Yeso | NM Ghost Towns

YESO

County: De Baca

Year Est: 1906

Year Abandoned: 1966

Location: Yeso is twenty miles west of Fort Sumner and 35 miles east of Vaughn on U.S. 60.

IF in a 2WD you may want to avoid the dirt road from Puerto De Luna to Yeso.

About: Yeso, Spanish for gypsum, is a small, unincorporated desert village in De Baca County, located along U.S. Route 60, approximately 22 miles west of Fort Sumner and 33 miles east of Vaughn. Yeso is named for the nearby Yeso Creek. The town had a population of two hundred and thirty nine by 1940 and ten years later Yeso had grown to three hundred and fifty residents. Here’s a comprehensive overview of Yeso, covering its history, geography, culture, and current status, based on available information.

Overview and Geography
• Location and Accessibility: Yeso lies in east-central New Mexico, in a sparsely populated region characterized by desolate, windswept plains. It is easily accessible via U.S. Route 60, a relatively quiet highway compared to major interstates. The village is situated near Yeso Creek, from which it derives its name.

• Population and Infrastructure: Yeso is nearly a ghost town, with only a handful of residents—estimated at a half-dozen houses and possibly four families. The only operational business or service is a post office, serving ZIP code 88136. The post office is a modern building located across from an older, abandoned post office structure. There are no public facilities, restaurants, or other commercial establishments.

• Surrounding Area: Nearby cities include Fort Sumner (22 miles east), Vaughn (33 miles west), and more distant towns like Tucumcari, Roswell, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces. The landscape is flat and arid, with minimal vegetation, making Yeso a stark, isolated spot. Sumner Lake State Park is a notable nearby attraction for outdoor activities.

History
• Founding and Name: Yeso was established in 1906 as a railroad stop along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (AT&SF) Railway’s Belen Cutoff, which rerouted trains through east-central New Mexico to avoid steep grades toward Colorado. The village was named after Yeso Creek, with “Yeso” meaning “gypsum” or “chalk” in Spanish, reflecting the area’s geological composition. The creek’s water, however, is undrinkable due to high gypsum content, though groundwater was suitable for livestock and steam locomotives.

• Early Development: The railroad’s arrival spurred Yeso’s growth, with a frame train depot built in 1906, one of the first along the Belen Cutoff. A post office was established in 1909 and has operated continuously since, though it briefly used the misspelled name “Yesso” from 1912 to 1913 for unknown reasons. Yeso became a trading center for local ranchers and a few farmers, despite the land’s unsuitability for agriculture due to poor soil and undrinkable water.

• Decline: The village’s decline began with the advent of diesel locomotives in the 1930s, which did not require frequent water stops, reducing Yeso’s importance as a railroad hub. The Works Progress Administration built a school in 1940, but it closed in the 1960s as the population dwindled. By 1966, most residents had relocated to Fort Sumner or other larger towns, leaving Yeso nearly abandoned. The train depot closed in 1968, marking the end of significant railroad activity. At its peak, Yeso supported around 300 families, but today, only a few remain.

Remains: Tons to see! Worth the trip just be sure to obey any No Trespassing Signs

Summary: