Marking NM’s Historic Women: Mary Ann Deming Crocker

Photo Credit: Palace of the Governors Photo Archives
Harvey House depot hotel, Deming, New Mexico
Date: 1893
Negative Number 013840

Mary Ann Deming Crocker (1829-1889) “Namesake of Deming”

Born in 1827, Mary Ann Deming was married to Charles Crocker, one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad. A “silver spike” was driven here in 1881 that commemorated connecting the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads, and signaled completion of the nation’s second transcontinental railroad. The new settlement was christened Deming in Mary’s honor for her generosity and benevolence to many charitable causes for the poor.

Roadside Marker Location: Luna County, US Hwy 180

You can view a county by county list of the Historic Women Mile Markers in this pdf.

March is Women’s History Month. During this month we’ll be highlighting some of the women featured on New Mexico’s Historic Women Roadside Markers. Text provided by our colleagues at New Mexico Historic Preservation Division