Hidalgo County
Grants Awarded
The non-profit program plans to construct seven miles of public trails and install interpretive signage, marking a step towards reopening the culturally rich and historically significant Playas landscape in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. The trails appear set to foster community engagement, honour cultural history, benefit local families, and serve as a regional connector to the Continental Divide Trail and Playas Peak trail network, supporting regional tourism. The project also involves high school interns from Animas High School in the design and construction of signage, thereby boosting STEM education and community infrastructure while enhancing outdoor recreation.
Located in the deep southwest along the borders of Arizona and Mexico, Hidalgo County began as farming, ranching, and mining communities long before statehood in 1912. With a population of 4,894 and an area of 3,445.63 square miles., it averages 1.4 persons per square mile. Hidalgo County was formed from Grant County in 1919, with the county seat in Lordsburg. Hidalgo County borders Mexico along 86 miles of its boundary. Grant County sits north and east, Arizona runs along the west. The largest populated town is the county seat, Lordsburg, which is home to about 2880 people. There are widely scattered farms and ranches in the county, which averages residents to less than one per square mile. There are only two school districts in the county, one centered in Lordsburg and one in Animas. Both pull students from surrounding areas. In 1902, Phelps Dodge and Company built the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad to tie El Paso, Texas, to the copper mines of Bisbee, Arizona, and other Arizona mining towns. New Mexico’s Hwy 9 grew along the railroad, creating a “Border Route” between Columbus and Rodeo. In 1971, many years after operation of the railroad ceased, Phelps Dodge (PD) built a copper smelter about 10 miles south of the siding. Because the area provided little housing options, PD built a town for employees of the smelter. The town maintained about 1,500 residents and became a commerce center for ranchers and area citizens. Copper prices fell and in 1999, PD made the decision to close the smelter and the town. A skeleton crew remained housed in Playas to manage the ongoing environmental maintenance as, and after, the smelter was demolished and removed. Four years later, New Mexico Tech signed a $5 million purchase agreement with PD. The town became a training arena for first responders and counter-terrorism programs and soon expanded its capabilities for military, Border Patrol, law enforcement, and research entities. As training ranges became consistently utilized, new structures and venues were built and implemented, both within the premises and on surrounding land leased from local ranchers. Today, the Playas Research and Training Center accommodates national and international training and research. Its reputation has grown and is respected in many security arenas.