Orogrande

History

Originally a mining town named Jarilla Junction due to its proximity to the Jarilla Mountains, established in 1905, the town was renamed Orogrande (Spanish for big gold) in 1906 and is not far from similar mining towns (now completely abandoned ghost towns) named Brice and Ohaysi. The population soared to approximately 2000 as the result of a gold rush that occurred in 1905, but quickly collapsed almost to the point of depopulation when the gold deposits proved much less abundant than expected. There are still numerous abandoned mines in the area which fall under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. Other land around Orogrande is part of a military reservation under the control of Fort Bliss. The town holds the record high temperature in New Mexico, at .

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coult.

  Larrea tridentata (DC.) Coult. · Magnoliopsida
  178
• eagle-claw cactus

  Echinocactus horizonthalonius Lem. · Magnoliopsida
  40
• California hedgehog

  Echinocereus coccineus (Engelm.) Engelm. · Magnoliopsida
  36
• strawberry hedgehog cactus

  Echinocereus stramineus Engelm. ex Rümpler · Magnoliopsida
  36
• honey mesquite

  Prosopis glandulosa Torr. · Magnoliopsida
  28
• palmella

  Yucca elata (Engelm.) Engelm. · Liliopsida
  22
• Texas rainbow cactus

  Echinocereus dasyacanthus Engelm. · Magnoliopsida
  17
• hoary euphorbia

  Euphorbia lata Engelm. · Magnoliopsida
  16

Most recent

• M 3 — 2022-10-25
  2 km NNE of La Luz, New Mexico
• M 2.8 — 2020-10-09
  6 km NE of Mesquite, New Mexico
• M 2.9 — 2012-04-05
  10 km NE of Fabens, Texas
• M 2.5 — 2012-03-06
  9 km E of Fort Bliss, Texas
• M 3.5 — 2004-11-14
  26 km NW of Tularosa, New Mexico