Even if you’ve never visited Pie Town in Catron County, its name is intriguing enough to make you add it to your bucket list. A remote town named after a tasty dessert? What’s not to like? And, yes, this tiny community of 186 people does make insanely yummy pies. In fact, every September, the town hosts a pie festival.
We were fascinated to discover these old photos of Pie Town, shot in the 1940s by photographer Russell Lee. These images give us insight not only into Pie Town’s history but also into rural life in 1940s New Mexico. We’ve grouped the images into three categories: home, work, and community.
- This home belonged to a gentleman called Jack Whinery. Its construction costs were minimal - 30 cents for nails. His wife built the fence from wood Mr. Whinery cut.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A homesteading couple, originally from Oklahoma, settle into their new, adobe house.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Mrs. Faro Caudill and her daughter inside their dugout home. Apparent the Caudills were a popular family because they had a radio, which they allowed neighbors to listen to.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Mrs. Caudill putting milk into a home-crafted cooling box to stop it from spoiling.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Mrs. Caudill removing canned fruit from the dugout cellar where it was stored.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- This is what an outhouse looked like in 1940s Pie Town - nicer than you might expect.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A marriage license adorns the wall of a Pie Town home.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Mrs. Hutton using an electric washing machine.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A man sharpening his knife. He worked as a cowboy and rancher.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A farmer taking a cigarette break.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Faro Caudill planting a crop of beans.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Burros pulling a cart that belongs to homesteader, Mr. Leatherman.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A man dowsing for water in Pie Town.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A farmer using pulleys to operate a drill in order to make a well.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Louis Stagg and her mother in the cafe they ran in Pie Town.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Pie Town boasted a general store, that stocked produce from states like Arizona.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A stage driver creating a receipt for a delivery received by the general store.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A Pie Town community sing.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- At the same event, a farm woman makes her songbook do double duty as a barrier against the sun!
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Residents serving themselves refreshments at the community sing.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- A boy receiving a birthday whipping… Congratulations?
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
- Pie Town residents catching up on a Sunday.
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
Were any of your ancestors homesteaders, cowboys, or farmers?
Photogrammar/Russell Lee
If you enjoyed these images, check out these rare pictures from the Great Depression, which were taken in New Mexico.
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