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Coordinates: 33°23′48″N 108°47′39″W / 33.39667°N 108.79417°W / 33.39667; -108.79417
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I have had a business in this town for 20 years. It is NOT privately owned and never has been. There is one resident that owns several properties in the downtown area
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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Mogollon, New Mexico
|name = Mogollon, New Mexico
|official_name =
|official_name =
|settlement_type = [[Ghost town]]
|settlement_type = [[List of ghost towns in New Mexico|Ghost town]]
|nickname =
|nickname =
|motto =
|motto =
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A miner named John Eberle built the first cabin in Mogollon in 1889, after mines were developed in [[Silver Creek (New Mexico)|Silver Creek]], which runs through the town. A jail and post office opened in 1890, and the first school was added in 1892.<ref name="getting">(nd) [http://www.rozylowicz.com/retirement/mogollon/mogollon.html Mogollon - Getting there]. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref> During this period of growth, Mogollon absorbed the population of nearby [[Cooney, New Mexico|Cooney]], and helped towns like [[Glenwood, New Mexico|Glenwood]], [[Gila, New Mexico|Gila]] and [[Cliff, New Mexico|Cliff]] grow because of their locations along the trail to the town. Between 1872 and 1873 the [[stagecoach]] from Mogollon to [[Silver City, New Mexico|Silver City]] was robbed 23 times by the same assailant. He was eventually apprehended by agents of the [[History of Wells Fargo|Wells Fargo]].<ref>Hardin, J. (2006) p. 96.</ref>
A miner named John Eberle built the first cabin in Mogollon in 1889, after mines were developed in [[Silver Creek (New Mexico)|Silver Creek]], which runs through the town. A jail and post office opened in 1890, and the first school was added in 1892.<ref name="getting">(nd) [http://www.rozylowicz.com/retirement/mogollon/mogollon.html Mogollon - Getting there]. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref> During this period of growth, Mogollon absorbed the population of nearby [[Cooney, New Mexico|Cooney]], and helped towns like [[Glenwood, New Mexico|Glenwood]], [[Gila, New Mexico|Gila]] and [[Cliff, New Mexico|Cliff]] grow because of their locations along the trail to the town. Between 1872 and 1873 the [[stagecoach]] from Mogollon to [[Silver City, New Mexico|Silver City]] was robbed 23 times by the same assailant. He was eventually apprehended by agents of the [[History of Wells Fargo|Wells Fargo]].<ref>Hardin, J. (2006) p. 96.</ref>


Little Fanny was an extremely dusty mine. ''[[Silicosis|Miner's consumption]]'', a series of ailments affecting miners, caused miners to work at Little Fanny for three years or less. In response the owners developed a method of spraying water from the [[jackhammer]]s as they broke the [[quartz]] for removal, thus reducing airborne dust. In 1909, the population of Mogollon was about 2,000. That same year the town had five saloons, two restaurants, four merchandise stores, two hotels and several brothels located in two red light districts. The town also had a photographer, the Midway Theatre, an ice maker, and a bakery. The [[Silver City, New Mexico|Silver City]] and Mogollon [[stagecoach|Stage Line]] provided daily service, hauling passengers, freight, gold, and silver bullion 80 miles between the two towns in almost 15 hours.<ref name="getting"/>
In 1909, the population of Mogollon was about 2,000. That same year the town had five saloons, two restaurants, four merchandise stores, two hotels and several brothels located in two red light districts. The town also had a photographer, the Midway Theatre, an ice maker, and a bakery. The [[Silver City, New Mexico|Silver City]] and Mogollon [[stagecoach|Stage Line]] provided daily service, hauling passengers, freight, gold, and silver bullion 80 miles between the two towns in almost 15 hours.<ref name="getting"/>


By 1915, payroll in Mogollon was $75,000 monthly.<ref>(nd) [http://www.huntel.com/~artpike/mogollo2.htm Mogollon, New Mexico mining camps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928201234/http://www.huntel.com/~artpike/mogollo2.htm |date=2007-09-28 }}. New Mexico Wanderings. Retrieved 6/12/07.</ref> The community expanded to a population of 1,500 that year, with electricity, water, and telephone facilities. The school offered education to about 300 students.<ref name="getting"/>
By 1915, payroll in Mogollon was $75,000 monthly.<ref>(nd) [http://www.huntel.com/~artpike/mogollo2.htm Mogollon, New Mexico mining camps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928201234/http://www.huntel.com/~artpike/mogollo2.htm |date=2007-09-28 }}. New Mexico Wanderings. Retrieved 6/12/07.</ref> The community expanded to a population of 1,500 that year, with electricity, water, and telephone facilities. The school offered education to about 300 students.<ref name="getting"/>
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From early in its life, Mogollon was plagued by a series of fires and floods. The first big fire of 1894 wiped out most of the town buildings, which were made of wood. Fires followed in 1904, 1910, 1915, and 1942. Citizens usually immediately rebuilt, each time using more stone and adobe. Floods rushed through Silver Creek in 1894, 1896, 1899, and 1914. They washed away mine tailings, dumps, bridges, houses, and people.<ref name="getting"/>
From early in its life, Mogollon was plagued by a series of fires and floods. The first big fire of 1894 wiped out most of the town buildings, which were made of wood. Fires followed in 1904, 1910, 1915, and 1942. Citizens usually immediately rebuilt, each time using more stone and adobe. Floods rushed through Silver Creek in 1894, 1896, 1899, and 1914. They washed away mine tailings, dumps, bridges, houses, and people.<ref name="getting"/>


Over 20 mines were built in the Mogollon area.<ref>https://www.mindat.org/loc-21687.html {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> By 1914 the mining district produced approximately $1.5 million of gold and silver, about 40% of New Mexico's precious metals for that year. In their lifetime, over 18 million ounces of silver were taken from the mines of the [[Mogollon Mountains]], which was one-quarter of [[New Mexico]]'s total production. Close to $20 million in gold, silver and copper were extracted, with silver accounting for about two-thirds of the total. Many regarded Silver City as merely a railhead for Mogollon's eight-team freight wagons packed with gold and silver ore.<ref>(2004) [http://newmexico.org/article/loc/newspro/page/DB-article/article/85.html Ghost Town Mogollon 'Reopens' for Summer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927010019/http://newmexico.org/article/loc/newspro/page/DB-article/article/85.html |date=2007-09-27 }}. New Mexico Department of Tourism. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref>
During WWI, the demand for gold and silver dropped, and many of Mogollon's mines shut down. The population in 1930 had dropped to a reported 200. The town grew again during a short resurgence in gold value during the late 1930s, but during [[World War II]] it shrank again, never recovering its stature.

As the ore grade decreased, so did profits, and by 1930 the population in had dropped to a reported 200. By 1940 mining activity had drastically decreased. The Fanny Mill was the only local mill to process the ore in Mogollon, so the closure of the Fanny mines in 1942 also meant the closure of the others, which previously took their ore to Fannie. A brief and minor resurgence occurred during World War II, as stagnant mines across the country began to produce needed minerals and precious metals to fuel the wartime manufacturing boom. Mining production has ceased since then.<ref>https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/1/n1/nmg_v1_n1_p7.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>


In 1973, a [[Spaghetti Western]] called ''[[My Name is Nobody]]'', starring [[Henry Fonda]] and [[Terence Hill]], was filmed in Mogollon.<ref>(nd) [http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~gulino/ghosttown/mogollon_nm.htm Mogollon, New Mexico]. Retrieved 6/11/07.</ref> A saloon and general store in town were built as part of the movie set.
In 1973, a [[Spaghetti Western]] called ''[[My Name is Nobody]]'', starring [[Henry Fonda]] and [[Terence Hill]], was filmed in Mogollon.<ref>(nd) [http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~gulino/ghosttown/mogollon_nm.htm Mogollon, New Mexico]. Retrieved 6/11/07.</ref> A saloon and general store in town were built as part of the movie set.


With refining technology advancement, some attempts have been made to resume operations. In the 1980s, Challenge Mining Company was testing ore concentrations but the project never took off.<ref>https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/1/n1/nmg_v1_n1_p7.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref> By 2023 Canadian mineral exploration company Summa Silver acquired 7,730 acres of claims to the mining district in Mogollon.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/canadian-mining-company-stakes-more-claims-on-the-edge-of-americas-first-wilderness/ | title=Canadian mining company stakes more claims on the edge of America's first Wilderness }}</ref> Testing has found high-grade ore, and Summa has ambitions to begin mining pending future results.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://summasilvernm.com/summa-silver-faq/ | title=Mogollon Project FAQ | date=February 17, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://summasilver.com/mogollon-project/ | title=Mogollon Project &#124; Summa Silver - High grade gold and silver developer }}</ref>
Today the town has several private homes.The town is the location of several small businesses, including the Silver Creek Inn, which operates in a former boarding lodge called the Mogollon House built by Frank Lauderbaugh in 1885.<ref>(nd) [http://www.silvercreekinn.com/homepage.html Silver Creek Inn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702162538/http://www.silvercreekinn.com/homepage.html |date=2007-07-02 }} website. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref> The establishment is reportedly filled with [[ghost]]s from the mining era.<ref>(2001) "Mogollon: Remote Ghost Town, A Haunted Bed-And-Breakfast, and Some Seriously Tasty Pie". ''Men's Journal''. November.</ref>

Today the town has several private homes and a few small businesses, including the Silver Creek Inn, which operates in a former boarding lodge called the Mogollon House built by Frank Lauderbaugh in 1885.<ref>(nd) [http://www.silvercreekinn.com/homepage.html Silver Creek Inn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702162538/http://www.silvercreekinn.com/homepage.html |date=2007-07-02 }} website. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref> The establishment is reportedly filled with [[ghost]]s from the mining era.<ref>(2001) "Mogollon: Remote Ghost Town, A Haunted Bed-And-Breakfast, and Some Seriously Tasty Pie". ''Men's Journal''. November.</ref>


==Mogollon historic district==
==Mogollon historic district==
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The entire Mogollon community was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District in 1987. It was cited for its industrial and architectural legacy from 1875 through 1949.<ref name="nhrp"/>
The entire Mogollon community was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District in 1987. It was cited for its industrial and architectural legacy from 1875 through 1949.<ref name="nhrp"/>


==Education==
Several mines were built in the Mogollon area, including the Little Fanny, Champion, McKinley, Pacific, and Deadwood.<ref name="getting"/> Together with older prospectors they extracted approximately $1.5 million of gold and silver in 1913, about 40% of New Mexico's precious metals for that year. In their lifetime, over 18 million ounces of silver were taken from the mines of the [[Mogollon Mountains]], which was one-quarter of [[New Mexico]]'s total production. Close to $20 million in gold and silver were extracted, with silver accounting for about two-thirds of the total. Many regarded Silver City as merely a railhead for Mogollon's eight-team freight wagons packed with gold and silver ore.<ref>(2004) [http://newmexico.org/article/loc/newspro/page/DB-article/article/85.html Ghost Town Mogollon 'Reopens' for Summer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927010019/http://newmexico.org/article/loc/newspro/page/DB-article/article/85.html |date=2007-09-27 }}. New Mexico Department of Tourism. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref>
It is in the [[Reserve Independent School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st35_nm/schooldistrict_maps/c35003_catron/DC20SD_C35003.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Catron County, NM|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-07-12}}</ref>

With the decline in precious metal values after [[World War I]], it was no longer profitable to continue operating the mines. The town grew again after a brief recovery in prices in 1937, but WWII again caused a slash in the demand for precious metals. This, accompanied by the devastating fire of 1942, almost finished the town. In 1952 the Little Fanny was the only mine in operation. Today it is silent. When the Little Fanny mine closed, Mogollon deteriorated.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/mogollon.html
|title=Mogollon - New Mexico Ghost Town
|access-date=January 22, 2008
|author=Henry Chenoweth
|publisher=Atjeu LLC
}}</ref><ref>Mazzio, J. (2003) [http://www.southernnewmexico.com/Articles/Southwest/Catron/Mogollon/MogollonCommunityProfile.html Mogollon — a seven mile-high ghost town] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608012552/http://www.southernnewmexico.com/Articles/Southwest/Catron/Mogollon/MogollonCommunityProfile.html |date=2007-06-08 }}. SouthernNewMexico.com. Retrieved 6/13/07.</ref>
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Latest revision as of 08:58, 23 August 2024

Mogollon, New Mexico
Street scene in the Mogollon Historic District
Street scene in the Mogollon Historic District
Mogollon is located in New Mexico
Mogollon
Mogollon
Location within the state of New Mexico
Mogollon is located in the United States
Mogollon
Mogollon
Mogollon (the United States)
Coordinates: 33°23′48″N 108°47′39″W / 33.39667°N 108.79417°W / 33.39667; -108.79417
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountyCatron
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
0
Time zoneUTC-5 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)MDT
Area code575
Mogollon Historic District
Cinco de Mayo celebration in Mogollon, 1914
Mogollon, New Mexico is located in New Mexico
Mogollon, New Mexico
Mogollon, New Mexico is located in the United States
Mogollon, New Mexico
LocationNM 78/Bursum Rd., Mogollon, New Mexico
Area33 acres (13 ha)
Built1889 (1889)
NRHP reference No.87001541[1]
NMSRCP No.38
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 10, 1987
Designated NMSRCPFebruary 21, 1969

Mogollon, also called the Mogollon Historic District, is a former mining town located in the Mogollon Mountains in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located east of Glenwood and Alma, it was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon to support the gold and silver mines in the surrounding mountains. The "Little Fannie" mine became the most important employer for the town. During the 1890s, Mogollon had a transient population of between 3,000 and 6,000 miners. Because of its isolation, it had a reputation as one of the wildest mining towns in the West.[2][3] Today Mogollon is listed as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

History

[edit]
Old mine cars, Mogollon

In the 1870s, Sergeant James C. Cooney of Fort Bayard found a rich strand of gold in the Gila Mountains near the future site of Mogollon.[5] A miner named John Eberle built the first cabin in Mogollon in 1889, after mines were developed in Silver Creek, which runs through the town. A jail and post office opened in 1890, and the first school was added in 1892.[6] During this period of growth, Mogollon absorbed the population of nearby Cooney, and helped towns like Glenwood, Gila and Cliff grow because of their locations along the trail to the town. Between 1872 and 1873 the stagecoach from Mogollon to Silver City was robbed 23 times by the same assailant. He was eventually apprehended by agents of the Wells Fargo.[7]

In 1909, the population of Mogollon was about 2,000. That same year the town had five saloons, two restaurants, four merchandise stores, two hotels and several brothels located in two red light districts. The town also had a photographer, the Midway Theatre, an ice maker, and a bakery. The Silver City and Mogollon Stage Line provided daily service, hauling passengers, freight, gold, and silver bullion 80 miles between the two towns in almost 15 hours.[6]

By 1915, payroll in Mogollon was $75,000 monthly.[8] The community expanded to a population of 1,500 that year, with electricity, water, and telephone facilities. The school offered education to about 300 students.[6]

From early in its life, Mogollon was plagued by a series of fires and floods. The first big fire of 1894 wiped out most of the town buildings, which were made of wood. Fires followed in 1904, 1910, 1915, and 1942. Citizens usually immediately rebuilt, each time using more stone and adobe. Floods rushed through Silver Creek in 1894, 1896, 1899, and 1914. They washed away mine tailings, dumps, bridges, houses, and people.[6]

Over 20 mines were built in the Mogollon area.[9] By 1914 the mining district produced approximately $1.5 million of gold and silver, about 40% of New Mexico's precious metals for that year. In their lifetime, over 18 million ounces of silver were taken from the mines of the Mogollon Mountains, which was one-quarter of New Mexico's total production. Close to $20 million in gold, silver and copper were extracted, with silver accounting for about two-thirds of the total. Many regarded Silver City as merely a railhead for Mogollon's eight-team freight wagons packed with gold and silver ore.[10]

As the ore grade decreased, so did profits, and by 1930 the population in had dropped to a reported 200. By 1940 mining activity had drastically decreased. The Fanny Mill was the only local mill to process the ore in Mogollon, so the closure of the Fanny mines in 1942 also meant the closure of the others, which previously took their ore to Fannie. A brief and minor resurgence occurred during World War II, as stagnant mines across the country began to produce needed minerals and precious metals to fuel the wartime manufacturing boom. Mining production has ceased since then.[11]

In 1973, a Spaghetti Western called My Name is Nobody, starring Henry Fonda and Terence Hill, was filmed in Mogollon.[12] A saloon and general store in town were built as part of the movie set.

With refining technology advancement, some attempts have been made to resume operations. In the 1980s, Challenge Mining Company was testing ore concentrations but the project never took off.[13] By 2023 Canadian mineral exploration company Summa Silver acquired 7,730 acres of claims to the mining district in Mogollon.[14] Testing has found high-grade ore, and Summa has ambitions to begin mining pending future results.[15][16]

Today the town has several private homes and a few small businesses, including the Silver Creek Inn, which operates in a former boarding lodge called the Mogollon House built by Frank Lauderbaugh in 1885.[17] The establishment is reportedly filled with ghosts from the mining era.[18]

Mogollon historic district

[edit]
Recent photo of J.P. Holland General Store

The entire Mogollon community was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District in 1987. It was cited for its industrial and architectural legacy from 1875 through 1949.[4]

Education

[edit]

It is in the Reserve Independent School District.[19]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Till, T. and Jordan, T. (2001) Great Ghost Towns of the West. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts Center Publishing. p. 72.
  3. ^ Hardin, J. (2006) Old Guns and Whispering Ghosts. Boise, ID: Shoot Magazine Corporation. p. 43.
  4. ^ a b (nd) National Register of Historic Places - Catron County, New Mexico. Retrieved 6/13/07.
  5. ^ (nd) Mogollon, New Mexico Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6/11/07.
  6. ^ a b c d (nd) Mogollon - Getting there. Retrieved 6/13/07.
  7. ^ Hardin, J. (2006) p. 96.
  8. ^ (nd) Mogollon, New Mexico mining camps Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. New Mexico Wanderings. Retrieved 6/12/07.
  9. ^ https://www.mindat.org/loc-21687.html [bare URL]
  10. ^ (2004) Ghost Town Mogollon 'Reopens' for Summer Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. New Mexico Department of Tourism. Retrieved 6/13/07.
  11. ^ https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/1/n1/nmg_v1_n1_p7.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  12. ^ (nd) Mogollon, New Mexico. Retrieved 6/11/07.
  13. ^ https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/1/n1/nmg_v1_n1_p7.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  14. ^ "Canadian mining company stakes more claims on the edge of America's first Wilderness".
  15. ^ "Mogollon Project FAQ". February 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "Mogollon Project | Summa Silver - High grade gold and silver developer".
  17. ^ (nd) Silver Creek Inn Archived 2007-07-02 at the Wayback Machine website. Retrieved 6/13/07.
  18. ^ (2001) "Mogollon: Remote Ghost Town, A Haunted Bed-And-Breakfast, and Some Seriously Tasty Pie". Men's Journal. November.
  19. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Catron County, NM" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
[edit]