Visit to a New Mexico Ghost Town

Dad, my sister, my brother-in-law, my nieces and I excitedly prepared to go to the ghost town. Our music on the way to the ghost town included "Ghost Busters," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Toccata & Fuge in D Minor," and the "William Tell Overture."

This ghost town is located along the Old Santa Fe Trail, a few miles away from a Union Army fort. The fort was located in a remote location, and shortly thereafter, the town was a well known destination for the soldiers. As the town grew, it grew as a wild and disreputable location. By 1872, it had a population of over 400, and its own Post Office.

The ghost town featured a bar, casino, dance hall, church, post office, along with a mercantile store. Famous for its "white lightning" and "ladies of the evening," it was a most popular destination for the soldiers. When the nearby fort closed, the town's population dropped, until it was virtually abandoned by World War II.

Today, there are stories circulating of ghost-like, shadowy figures appearing at dawn and dusk. Some say they are the souls of those who lost their lives in the town's wild past; others say they are the ghosts of the "ladies of the evening."

Upon arriving at the ghost town, we found the bridge over a nearby river had been washed out. We crossed the river on a swinging foot bridge, and walked to the nearby ghost town.

This building still had a roof on it. Unfortunately, no ghosts came to greet us.

This is another view of the building. Many of the buildings have wells either very near the doorway, or within the building. As the property owner explained, this was for easy access to water during times of attacks by Indians.

This is a view of the building that housed the dance hall, casino, and bar. The view is looking north.

This is a panoramic view of the front of the bar, dance hall, and casino looking west. The building is quite large, and the panorama is composed of a total of 19 individual digital photos.

Walking further north, we encountered the old school house, which was in remarkably good condition. This view is taken from the ruins of the church, whose location is marked by the cross.

Another view of the school house from further east shows the ruins of an old rock fence.

Another view of the rock fence.

Shown here are the ruins of a residence once owned by the propery owner's grandmother.

As we proceeded north, a great panoramic view of the bar, dance hall, and casino appered. On the left side (east side) are the ruins of the church and the home of the property owner's grandmother.

Proceeding further north, we found the livery area, where the livestock were held. The area has stone walls, as they were needed to protect the animals from Indian attacks.

Another view from the livery area.

Looking towards the east, one sees what the locals call "Orphan Peak", where Indians took their dead.

The cemetary is located to the northeast of the livery stables, but is currently an empty field, as the headstones were removed sometime in the 1970s.

Unfortunately, we didn't find any ghosts, but had a very pleasant outing!