![]() Today a few buildings remain, and Lake Valley, NM, has become a designated archaeological dig site. In 1994 the town’s final resident moved away, making it another ghost town in New Mexico. ![]() At the time, prospectors had found silver deposits in the land and paved the way to produce 5.8 million ounces of silver. In 1876, Lake Valley, NM, was full of hustle. Within the town limits, you’ll find numerous historic sites, including the Edmund Tittman House, the Union Hotel’s former site, and the town’s courthouse and jail ruins. Today the historic town is a quiet, charming, and peaceful retreat for artists, writers, and ranchers. At the time, the town was booming, and it had a population of 1,200 people. ![]() During the height of the gold rush, the area’s mines produced more than $6 million in silver and gold. In 1877, upon the discovery of gold at nearby area mines, the town of Hillsboro, NM, was founded. Since its heyday, Shakespeare, NM, has been declared a National Historic Site and is preserved by the Shakespeare Foundation as a symbol of the authentic Old West. Rumor has it that during its silver-mining days, the town was home to Billy the Kid and a few notorious cattle raiders, including Russian Bill and Sandy King. Shakespeare Ghost TownĪlthough it began as Mexican Springs and later became changed its name to Grant, Shakespeare, NM, finally settled on its name in 1879. Looks for the signs to Historic Chloride as you pass through the small town of Winston. The best part? You can visit this unique town on your way to the ranch! Located just 7 minutes off Route 52, you can easily take a side trip before or after your visit to the ranch. Now, visitors of this ghost town in NM can stop by the Old Pioneer Store Museum, the 200-year-old hanging tree, and the Monte Cristo Saloon and Dance Hall. During its heyday, the silver-mining town had approximately 2,000 inhabitants. The town of Chloride, NM, came about when Englishman Harry Pye first lay claim to the land in 1881. Request Your Personalized Itinerary Top Ghost Towns in NM to Explore on Your Next Trip Historic Chloride New Mexico With our carefully planned guide, you’ll have the best New Mexico activities right at your fingertips. ![]() From Billy the Kid to Russian Bill to Harry Pye, the stories that remain in each town are full of adventure and historical lure.įor more things to do and places to visit during your journey through New Mexico, request our free customized New Mexico Itinerary. We’re referring to the nearly 400 ghost towns in NM ! The traces of these communities have created a phenomenon like no other and contain whispers of past lives. View our printable Ghost Town Map Here PDF Format 2.5 Mb.Among the Land of Enchantment’s many hidden secrets are the remains of New Mexico’s once-bustling mining towns. More than a score of these towns have enough life in spite of the ravages of vandals and weather to be interesting to the special breed of human whose eyes light up at the mention of them. Quite a few towns have a number of inhabitants. If you look, you can read the names of legendary people written in the dust: Johnny Ringo, Russian, Bill, Toppy Johnson, Roy Bean, Butch Cassidy, Madame Varnish, Black jack Ketchum, Mangas Coloradas, Billy the Kid, James Cooney. They molder into oblivion, their shells of buildings like specters against the sky, these towns that witnessed some of America’s most romantic and rapacious history.Īnd if you listen, you can hear the names of fabled mines whispered on the wind: Bridal Chamber, Confidence, Little Hell, Calamity Jane, Hardscrabble, Mystic Lode, North Homestake, Little Fanny, Spanish Bar. Literally hundreds of towns not only died, they vanished.īy some estimates, New Mexico is home to more than 400 ghost towns - most are nothing more than a few foundations and some occasional mining equipment.īut traces of many linger on, haunting ties to days that used to be. A few were farming communities that flourished for a time and mysteriously fell silent. Most were mining towns, where men lusted after the earth’s riches - gold, silver, turquoise, copper, lead and coal. But in the late 1800s, each had a moment of glory that blazed and died like a sudden flame.
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