We see lots of roadside memorials on our travels, but this unusual one gives us a rather sad bit of our state's history. From the The Genealogy Trails of Roosevelt County, here is the story:
Out in the country, giving directions is simple and fun: "go a mile beyond the third tree...turn right at the grey boulder." But instructions to travelers aren't always humorous. Like one that began in New Mexico during the early 1900's: "Keep traveling past the child's grave." After mid-February in 1907, the burial place of a child became a landmark for homesteaders in the eastern part of the territory. Rumors began circulating about this somber marker on the eastern plains. In turn, these rumors spun into stories then got passed in legacy. Eventually the child's grave became legend. But in 1961, the truth behind the legend emerged when an elderly woman finally told her story about the death of her small son.
The story begins with Charles and Mozella Trotter moving from Palmer, Oklahoma with their two daughters, Elsie and Charlene, and their 18-month old son Loral Eugene. The family packed their belongings, chartered a boxcar and headed west. In the passenger car, the stove kept going out and according to Mozella Trotter, it was "cold, cold." She wrapped Loral Eugene tightly in a blanket. ...But the cold and the harsh elements toook everyone down with colds; little Loral Eugene became seriously ill. They summoned a doctor who diagnosed bronchial pheumonia. The boy died February 16, 1907. When Mozella told her tragic story, she said, "We buried my little son there. It was a bitter cold day right after the big blizzard of 1907. We thought a cemetery was going to be there. As we drove away in the wagon, I looked back at the grave. I never saw it again until 1961."
In 1953, one of Loral's sisters returned and placed the gravestone you see today, a reminder of the pioneer spirit that served to establish New Mexico and of the strength of the men and women who braved such a harsh and inhospitable environment to shape it into home.