Employment in small town NM (Lordsburg, Reserve: agriculture, travel, incomes)

[lukeache]

I was trying to explain to my fiance about New Mexico and how some towns can be really isolated and sometimes 60 miles from anything and she asked me an interesting question, What do people do for living in small, isolated desert towns in NM? I was thinking more of towns like Lordsburg, Reserve, Corona, Pie Town etc and I could not answer her question. I would imagine, there is probably a lot of people on welfare/state benefits or how do people survive in these small towns?

[GregW]

I am also very interested in your answers.

[6/3]

Basically Ranching and Mining were the mainstays. Although NM was first inhabited by the Spanards in the early 1600's (Jornada de Muerto) the Mining heydays of the late 1870's got people to form these little towns back then. Alot went bust and disappeared as now we have lots of ''Ghost Towns'' that are all around the state. Also after WW2 the governments (federal and state) put in Highways and Interstates so that kept alot of them alive as the ''Mom and Pop kettle'' types bought some very cheap land and started a gas station and /or grocerystore and got these new tourists/travelers monies to keep them going.

Now what were seeing is retirees and baby boomers moving into these small towns with their retirement incomes so they need no employment and can live very inexpensively so thats my take on your question.....

[GregW]

I suppose anyone with decent "handyman" skills could find something to ears some supplemental income. At least I hope so.

[Zoidberg]

Besides those with wealth (and qualifying for social security or disability counts, IMO) many of these small towns have small businesses. Small farms or ranches, general stores and gas stations, and service industries for oil & gas, rail, or highway tend to keep these places alive.

Certain careers also require little in the way of local infrastructure. Many truckers will live out in the sticks, for instance.

And, the most frightening, some people think a 2- or 3-hour commute each way is worth it to keep their ties to the land.

[ibarrio]

Yup...Ranchers, Farmers, Truckers, State and County Police, Border Patrol, Service Industry, and a few teachers.

These towns are not full of folks living off the State...

[LaneyS]

Let's not forget the OIL fields! My dad was a roustabout and later learned to repair the big machinery and keep it going.
Plus there's always teachers, digging ditches, manuel labor like roofing, etc.

[BrianH]

Agriculture is big business in small towns.

[jsc23]

Originally Posted by ibarrio

Yup...Ranchers, Farmers, Truckers, State and County Police, Border Patrol, Service Industry, and a few teachers.

These towns are not full of folks living off the State...

Ummm....State and County Police, Border Patrol and Teachers actually do live off tax money. They earn it but still...

Add to the list National Forest and National Park employees, seasonal employees like hunting guides and wilderness fire fighters and the many hundreds employed by the casinos rising along otherwise desolate strips of I-40 and I-25

[ibarrio]

Ummm....State and County Police, Border Patrol and Teachers actually do live off tax money. They earn it but still...

Give me a break. He asked about Welfare...not hard working people.