New Mexico Ghost Town

They say the ghosts of the past walk the empty streets of Mogollon, New Mexico. Located high in the Mogollon Mountains in Catron County, the old mining town was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon and was a center of commerce for those working the local gold and silver mines.

It all began with the discovery of gold in the late 1870s, and soon several working mines were in the area. Of those mines, the Little Fannie was one of the busiest. And its high point, anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 miners worked the area. Along with the miners came outlaws, saloon keepers, gamblers, and shady ladies. As in any old west boomtown, Mogollon was a rough and tumble place with shootouts and dry-gulching frequent occurrences.

By 1909, Mogollon boasted five saloons, four merchandise stores, a bakery, two restaurants, two hotels, a school, and a number of brothels. A daily stagecoach ran from Mogollon to Silver City. It is said that in a two-year period from 1872 to 1873 the stagecoach was robbed 23 times by the same outlaw.

Floods and fires were a constant threat, and several times the town was almost wiped out but quickly rebuilt. Over time the gold and silver ore began playing out, and by 1930 the population had dropped to around 200 people. There was brief revival during World War II, but it didn’t last long.

Not much is left of Mogollon these days except a few houses and a couple of businesses. It is said that it is one of the most haunted ghost towns in the Southwest, and given the number of men killed in mining accidents and those who died in gunfights or by some other criminal activity, that’s not hard to believe.

Mogollon is located nine miles east of Alma, New Mexico, on State Road 78, a two-hour drive north of Silver City. At an elevation of 6,600 feet, visitors need to be prepared for winter weather conditions for part of the year. But no matter when you go, a trip to Mogollon is definitely a trip back in time.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of my book Overlooked Florida, featuring over 30 interesting places from the Panhandle to the Key West. Florida is filled with wonderful attractions that most visitors never get to see. Frontier forts, wildlife refuges, historical museums, Cracker homesteads, and quaint fishing towns are all waiting for you away from the glitter and glitz of Orlando and Disney World.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – At my age, naps aren’t a luxury, they’re required maintenance.