Historical Marker

Santa Barbara Tie and Pole Company

The Santa Barbara Tie and Pole Co., 1907-1926, began its operation at Tres Ritos, the confluence of three creeks. Vermonter A.B. McGaffey organized the company to cut ties and timbers for the Santa Fe Railway. Originally a camping ground for freighters on the old Taos-Las Vegas Trail and later established as a mining and lumbering camp, Tres Ritos is now a well known resort community.