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Rich in history and once full of life with
over 7,000 residents, it is hard to imagine
Elizabethtown
as it once was. The hauntingly beautiful remains of the once
bustling boom camp look silently upon the Moreno Valley and the face
of the imposing Baldy Mountain.
It all began in 1866, just one year after the
Civil War ended, when
Ute
Indians arrived at Fort Union (north of
Las Vegas,
New Mexico)
wanting to trade "pretty rocks" for supplies
In
1870,
Elizabethtown boasted 7,000 residents, seven saloons, three dance
halls, five stores, a school, and two churches and was soon designated to be the Colfax County seat.
For about five years
E-Town
reigned as one of
New
Mexico's most important towns, but mining operations began to
diminish dramatically. The fever cooled as mining costs started
to out-weigh the volume of ore produced.
More ...
Elizabethtown
was once strung out across this valley. Kathy Weiser, September, 2008.
Continued Next Page
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