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MORLEY Monument

Information courtesy Dodi Maggart
General Location:
East of Pie Town a few miles, as you start down the mountain [eastbound], is a large monument on the south side of the road. It is in an open meadow, beyond a fence. It appears that the top has been broken off it, but there are several brass plates on and around it.

Here's what Dodi has to say about the monument: "Yes, we live in the area, and the monument is in what is known as "White House Canyon" or Datil Canyon. It is the grave of (William -- I think his name was William, but it's been a long time since I read about it) Morley. He was one of the engineers who designed and built the railroads coming west in the 1800s. The railroads were involved in fierce competition, and his murder was never really resolved. He built the railroad over Raton Pass, & the Royal Gorge Bridge, among other notable engineering feats. He had bought up huge amounts of land, some of which was the Datil Canyon area, and following his murder in the northern part of New Mexico, I'm thinking it was around Maxwell, his young widow and children came to ranch in Datil Canyon. The family still owns some of the land in the canyon. Morley's daughter, Agnes Morley Cleaveland, wrote a wonderful book about their life here called No Life for a Lady. I highly recommend the book, it's a great read. We read it 12 years ago when we bought land out here, and I have no idea where our copy is, so I can't check the facts of what I've told you here! I guess I should go get the information off the grave and put it online. Morley was originally buried in Las Vegas, NM, and sometime within the time we've lived here, the family moved him to the spot in Datil Canyon, and reopened the discussion of his murder."

The New Mexico magazine index shows that there was an article about William R. MORLEY in the March, 1993 issue. Does anybody have access to it?