Old Hachita
I have visited many old ghost towns over the last 60 years. They all have heroic stories to tell a
nd lessons to learn about how hardy our ancestors were. Old Hachita was the 
site where two brothers named Hazlett were gunned down by a gang from Tombstone. Johnny Ringo was supposed to have participated in this.
nd lessons to learn about how hardy our ancestors were. Old Hachita was the 
site where two brothers named Hazlett were gunned down by a gang from Tombstone. Johnny Ringo was supposed to have participated in this.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Ringo
There are a lot of old 19th century mines in the Little Hatchet Mountains of Grant and Hidalgo Counties in far Southwestern New Mexico.
There are a lot of old 19th century mines in the Little Hatchet Mountains of Grant and Hidalgo Counties in far Southwestern New Mexico.
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The area is desert and is dry and hot. Several historical mi
nes are located around Old Hachita, including the Hornet, King, and American National mine. The mines produced silver, copper, lead, and turquoise.
Old Hachita lies at 31 degrees, 54 minutes, 50.6 seconds North latitude, 108 degrees, 25 minutes, 33.2 seconds West longitude at 4,812 feet (1,467 meters) above mean sea level. Roughly one half a mine east of Turquoise Mountain in the Little Hatchets.
The town of Old Hachita was founded in 1875. In 1882 a post office was opened, and by 1884 the town was thriving and had grown to 300 residents. At its height there were two general stores, three saloons, a smelting works, and several mining companies.
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But by the 1890’s the town was dying. Like in many other mining boom towns the end came not so much due to the ore playing out, but more to intangibles like the profit motive and other financial factors. T
he price of silver had declined to where it was no longer economical to mine it. The final end for Old Hachita came when the El Paso & Southwestern and the Arizona & New Mexico Railroad arrived and a railroad town called Hachita was built about 9 miles away.
The blacksmith’s shop in Old Hachita is still standing and is notable for its twin cupolas. There is an old powder magazine and an old mill building, but most of these 135 year old structures were built of adobe brick and are now slowly eroding back into nature.
Old Hachita is one of the best preserved ghost towns I have ever visited. I gues
s what has protected it is mainly the remote location. Then even when you get nearby the very rugged dirt road leading to it is not marked, and Old Hachita is not visible from the paved highway. Too many of the other old ghost towns in the southwest have been developed for the tourists or have hippies living in them selling arts, crafts, spiritual pyramids, and bongs.
nes are located around Old Hachita, including the Hornet, King, and American National mine. The mines produced silver, copper, lead, and turquoise.Old Hachita lies at 31 degrees, 54 minutes, 50.6 seconds North latitude, 108 degrees, 25 minutes, 33.2 seconds West longitude at 4,812 feet (1,467 meters) above mean sea level. Roughly one half a mine east of Turquoise Mountain in the Little Hatchets.
The town of Old Hachita was founded in 1875. In 1882 a post office was opened, and by 1884 the town was thriving and had grown to 300 residents. At its height there were two general stores, three saloons, a smelting works, and several mining companies.
.jpg)
But by the 1890’s the town was dying. Like in many other mining boom towns the end came not so much due to the ore playing out, but more to intangibles like the profit motive and other financial factors. T
he price of silver had declined to where it was no longer economical to mine it. The final end for Old Hachita came when the El Paso & Southwestern and the Arizona & New Mexico Railroad arrived and a railroad town called Hachita was built about 9 miles away.The blacksmith’s shop in Old Hachita is still standing and is notable for its twin cupolas. There is an old powder magazine and an old mill building, but most of these 135 year old structures were built of adobe brick and are now slowly eroding back into nature.
Old Hachita is one of the best preserved ghost towns I have ever visited. I gues
s what has protected it is mainly the remote location. Then even when you get nearby the very rugged dirt road leading to it is not marked, and Old Hachita is not visible from the paved highway. Too many of the other old ghost towns in the southwest have been developed for the tourists or have hippies living in them selling arts, crafts, spiritual pyramids, and bongs. -
Old Hachita fortunately is not afflicted with this problem.
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