Editing Springer, New Mexico

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Springer, New Mexico
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =
<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Downtown Springer, NM IMG_0546.JPG
|image_caption            = Downtown Springer (2008)
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =
<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Colfax_County_New_Mexico_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Springer_Highlighted.svg
|map_caption              = Location within [[Colfax County, New Mexico|Colfax County]] and [[New Mexico]]
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[New Mexico]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New Mexico|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Colfax County, New Mexico|Colfax]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='35'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.26
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.20
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.05
|area_total_km2           = 5.84
|area_land_km2            = 5.71
|area_water_km2           = 0.13
<!-- Population -->
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_total         = 931
|population_density_sq_mi = 422.41
|population_density_km2   = 163.09
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain (MST)]]
|utc_offset               = -7
|timezone_DST             = MDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -6
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 5784
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|22|43|N|104|36|23|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 87729, 87747
|area_code                = [[Area code 575|575]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 35-74800
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2413321<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413321}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Springer''' is a [[town]] in [[Colfax County, New Mexico|Colfax County]], [[New Mexico]], United States. Its population was 1,047 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3574800| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212185922/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3574800| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Springer town, New Mexico| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=October 22, 2014}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:Former courthouse in Springer, NM IMG_0543.JPG|thumb|left|Former Colfax County Courthouse is now a historical museum]]

In 1877, William T Thornton, representing the [[Maxwell Land Grant]] and Railway Company commissioned Melvin Whitson Mills to "sell, locate, survey, map  and plat, and lay out town site, no exceeding three hundred and twenty acres".  Judge Mills selected a location along the Cimarron called Las Garzas and laid out the townsite and graded the streets.  The Maxwell Land Grand and Railway Company conveyed the deed to Mills on March 31, 1880. The deed bequeathed the town Maxwell, but by 1883 according to the deed for the Mills Mansion, it was named Springer after two brothers: Charles Springer, a rancher near [[Cimarron, New Mexico|Cimarron]] and brother Frank, a lawyer and official of the Maxwell Land Grant Company.<ref name="Pearce_1965">Pearce, T.M.,editor, ''New Mexico Place Names, A Geographical Dictionary'', University of New Mexico Press 1965. {{ISBN|0-8263-0082-0}}</ref>

The town was the [[county seat]] of Colfax County from 1882&mdash;1897 and keeps the former Courthouse as a museum. The location was chosen due to anticipation of the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] coming and as it was halfway between the Mountain Branch and [[Cimarron Cutoff]] of the [[Santa Fe Trail]].

The Springer Correctional Center, operated by the [[New Mexico Corrections Department]], is located {{convert|2|mi|0}} northwest of Springer. The correctional center is one of New Mexico's oldest detention facilities, having begun operation in 1909 as the New Mexico Boys' School.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://corrections.state.nm.us/prisons/SCC.html | title=Springer Correctional Center, Springer | publisher=New Mexico Corrections Department | accessdate=December 25, 2011}}</ref>

==Geography==
Springer is located in southern Colfax County in the valley of the [[Cimarron River (Canadian River)|Cimarron River]], {{convert|6|mi|0}} west of where that river flows into the [[Canadian River]].

[[Interstate 25 in New Mexico|Interstate 25]] passes along the west side of the town, with access from exits 412 and 414. I-25 leads north {{convert|40|mi}} to [[Raton, New Mexico|Raton]], the [[county seat]], and southwest {{convert|68|mi}} to [[Las Vegas, New Mexico|Las Vegas]]. The western terminus of U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 56 in New Mexico|56]] and [[U.S. Route 412#New Mexico|412]] is in the center of Springer. The two routes together lead {{convert|82|mi}} east to [[Clayton, New Mexico|Clayton]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Springer has a total area of {{convert|3.8|km2|disp=flip}}, all land.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 550
|1920= 915
|1930= 957
|1940= 1314
|1950= 1558
|1960= 1564
|1970= 1574
|1980= 1657
|1990= 1262
|2000= 1285
|2010= 1047
|2020= 931
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:35&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,285 people, 520 households, and 372 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|876.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 605 housing units at an average density of {{convert|412.7|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 79.46% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.09% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 14.94% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.51% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 69.96% of the population.

There were 520 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,850, and the median income for a family was $34,563. Males had a median income of $24,479 versus $19,000 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,606. About 14.9% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

== Notable people ==

* [[Fred Graham (actor)|Fred Graham]] - athlete and actor
* [[Antonio M. Fernandez]] - member of the [[U.S. House of Representatives]], 1943 - 1956
* [[Ernest Medina]] - former infantry [[Captain (United States)|captain]] in the [[United States Army]]
* [[Antoun Saadeh]] - [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] politician and founder of the [[Syrian Social Nationalist Party]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Springer, New Mexico}}
* [http://www.springerschools.org/ Springer Municipal Schools]
* [http://springernm.com/ Springer Economic Development]

{{Colfax County, New Mexico}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Colfax County, New Mexico]]
[[Category:Towns in New Mexico]]