in the main area of the town and directed heavy fire against the raiders. His actions inflicted numerous casualties on Villa's forces and caused them to retreat back into Mexico. Almost overnight, the camp became a large military installation for protection from other raids and in preparation for a punitive expedition into Mexico to be led by General John J. Pershing. First on the scene were elements of the New Mexico National Guard. Various regular units then arrived to provide support to the troops in Mexico. Columbus had the distinction of having the first tactical military airfield in the United States. The 1st Aero Squadron's Curtiss JN3 Jenny biplanes provided aerial observation and communications for the expedition, although most of the aircraft were lost to crashes in the rugged Mexican mountains. Camp Furlong also had supply facilities and repair yards for the early motor trucks used in Mexico. At its peak, the camp was headquarters for more than 5,000 troops. Following the withdrawal of the Punitive Expedition, the 24th Infantry Regiment was headquartered at the post. They were called in the summer of 1919 to assist in chasing Pancho Villas troops out of

Ciudad Juarez Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City Ciudad may also refer to: * La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona *La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico *''La ciudad'', novel by Mario Levrero 1970 *La Ciudad ''The City ...

. With the conclusion of the Mexican Revolution, the post lost its importance and only 100 men were garrisoned there in 1921. All troops in the area were gone by 1923.

Historic district

In Pancho Villa State Park, several buildings remain from the time of Villa's 1916 raid, and are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. These include the 1902 U.S.

Customs House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

, two adobe structures dating from the Camp Furlong-era, and the Camp Furlong Recreation Hall. The old Customs House is now the State Park

visitor center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visi ...

, with exhibits describing the histories of Pancho Villa, the Columbus raid of 1916, and Pershing's Punitive Expedition.Pancho Villa State Park
/ref> The historic district also includes the former airfield, which is east of the state park, the former railroad station of the

(which now houses the local historical society museum), and the former Hoover Hotel, and adobe structure that was one of the only other buildings to survive.

References

External links

Camp Furlong and Columbus, New Mexico - 1916
historic photo gallery

World War I and the Federal Presence in New Mexico
- University of New Mexico {{DEFAULTSORT:Village Of Columbus And Camp Furlong National Historic Landmarks in New Mexico State parks of New Mexico Military and war museums in New Mexico Museums in Luna County, New Mexico Biographical museums in New Mexico Parks in Luna County, New Mexico History of Luna County, New Mexico Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico National Register of Historic Places in Luna County, New Mexico

History

Historic district

See also

References

External links