Ghost Towns and Historic Towns of New Mexico
New Mexico is rich in old mining, ranching, and railroading towns. The ghosts of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, John Chisum, and even Pancho Villa, all players in New Mexico history, can be felt in many of the towns.
Key Points
Unlike Death Valley or many of the ghost towns in Nevada and Arizona, there aren’t many “true” ghosts in New Mexico. If a true ghost is defined as a once-vibrant town that is now deserted, there are only three towns in this study that fit that description: Old Hachita, Kelly, and Lake Valley. However, I’ve also included a number of towns that are “ghosts of their former selves,” such as Fierro, Kingston, San Pedro, and Chloride. These towns have a fraction of their peak “boom times” population today.Also included are some historic towns (still alive and well), such as Lincoln and Columbus.
Throughout this study, I have used a personal rating system (0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest) to rank two categories in each ghost town. These include:
REMAINS: What is the quantity and quality of remaining boom-era structures in the town or area?
Exploring: How accessible are the buildings in the town? Are there interesting back roads to drive down? Posted “No Trespassing” areas are rated low; open areas in national forests are rated high.
Note that I’ve deleted the “accessibility” rating that I used in my “Death Valley” and “Nevada” ghost town books from this study, as almost all of the towns herein are reachable by paved or graded dirt roads.
1. Ancho
| Founded: | 1899/1902 |
| Mining type: | Gypsum, fire clay |
| Location: | 22 miles NE of Carrizozo County: Lincoln |
| Remains: | 8.5 |
| Exploring: | 4 (Mostly posted land) |
Background
Ancho (named after Ancho (wide) Valley) was originally founded as a shipping stop on the El Paso and Northeastern Railway in 1899/1900. Within two years, though, both gypsum and fire clay were discovered near the town, and by 1902, there was a thriving plaster and brick industry in the area. By 1921, production at the brick plant had ceased, and the town had begun its decline. The town pretty much died in the 1950s when the school closed, and New Mexico Highway 54 bypassed the town by 2.5 miles.
2. Cerrillos
| Founded: | 1879 (Post Office 1880) |
| Population: | 19th century peak – 800 1980 – 350 2003 – 788 |
| Mining type: | Turquoise, silver, gold |
| Location: | 24 miles S of Santa Fe County: Santa Fe |
| Remains: | 5 |
| Exploring: | 3 |
Background
- Los Cerrillos means “Little Hills.”
- Turquoise mining has probably existed in this area since 500 A.D.
- Thomas Alva Edison once had a lab in the nearby Ortiz Mountains.
- The colourful main street in Cerrillos has been used in several westerns, including the Disney film The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca and, more recently, Young Guns II.
3. Chama
| Founded: | 1880s |
| Population: | 2003 – 1,103 |
| Economy: | Railroad center, silver mining |
| Location: | 110 miles E of Farmington County: Rio Arriba |
| Remains: | 4 |
| Exploring: | 2 |
Background
Chama exists today pretty much because of the existence of its major tourist attraction, the 64-mile narrow-gauge Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. The old mining railroad takes passengers into Colorado through the Cumbres Pass (elevation: 10022 ft.) into the ghost town of Osier. The original railroad, the San Juan Extension of the Denver and Rio Grande, served the mining camps in the San Juan Mountains.
The old railroad yards at Chama contain a coal tipple (1924), a roundhouse, a depot (1899), a number of old steam engines, and interesting wooden rolling stock.
4. Chloride
| Founded: | 1880/81 |
| Population: | 1880s – 300/500 1980 – 30 |
| Mining type: | Silver chloride ore |
| Location: | 38 miles NW of Truth Or Consequences County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 6 |
| Exploring: | 2 |
Background
Chloride, often considered the sister city of Winston because of their proximity, is named after the ore mined there. That ore was discovered in 1879 by an Englishman named Harry Pye. He was killed by Apaches a few months after his discovery.
The town has two marvellous false-front stores on its dusty main street.
5. Columbus
| Founded: | 1891 (incorporated 1913) |
| Population: | 1905 – 100 1915 – 700 1990 – 641 2003 – 1,282 |
| Early economy: | Railroading (El Paso and South Western), border crossing with Mexico |
| Location: | 32 miles S. of Deming County: Luna |
| Remains: | 10 (active town) |
| Exploring: | 6 |
Background
Columbus reminds me of my hometown, Kennesaw, Georgia, in the sense that it has lasting fame because of an historical event that occurred there one day long ago. In the case of Kennesaw, that event was the Civil War’s Andrew’s Raid in 1862. In the case of Columbus, NM, it is the site of the last land invasion of the continental United States. On March 7, 1916, forces of Pancho Villa attacked the small town, resulting in 190 Villista casualties, 6–8 U.S. soldiers killed, and 8–10 civilians slain.
Why did Villa attack the United States, and why Columbus? As to the former question, there are various theories; the most common one is that Villa was retaliating for U.S. Government support of Villa’s enemy (at the time), Venustiano Carranza. As to the latter question, Columbus was right across the border from Mexico and contained a hotel and store owned by a man who may have cheated Villa out of some money.
The raid, which lasted about three hours, commenced when a Villista force of between 182 and 500 soldiers crossed the border at around 3 a.m. (it is unclear whether Villa himself led the raid). Facing them were 353 men and officers of the U.S. 13th Cavalry. As indicated above, the raid was not a successful one for Villa, but it had longer-term ramifications for the United States. Beginning on March 15, 1916, and lasting for almost 11 months, John “Black Jack” Pershing led almost 5,000 U.S. Calvary soldiers into Mexico, searching for Villa. Pershing never found Villa, although he had several skirmishes with Villa’s men. It was the last U.S. horse-mounted cavalry action, and it served as a learning experience for Pershing, who would lead U.S. troops in 1918 in World War One.
6. Cuchillo
| Founded: | 1879 |
| Population: | 1980 – 50 |
| Economy: | Trade center for Winston and Chloride; farming |
| Location: | 15 miles NW of Truth Or Consequences County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 3 |
| Exploring: | 1 |
Background
Cuchillo was the name of an Apache chief. The town was named after Cuchillo Negro (Black Knife) Creek. Unlike many of the other towns described in this work, its economic focus is not mining or railroading but farming. It began a slow decline after flooding in the early twentieth century destroyed a number of buildings (the 1907 St. Joseph’s Church pictured above is the third church built on the same site) and the Winston and Chloride mines closed.
7. Fierro
| Founded: | 1899 (Post Office founded) |
| Population: | World War I – 1,000 1980 – 50 |
| Mining type: | Iron |
| Location: | 2 miles N of Hanover County: Grant |
| Remains: | 10 |
| Exploring: | 5 |
Background
Fierro (which means iron) suffered two blows in the 1920s and 1930s. A fire in the early 1920s destroyed much of the town, and the mines closed in the 1930s. However, there is still active mining in the district, and one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world is several miles away.
8. Golden
| Founded: | 1840s |
| Population: | 1980 – 50 |
| Mining type: | Gold |
| Location: | 38 miles SW of Santa Fe County: Santa Fe |
| Remains: | 4 |
| Exploring: | 1 |
Background
- Originally named El Real de San Francisco,
- The gold boom was over by the 1880s. The Post Office closed in 1928.
9. Hanover
| Founded: | 1892 (Post Office founded) |
| Population: | 1980 – 500 2003 – 271 |
| Mining type: | Zinc |
| Location: | 14 miles E of Silver City County: Grant |
| Remains: | 9.5 |
| Exploring: | 4 |
Background
Hanover, like nearby Fierro, is primarily a 20th-century mining town. The main business was the Emerald Zinc Mine, built in World War One but now long deserted. There is still active mining in the area—both copper and zinc.
World War I-era Emerald Zinc Mine. It was abandoned in the early 1970s.
10. Hillsboro
| Founded: | 1877 |
| Population: | 1879 – 300 1892 – 700 1980 – 200 2003 – 305 |
| Mining type: | Gold, silver |
| Location: | 60 miles E of Silver City County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 7 |
| Exploring: | 5 |
Background
- Once the county seat of Sierra County, lost to Hot Springs (now Truth or Consequences) in 1938.
- The town got its name when miners drew names from a hat.
- $6,000,000 in ore was extracted in the boom days.
11. Jicarilla
| Founded: | 1880s (Post Office: 1892) |
| Mining type: | Gold (Placer mining) |
| Location: | 11 miles NE of White Oaks (in the Lincoln National Forest) County: Lincoln |
| Remains: | 3 |
| Exploring: | 4 |
Background
Jicarilla is named after the Jicarilla mountain range, named for the Jicarilla (basketmaker) Apaches. Placer mining was conducted here as far back as the 1850s (by Mexican miners).
The 1907 log schoolhouse, located slightly under a mile south of the town. It remained in use until the 1930s.
Old Post Office/assay office
12. Kelly
| Founded: | 1870 (Post Office, 1883) |
| Population: | 19th century peak – 3,000 1993 – 0 |
| Mining type: | Lead, zinc, silver, zinc carbonate (smithsonite) |
| Location: | 27 miles W of Socorro (about 3 miles SE of Magdalena) County: Socorro |
| Remains: | 7.5 |
| Exploring: | 7 |
Background
- Ore Extracted: $30,000,000
- Origin of Name: Named for Andy Kelly, an early claimant.
- Kelly had to use Magdalena as its railhead, as the grade to Kelly was considered too steep for a railroad spur. 16 mule and horse teams were used to haul ore to Magdalena.
- Kelly found a new lease on life after the turn of the century, when smithsonite, a pigment used in paints, was discovered in mine waste dumps.Sherwin-Williams and the Tri-Bullion Company bought up old mines in 1904 and began extracting smithsonite. By 1931, the smithsonite had been mined out, and the Post Office closed in 1945.
13. Kingston
| Founded: | 1882 |
| Population: | 1882 – 1800 1885 – 7,000 1980 – 50 |
| Mining type: | Silver |
| Location: | 48 miles E of Silver City County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 5 |
| Exploring: | 1 |
Background
- The first church was built on $1,500 in donations collected from miners in the town’s 22 saloons and brothels.
- Located along Percha Creek, so-named because wild turkeys used to perch in the trees along the creek,
- One of the local hotels was named The Victorio, after the famous Apache chief. Victorio attacked the town with heavy losses at least twice and eventually gave up.
- The town is now located on a short spur off of New Mexico Highway 152.
The old Percha State Bank. Notice the “Yes, we’re open” sign on the front! A 1960s photo shows the old town bell located in front of the bank. It is gone now.
14. Lake Valley
| Founded: | 1880s |
| Population: | 1880s – 1,000/4,000 1993 – several (?) |
| Mining type: | Silver |
| Location: | 43 miles NE of Deming County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 9.5 |
| Exploring: | 3 (Mostly posted land) |
Background
This lonely little ghost town, on the otherwise deserted road between Nutt and Hillsboro, is among my favourites in the Southwest. It is the site of the richest single concentration of silver ever found, the Bridal Chamber, from which 2.5 million ounces of silver were taken. The Bridal Chamber was located in a cavern the size of a living room.
Lake Valley boomed from 1881 to 1893, when it was all but abandoned in the silver panic. Some limited mining continued until the 1940s.
Most of the town is on private property today and can only be viewed from behind a gate. The splendid stone gas station, though, is accessible to the public. Viewable from a distance: a schoolhouse and many abandoned buildings.
Schoolhouse, with the slopes of Monument Peak in the background.
15. Lincoln
| Founded: | 1849 |
| Population: | 1980 – 100 2003 – 150 |
| Location: | 32 miles SE of Carrizozo County: Lincoln |
| Remains: | 9 |
| Exploring: | 4 |
Background
Lincoln (originally La Placita del Rio Bonito; named after President Lincoln in 1869) is a wonderfully preserved historic town. and it is the heart (along with Old Fort Sumner) of Billy the Kid Country. It was in Lincoln that the five-day Lincoln County War occurred, with Billy the Kid fighting on the losing side, the McSween-Tunstall faction. And forever ingrained in our nation’s psyche, the old Lincoln County courthouse was the site of Billy the Kid’s daring jailbreak.
Pictured are sites associated with Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War.
The famous Tunstall store, built in 1877 to compete with the unscrupulous Murphy-Dolan faction
The old Lincoln County courthouse, formerly the Murphy-Dolan store. The taped area shows where Billy the Kid’s jail cell was.
16. Monticello
| Founded: | In existence by 1870 |
| Economy: | Ranching, farming |
| Location: | 27 miles NW of Truth Or Consequences County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 5 |
| Exploring: | 2 |
Background
Monticello is probably named after John Sullivan, from Monticello, New York. He was the first postmaster.
Originally named Canada Alamosa, it served as the headquarters for the Southern Apache Agency until 1874.
Its most interesting feature is the town square, pictured below.
17. Old Fort Sumner
| Founded: | 1862-1878 |
| Major Function: | Army Fort |
| Location: | Several miles S. of Fort Sumner County: De Baca |
| Remains: | 3 |
| Exploring: | 8 |
Old Fort Sumner was a U.S. Army fort from 1862–1878. It served as a detention camp for Navajo and Mescalero Indians brought to the fort by renowned scout Kit Carson.The fort site is now operated as a small state monument.
More famously, Old Fort Sumner was the site of the death of Billy the Kid, gunned down by Pat Garrett in the house of Pete Maxwell on July 14, 1881. The house was long ago destroyed when the Pecos River changed its course and started running through the middle of the old fort.
The grave of Billy the Kid is located nearby. The grave actually has two tombstones. The first one was erected in 1932 by Charlie Foor, a pallbearer at the Kid’s 1881 funeral who erected the stone using his own funds. A second tombstone was erected in 1940 by J.N. Warner.
Grave of Billy the Kid, Old Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
18. Old Hachita
| Founded: | 1877 (Post Office – 1882) |
| Population: | 1884 – 300 1993 – 0 |
| Mining type: | Turquoise, silver, lead, copper |
| Location: | 7 miles SW of Hachita (at Turquoise Mountain) County: Grant |
| Remains: | 10 |
| Exploring: | 10 (BLM land) |
Background
There was probably Indian turquoise mining here long before white miners came to the area in the 1870s. Originally named Hachita (“Little Hatchet”), it became “Old Hachita” when the 1902 El Paso and Southwestern Railroad town site 7 miles away was given the Hachita sobriquet. Mining continued here on and off until the 1920s. The post office closed in 1898.
Old Hachita is easily my favourite ghost town in New Mexico. It meets all of the classic requirements of a perfect ghost town: it’s isolated, completely deserted, has many standing buildings, and is on public land.
There are over 20 standing buildings, including some residential buildings. Note that the town is in two parts separated by a ridge; the larger site is the one with the double cupola building.
19. Pinos Altos
| Founded: | 1860s (Post Office opened in 1867) |
| Population: | 1860 – 700 1880s/90s – 9,000 1980 – 200 |
| Mining type: | Gold, zinc |
| Location: | 7 miles N of Silver City County: Grant |
| Remains: | 9.5 |
| Exploring: | 4 |
Background
- Pinos Altos means “Tall Pines” (named Birchville until the Civil War).
- Colorado was the site of repeated Apache attacks led by Cochise and Mangas.(One such attack made use of semi-naked Indian girls posted on a hilltop to lure miners into the open! Peace came in 1874, when the Apaches and townspeople reached an agreement that as long as a cross stood on a nearby mountain, they would not fight. A second cross was erected in 1907 when the first one rotted. The most recent cross was erected in 1963.
- Fort Bayard was built in 1866 to protect miners from Indian attacks.
- The first miners in the area were probably Mexicans, in the 1830s.
- (Judge) Roy Bean owned a general store here (c. 1860) with his brother Samuel.
- Grant County seat; lost to Silver City in 1871.
The 1898 Gold Avenue Methodist Church, partly financed by George Hearst
20. San Antonio
| Founded: | 1629 (mission) |
| Original economy: | Railroading |
| Location: | 11 miles S of Socorro County: Socorro |
| Remains: | 4 |
| Exploring: | 1 |
Background
San Antonio (named for Saint Anthony) is now a busy stop off of I-25, but it has had two earlier lives. First, it was a Spanish mission, founded in 1629. Next, during the 19th century, it served as a stop along the Santa Fe Railroad branch line to the Carthage coal mines. Several buildings are left from this middle stage, located about a mile south of the present town (the tracks were torn up in the 1890s).
San Antonio is the birthplace of Conrad Hilton, who was born on December 25, 1887.
21. San Pedro
| Founded: | Spanish settlement |
| Population: | 1993 – several |
| Major Function: | Grapes/wine production under the Spanish; later a bedroom community for nearby coal towns. |
| Location: | Location: 13 miles SE of Socorro (across the Rio Grande from San Antonio) County: Socorro |
| Remains: | 8.5 |
| Exploring: | 4 |
Background
San Pedro (named for Saint Peter) is one of my favourite ghost towns in New Mexico. Easily accessible, the wonderful remains of the school, Catholic Church, barbershop, and various adobe ruins are well worth seeing.
The 1936 W.P.A.-built school, closed shortly after
22. White Oaks
| Founded: | 1880 |
| Mining type: | Gold (Placer mining) |
| Location: | 11 miles NE of Carrizozo County: Lincoln |
| Remains: | 8.5 |
| Exploring: | 4 (Mostly posted land) |
Background
- named after the white oaks once found by a nearby spring.
- Pat Garrett was sheriff in the 1880s.
- Susan McSween Barber, wife of slain Alexander McSween of Lincoln County War Fame, later lived here (and was buried there).
- Bypassed by the railroads in the 1890s because of the exorbitant demands of local businessmen
The ruins of the Exchange Bank Building. Its facade was stripped of its stone for use in a private residence.
Grave of Susan McSween Barber, wife of Alexander McSween, and later “Cattle Queen of New Mexico”, in the Cedervale Cemetery.
23. Winston (Fairview)
| Founded: | 1881 |
| Population: | 1883 – 500 1980 – 75 2003 – 97 |
| Mining type: | Silver |
| Location: | 35 miles NW of Truth Or Consequences County: Sierra |
| Remains: | 7 |
| Exploring: | 3 |
Background
Winston was named after Frank Winston, a miner, storekeeper, cattleman, and state legislator, after his death in 1929. The most interesting feature of the town is the old schoolhouse, pictured below.
