Gallup, New Mexico

Gallup is the home to about 20,000 people, and serves as a trading area for more than six times that number. Located in Western New Mexico it grew up as a typical frontier town; the name "Gallup" originates from David L. Gallup- a paymaster for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad-who established his office on southern transcontinental route in 1880. Workers on the railroad began "going to Gallup" to get their pay, and a year later the town was officially christened with the name of its first inhabitant.

Europeans, Asians, and Mexicans came to build the railroad, and many stayed on to mine coal in the region. However, these Gallup pioneers were themselves newcomers. When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the region in 1540, they found the Navajos, who were new migrants, and the Acoma, Hopi, and Zuni Pueblo Indians, whose occupation of the area extends back to antiquity. Descendants of all these groups contribute to the unique ethnic mix of the area.

The city now functions as a regional capital as well as tourist destination for those interested in Indian arts and crafts and numerous Native American monuments located in the area. The city is the main commercial hubs for those living on the Zuni Pueblo and Navajo reservations. While naturally beautiful the city is experiencing a significant amount of economic woes; McKinley County, in which Gallup is located, is the poorest county in New Mexico and one of the poorest in the United States (the per capita personal income in the county, for 2000, was $9,872, compared to $17,261 statewide and $21,587 nationally). Most employment opportunities are with the tribes, medical services and education. A major source of income is in small entrepreneurial businesses predominate, many focusing on the "cottage industry" of traditional arts and crafts.

Despite economic hardship Gallup still retains the "can do" spirit of a frontier community and is unique in its cultural diversity, found virtually nowhere else.