
Embudo Station

by Jon Burch Photography
Title
Embudo Station
Artist
Jon Burch Photography
Medium
Photograph - Digital Capture Amd Enhancement.
Description
Two routes lead northward from the Sante Fe area to one of New Mexico's most famous pueblo towns, Taos. Scenic Route 76, often called the Highroad to Taos, winds through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and passes a string of 400 year old pueblo villages. Route 68, an alternate highway to Taos, follows along the scenic Rio Grande River Valley and it is here along the Rio Grande in Embudo that Johnnie In Rust We Trust Meier decided to set up his Classical Gas Museum.
Meier filled the two acre property with a unique collection of antique gas pumps, neon signs, soda machines, oil cans, vintage trucks and cars, plus an untold number of bric-a-brac items. The museum collection has steadily grown over the last 25 years. Johnnie Meier grew up in the air force and while constantly on the move, his long trips through the states included plenty of filling station stops . Left with this indelible experience of Route 66 style travel, Johnnie pursued his passion full time after retirement from the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Collection journeys have taken him all over the Southwest and eastward to Alabama. One of the highlights on Route 68, the 1000 square foot museum is nearly impossible to pass up. Always surprised by the colorful array of vintage items, visitors from around the world begin to show their appreciation of Johnnie's unique collection.
Embudo was originally on US Route 64 a major national east-west highway and the main route between Santa Fe and Taos. In 1974 Route 64 was realigned to end at Toc Ne Poh, Arizona rather than Santa Fe by passing Embudo. The name "Embudo", meaning "funnel" in Spanish, was given to the area by early Spanish settlers because the spot where the Rio Embudo flowed between two distinctive cone shaped hills reminded them of a funnel.
The town was founded in 1881 when the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad opened a station there on its Chili Line. The station was named after the village San Antonio de Embudo, located 2 miles up the Embudo River, and until 1902 both communities shared a post office and were known jointly as Embudo. In 1900, anticipating a separate post office in the village, San Antonio de Embudo changed its name to Dixon after the Presbyterian missionary Dixon who established a mission there. When the Dixon post office opened in 1902, Embudo lost its post office. Embudo finally got a post office again in 1905 only to lose it in 1909. However, since 1914 Embudo has had its own post office.
Today, from the state road a concrete bridge, replacing the old wooden bridge, crosses the Rio Grande to the "Embudo Historic District" which consists of the old railway station and associated buildings. The United States Geological Survey gauging station at Embudo, to measure the flow of the Rio Grande, was the first stream gauging station and was established by John Wesley Powell in 1888.
Some digital effects were applied to the original image after the photograph was made. No electrons were harmed during the transition. Ordered images will not contain the FAA watermark
Image copyright 2014 Jon Burch Photography
Uploaded
March 13th, 2014
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Comments (13)

Steven Bateson
The New Mexico Land of Enchantment Group is honored that you chose to submit your work to the group and we are proud to feature your magnificent image on the Homepage in the Featured Images.