Elizabeth Town, New Mexico has long been a favorite of mine. There’s not much left of the thriving but lawless mining town. There is a pay for play western town that’s
seldom if ever open. There’s the shell
of the Mutz Hotel and there are hulks of automobiles strewn throughout the town’s
hillside site. At the top of the hill Elizabeth Town Cemetery
looks down on the whole shebang and is worth the trip all by itself.
It’s hard to imagine that this was once the home of 7,000
residents, substantially larger than the town of Taos today. Elizabeth Town was, among other things, the
first incorporated town in New Mexico, the county seat of Colfax County and the
home of serial killer Charles Kennedy who lured at least 14 victims to his
boarding house before killing them and incinerating them piece by piece. A lynch mob led by the notorious Clay
Allison put an end to the festivities. Then they
let Kennedy hang for several days to make some kind of statement.
This macabre display may be the
genesis of the phrase “left swinging in the wind.”
The Elizabeth Town story began in the fall of 1866 when
three prospectors looking for copper found gold instead. Though they swore themselves to secrecy the vow
held for a nano-second and their loose tongues led to an all out gold rush. It turns out that the site of the town was owned Lucien
Bonaparte Maxwell whose Maxwell Land Grant, the nation’s largest, included all
of the Moreno Valley and everything east to past Cimarron. The wealthy Maxwell was quite enterprising. Since he knew he couldn’t fight the surge of
treasure seekers he leased them small parcels, charged claim fees as well as
tolls for the road he constructed for their use. That was 1867. But by 1872 the mines had stopped producing
and just 100 residents remained. That's a record setting fall from grace for sure. Then the
fire of 1903 virtually erased the town and its faint residue is what you’ll find today.
And who in the devil decorated those rusting cars with plastic flowers? Roses and Rust, now there's a theme that's right up my alley.
8 comments:
Your usual superior photography capturing desolation and abandonment was evident . But it was the verbage that added another element, and that's to move me to pinpoint this deserted NM town's location and--with Nikon in hand--capture the "ghosts" left behind. Loved the floral automotive tribute. Almost like a macabre Wes Craven's screenplay.
Thanks Jim. It is a cool place and I do love relics being one myself. Let me know when you head to E-town and I'll be there.
Hey, wait for me! Love that belly shot of the car, Steve. And it’s true, your words are a most welcome addition.
John Juanderlust
What! You were actually able to publish a comment? But seriously...
Thanks for good word about the shot and, well, the words. Are you back to being a solo act?
The history is fascinating and you should be applauded for including that. Maxwell was quite the entrepreneur, wasn't he? Left an amazing legacy, for better or worse. The photographs are wonderfully lonely and mysterious. The third image with the silk peonies stashed in the metal seam is particularly stunning.
Thanks Daryl. I do love that spot.
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