Carlsbad's Frank Kindel: Flying paper boy of the Guadalupes
October 2, 2015 11:50 AM Subscribe
If you happen to drive along NM-137, a quiet rural road in south-east New Mexico, you'll drive through Queen, a former ghost town that is once again inhabited by the living. Slow down and you'll see a monument to The Flying Paper Boy Of The Guadalupes, Frank Kindel.
Frank wasn't a local from Queen, but rather one of the most memorable Carlsbad characters, as told in a nice local article that's full of scenes from bygone eras.
The local daredevil grew up to be Carlsbad's unofficial ambassador to the country, who would also deliver papers to area ranchers and to deer camps during hunting season, likely as much an excuse to fly as a service to the community. Kindel was also a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and flew locals for various excursions. The 71 year old Flying Paper Boy's final flight was to take a Presbyterian minister to church campers in the Guadalupe mountains, where you can now find his monument.
If you're digging around for more about Frank's monument or Queen, New Mexico be warned - some sources get the information wrong. For instance, Roadtrippers has an article on the monument, but with a photo of the old chimney in Queen, which may also be known as the Tulk chimney, the largest and most recognizable remnant of the old community of Queen (Google books preview).
Frank wasn't a local from Queen, but rather one of the most memorable Carlsbad characters, as told in a nice local article that's full of scenes from bygone eras.
The local daredevil grew up to be Carlsbad's unofficial ambassador to the country, who would also deliver papers to area ranchers and to deer camps during hunting season, likely as much an excuse to fly as a service to the community. Kindel was also a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and flew locals for various excursions. The 71 year old Flying Paper Boy's final flight was to take a Presbyterian minister to church campers in the Guadalupe mountains, where you can now find his monument.
If you're digging around for more about Frank's monument or Queen, New Mexico be warned - some sources get the information wrong. For instance, Roadtrippers has an article on the monument, but with a photo of the old chimney in Queen, which may also be known as the Tulk chimney, the largest and most recognizable remnant of the old community of Queen (Google books preview).
Interesting. I do remember reading about Queen awhile back although I've never been there. Someday I'd like to visit some of the ghost towns mentioned on that site. I've been to Steins and Playas has an interesting history. I met someone who lived there when it was a company town developed by the Phelps Dodge corporation. More recently it has been used as a place to train counter-terrorism units.
On the way to Carlsbad via the southern route there is an outstanding burger joint in a town called Cornudas (pop. 19).
posted by jenh526 at 8:40 AM on October 3, 2015
On the way to Carlsbad via the southern route there is an outstanding burger joint in a town called Cornudas (pop. 19).
posted by jenh526 at 8:40 AM on October 3, 2015
I did field work in the Guadalupes and have spent a fair amount of time near Queen, and I have never seen this.
Queen has literally one store/gas station, and the last time I was there, they stopped selling gas, since more evaporated in the summer than they sold. It is as sleepy of a place as it gets, as the road that goes through it more or less goes from nowhere to nowhere. There are a handful of 'locals', and a handful of people passing through to get to the backside of Guadalupe National Park or into the back roads of the Lincoln National Forest.
I haven't been through there for more than ten years, but I strongly doubt that anyone will 'happen to drive along NM-137' through Queen.
posted by grajohnt at 9:41 AM on October 3, 2015
Queen has literally one store/gas station, and the last time I was there, they stopped selling gas, since more evaporated in the summer than they sold. It is as sleepy of a place as it gets, as the road that goes through it more or less goes from nowhere to nowhere. There are a handful of 'locals', and a handful of people passing through to get to the backside of Guadalupe National Park or into the back roads of the Lincoln National Forest.
I haven't been through there for more than ten years, but I strongly doubt that anyone will 'happen to drive along NM-137' through Queen.
posted by grajohnt at 9:41 AM on October 3, 2015
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Also, anything about the "now-defunct attraction called Llama Land," where someone first saw a marker for the "Flying Paper Boy Of The Guadalupes" monument.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:42 PM on October 2, 2015