U.S. #5376
2019 55¢ Post Office Murals – "Mountains and Yucca"
Value: 55¢ 1-ounce First-class rate (Forever)
Issue Date: April 2, 2019
First Day City: Piggott, AR
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 10
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 30,000,000
Deming, New Mexico, was founded in 1881 and named after the wife of one of the "Big Four" railroad tycoons. The city is the site where the Southern Pacific railroad joined with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroads. The Silver Spike connected the two lines the same year Deming was founded and signified the completion of the United States' second transcontinental railroad.
In addition to its history with the railroad industry, Deming is also known for its striking desert scenery. The land around the city is relatively flat, but the nearby Cooke's mountain range and Cooke's Peak can be seen in the distance. These mountains were named after Captain Phillip St. George Cooke, a leader of the Mormon Battalion who explored the area in 1846 in search of a wagon route for the US Army.
In 1937, artist Kenneth M. Adams was commissioned to paint a mural in the city's post office. He could have chosen any subject, but he decided to depict the area's beautiful landscape. The painting, Mountains and Yucca, was one of many commissioned during the Great Depression to help boost the country's morale. Adams' mural did just that, and it is still displayed in the Deming Post Office today.