Watrous

Historical marker location:

I-25, Watrous , New Mexico

( I-25 at NM Highway 161)

The Mountain Branch and the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail meet at Watrous. This important spot on the Trail was first known as La Junta, “junction” in Spanish. In 1879, with the coming of the railroad, it was named for Samuel B. Watrous, a prominent local rancher.