See the link below for more details and historical facts. This is normally a dry arroyo over which is a bridge of about 50 feet.

It’s a truly interesting place with a colorful history. It was an overcast, chilly day, but I rationalized that some of my favorite photographs were taken when the perfect conditions eluded me. We proceeded with cautious optimism and were rewarded. View the guide online, or request to have one sent to you. Ghost towns can include sites in various states of disrepair and abandonment. Some sites no longer have any trace of buildings or civilization and have reverted to empty land. Ghost Towns. It was an overcast, chilly day, but I rationalized that some of my favorite photographs were taken when the perfect conditions eluded me. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies.In 1902 The New Mexico Fuel and Iron Company was established to develop coal mines in the locality. Work on the spur was begun in 1908 but was suspended within months, stalling development of the community of about 60 residents for a decade.In 1919 a “gentleman entrepreneur,” Dr. Jean (or John) Justin DePraslin of New Orleans convinced investors to put up nearly $450,000 to develop the Hagan Coal Mine, including housing, mine buildings and a power plant. Father LaRue, while sitting with an old dying soldier, listened while the man told him of a rich gold-bearing load in the mountains north of El Paso del Norte (El Paso, Texas today.) That being said, I wouldn’t make a special trip just to visit Lake Valley. ... A short life for a town near the turn of the century. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.We set out early to explore and photograph the Lake Valley ghost town as part of a day trip. Initially, coal was hauled by wagon to the railroad main line at San Felipe.

Stationed at Chihuaha, New Mexico in 1797 during the last years of the Spanish occupation, was a priest named LaRue. Signup for our bi-monthly The general store was a two-storey structure which housed a bank, post office, barber shop and pool hall as well as the general mercantile. Some say it’s the work of the ghost of a little girl named Annie, who frequents the rooms on the second floor. Sierra County has a lot of old mining towns, with a cluster near Truth or Consequences (aka T or C). As well as the coal, the railroad hauled brick and tile from a brick factory adjacent to the ruins of Tonque Pueblo, a few miles north of the town.DePraslin developed Hagan as an ambitiously planned community intended for 500 residents. Yes!
An eight-grade school was set up to serve 70 pupils.

There is a lot of interesting history. But in the early 1930s the miners hit a layer of shale which soon widened, eventually choking off coal production. Exploring these communities is an ideal day trip for anyone with a love for ghost towns. Like a lot of southwest Ghost Towns, it centered around mining, namely silver. Movement. The name Hagan was chosen for the site in 1904, named after a local official of the AT&SF Railroad, no doubt to encourage the extension of a railroad spur to serve the mines.
Although he passed away at the Elks Lodge in 1947, it is believed that his spirit lingers in Room 310 of his hotel. The town was well supplied with electricity and running water. Over 100 adobe structures were built by adobero Abenicio Salazar of Bernalillo with a team of 100 laborers and 60 masons over a period of three years, in the pueblo revival style which was popular at the time. By 1933 the railroad, never profitable, ceased operation and was dismantled, and in 1939 the Hagan Mine closed down.East of I-25, beyond the San Felipe Casino north of Albuquerque and down a dirt county road heading towards MadridOnly the foundations and a few brick walls of the power plant, general store, reservoir, and a few smaller buildings remain.

There is something here for everyone. All were a bit disappointing EXCEPT Chloride! We had the place to ourselves. The town was in its death throes with a brief resurgence in the 1920’s and again during WW2 when manganese ore was being mined.

The general store was a two-storey structure which housed a bank, post office, barber shop and pool hall as well as the general mercantile. We set out early to explore and photograph the Lake Valley ghost town as part of a day trip.

If Ghost Towns are your thing, Lake Valley won’t disappoint. And, while Ghost Towns are common here in the desert, this one is special in that it’s protected by the BLM and manned by a “Work Camping” couple like us. The site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Sierra County Ghost Towns. The townsfolk were great. If you are interested in specific things Lake Valley has to offer, then you’ll love it even more. During tours, guests have reported seeing shadowy figures lurking in the hallways, flashlights turning on and off mysteriously and having their arms scratched. Directions to the fort from Las Cruces, NM, is = At the south side of Las Cruces is the junction of I-10 and I-25, driving south from Las Cruces and from that intersection one mile is Fillmore Canyon. Conditions. Agree with prior reviewer. View … That coupled with the unnatural stillness may be why many believe this ghost town to be haunted and consider it to be the creepiest abandoned town in New Mexico. An eight-grade school was set up to serve 70 pupils.The town grew from 1924 to 1930 and the population peaked at about 200 people, mostly Italian and Slavic miners from the coalfields of Raton and Dawson, and local Hispanics from Madrid and Los Cerrillos. Lake Valley Historical Townsite is a bonafide Ghost Town in that no one technically lives here. ... Planning an unforgettable experience in New Mexico is easy with a free New Mexico True Adventure Guide.

We were one of three couples out exploring that day.

Built in 1866, the Amador Hotel is a popular Las Cruces ghost tour stop.