In 1893, Watt Hoyle, one of the owners of the Old Abe Mine, built a two-story Victorian brick home for his fiancée. However, when the young lady wrote him that she was not coming to White Oaks, the mansion, with its stately gables and sharply-pitched roof, became known as “Hoyle’s folly.” He never finished the inside of the home and later, legends would abound that he was so heartsick that he leaped to his death. However, that was not the case. Hoyle actually lived in the house with his older brother and his wife. Hoyle reportedly sold the home in the 1892’s and moved to Denver.

In March,1895, tragedy struck again when a fire in the Old Abe Mine took the lives of eight men. However, the mine continued to operate until shortly after the turn of the century when the deposits became less profitable. When the mine developed a problem with the timbers in the shaft, it was finally shut down.

Of the many mining operations, the Old Abe Mine was the largest, employing some forty workers yielding between forty-five to fifty tons of gold per day. Other operations included the Robert E. Lee, the Smuggler, the Rita, Lady Godiva, Little Mack, Silver Cliff, Miners Cabin, and others. All told, the mines of White Oaks yielded around $20 million dollars worth of gold and other minerals.

With its precious minerals depleted and the railroad having bypassed the settlement in favor of nearby Carrizozo, the town declined dramatically. By 1910, White Oaks had only about 200 residents. Though greatly reduced in size the town continued as a small trading center until the 1950’s.

Today, White Oaks is called home to just a few remaining residents. However, many of its historic buildings continue to stand including Brown’s Store, the Hoyle House, the 1895 brick school house, and many old residences. A number of buildings are currently undergoing renovation.

White Oaks is 12 miles northeast of Carrizozo, New Mexico.

While in the area, an unpaved  forest road leads northwest out of White Oaks which will take the visitor on a circuitous route to the ghost towns of Jicarillo and Ancho. Though unpaved, the road well maintained and can be traveled in most any vehicle.