Glenrio, Texas
Encyclopedia
Glenrio is an unincorporated community
in both Deaf Smith County, Texas
, and Quay County
, New Mexico
, in the United States
. Located on Route 66
, it sits on the Texas/New Mexico state line. It includes the Glenrio Historic District which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2007.
Glenrio was the site of the "First Motel in Texas" / "Last Motel in Texas" and a post office that, along with other businesses, straddled the state line on U.S. Route 66 for many years until Interstate 40 bypassed the community in September, 1973. The town consists of the remains of the courtyard motel and related Texas Longhorn Cafe and Phillips 66 service station, the post office, a few other buildings including an old diner and adjacent Texaco service station, the old Route 66 roadbed and the former roadbed of the Rock Island Railroad whose tracks were removed in the 1980s. A few homes still exist in Glenrio. It sits just a few yards to the south of Interstate 40
at Texas Exit 0 on Business I-40, a road which turns into a local gravel road at the state line, which was the original Route 66 alignment between Glenrio and San Jon until 1952 and paved for many years until Quay County removed the paving due to maintenance costs. Mail was formerly served by a post office on the New Mexico side of the town.
The community was founded in 1903 as a railroad siding on the Rock Island Railroad. Its name comes from Scots
"glen
" + Spanish
"rio" (meaning "river").
that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2007. At the time of the listing, the district included 12 contributing buildings and 4 other contributing structures.
at the Texas state line. The center includes such things as a pet walk, a livestock corral, wireless Internet-access
, a movie theater, and information kiosks. Built to accommodate one million visitors per year, it includes green features such as recycling of greywater
for grounds irrigation
, and a wind turbine
that will generate 20 percent of the center’s energy.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in both Deaf Smith County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Quay County
Quay County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*86.1% White*1.1% Black*1.2% Native American*1.0% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.4% Two or more races*7.2% Other races*42.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located on Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
, it sits on the Texas/New Mexico state line. It includes the Glenrio Historic District which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2007.
Glenrio was the site of the "First Motel in Texas" / "Last Motel in Texas" and a post office that, along with other businesses, straddled the state line on U.S. Route 66 for many years until Interstate 40 bypassed the community in September, 1973. The town consists of the remains of the courtyard motel and related Texas Longhorn Cafe and Phillips 66 service station, the post office, a few other buildings including an old diner and adjacent Texaco service station, the old Route 66 roadbed and the former roadbed of the Rock Island Railroad whose tracks were removed in the 1980s. A few homes still exist in Glenrio. It sits just a few yards to the south of Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
at Texas Exit 0 on Business I-40, a road which turns into a local gravel road at the state line, which was the original Route 66 alignment between Glenrio and San Jon until 1952 and paved for many years until Quay County removed the paving due to maintenance costs. Mail was formerly served by a post office on the New Mexico side of the town.
The community was founded in 1903 as a railroad siding on the Rock Island Railroad. Its name comes from Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
"glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
" + Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
"rio" (meaning "river").
Glenrio Historic District
Glenrio Historic District is a 31.7 acres (12.8 ha) historic districtHistoric district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2007. At the time of the listing, the district included 12 contributing buildings and 4 other contributing structures.
Glenrio Welcome Center
On June 25, 2008, the State of New Mexico opened the Glenrio Welcome Center on Interstate 40Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
at the Texas state line. The center includes such things as a pet walk, a livestock corral, wireless Internet-access
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
, a movie theater, and information kiosks. Built to accommodate one million visitors per year, it includes green features such as recycling of greywater
Greywater
Greywater is wastewater generated from domestic activities such as laundry, dishwashing, and bathing, which can be recycled on-site for uses such as landscape irrigation and constructed wetlands...
for grounds irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, and a wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
that will generate 20 percent of the center’s energy.
External links
- The Grapes of Wrath revisited: Dust to dust for the ghosts of Route 66, guardian.co.uk, Chris McGreal—writer, August 28, 2009. (includes video)