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Manufactured Goods

The railroad arrived in Santa Fe in 1880, making manufactured goods widely available and inaugurating New Mexico as a destination for tourists. Prior to that time, Hispanic and Pueblo people of the middle and northern Rio Grande valley depended upon Pueblo ceramics for most of their household cooking and storage needs.

By the late 1800s, pottery was being replaced in Pueblo communities by manufactured metal and ceramic wares. The majority of pottery being produced at the pueblos was intended for sale to the burgeoning curio market, which favored exotic items and pieces that were easy to transport.

Museum of New Mexico