Volunteers clean up former Little Beaver Town

First, I’ll let this video from KOB-TV in Albuquerque explain:

And here’s the story about the cleanup at the Route 66 Open Space, which is east of Albuquerque and west of Tijeras Canyon.

The City of Albuquerque has an explanation of the Open Space Program:

Open Space works to acquire and protect the natural character of land designated as major public Open Space in the 1988 revised City of Albuquerque Comprehensive Plan. These lands, which are comprised of over 28,000 acres in and around Albuquerque, are managed to conserve natural and archaeological resources, provide opportunities for outdoor education, provide a place for high and low impact recreation, and define the edges of the urban environment.

Officers from the Albuquerque Police Department patrol Open Space areas by foot, vehicle, horseback, and mountain bicycle. These fully commissioned law enforcement officers make contact with the public to educate and oversee compliance with rules and regulations. Their dual mission is to protect the Open Space lands and resources while ensuring a safe and enjoyable visit. In addition to these officers, Open Space lands are regularly monitored by volunteers, who are trained to observe and protect the natural characteristics of the environment

As for Little Beaver Town, I found this explanation about some of its history:

Little Beaver Town was a tourist attraction just east of Albuquerque and west of Tijeras Canyon. Tourists traveling in the late 1950s on Route 66 (The Mother Road) could visit the park and see mock gun battles, take a stagecoach ride and see Fred Saunders and Troy Vicente portray Red Ryder. Fred Harman, the creator of the famous Red Ryder comic strip, and Howard Hull, a local entrepreneur, envisioned a western theme park that would rival Disneyland.

A set of old photos from Little Beaver Town can be found here.

Little Beaver Town went bankrupt by 1964, was used as a movie set for a time, and eventually was destroyed by fire and vandalism.


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