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Sunday, September 19, 1999
Gallup: Rails and Crafts
Journal Staff Report
Gallup emerged in 1881 from a railroad construction map and was named after Atlantic and Pacific Railroad paymaster David Gallup.
The many coal deposits discovered in the area transformed Gallup into a central fueling stop for trains heading to California.
"When the railroad came through here, it was because of the coal. We had over 100 coal mines. (Coal) fired all of the trains that came through here, and our business community extended from there," said local historian Sally Noe.
That railroad activity helped shape one of Gallup's most important industries -- Indian crafts. Early trading was based mainly on wool and lambs, Noe said, but as Indian art and artifacts became fashionable on the East Coast, the industry mushroomed.
"We now have the largest cottage industry in the United States, meaning we have the highest volume of goods made in individual homes."
Route 66 fanned the popularity of Gallup's Indian craft industry when it was built through the center of the town in 1927. The highway from Chicago to Los Angeles increased a tourism industry begun by the railroad.
2000 
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