Madrid, New Mexico
Nestled on the northeast side of the Sandia Mountains is Madrid (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable: MAD-rid, not Ma-DRID).
Located just south of Santa Fe New Mexico, in the mineral rich Ortiz Mountains, Madrid is in the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico. As many as 1,500 years ago the first Native American inhabitants mined the turquoise and lead deposits in the nearby hills. When the Spaniards first arrived in 1540, they largely ignored the Indians and their turquoise, more interested in finding the more valuable minerals of silver and gold.
However they returned almost a century later and finding silver, forced the natives to work in the mines until the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Thirteen years later, in 1693, the Spanish Crown re-conquered the area.
Spaniards continued to look for gold but also began to establish farms and ranches in the area. However, the region remained fairly unpopulated until large amounts of coal were discovered around 1835. Just five years later, placer gold deposits were discovered in the San Pedro Mountains and the area that would become Madrid began to grow as more and more prospectors arrived in search of their fortunes.
By 1892 the yield from a narrow valley known as "Coal Gulch" was large enough to warrant the construction of a 6.5 mile standard gauge railroad spur connecting the area to the main line of Santa Fe Railroad. Coal Gulch later became the town site of Madrid.
These imposing gate posts and wall are near the Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark, which is named after the last superintendent of mines of the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company. The beautifully constructed structure is an oddity in a artist community with a population of 300. You can see mine tailings in the distance beyond the posts.
Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all. I will be mostly offline for the next few days and will catch up as time permits.
© Melissa Post 2017
Madrid, New Mexico
Nestled on the northeast side of the Sandia Mountains is Madrid (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable: MAD-rid, not Ma-DRID).
Located just south of Santa Fe New Mexico, in the mineral rich Ortiz Mountains, Madrid is in the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico. As many as 1,500 years ago the first Native American inhabitants mined the turquoise and lead deposits in the nearby hills. When the Spaniards first arrived in 1540, they largely ignored the Indians and their turquoise, more interested in finding the more valuable minerals of silver and gold.
However they returned almost a century later and finding silver, forced the natives to work in the mines until the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Thirteen years later, in 1693, the Spanish Crown re-conquered the area.
Spaniards continued to look for gold but also began to establish farms and ranches in the area. However, the region remained fairly unpopulated until large amounts of coal were discovered around 1835. Just five years later, placer gold deposits were discovered in the San Pedro Mountains and the area that would become Madrid began to grow as more and more prospectors arrived in search of their fortunes.
By 1892 the yield from a narrow valley known as "Coal Gulch" was large enough to warrant the construction of a 6.5 mile standard gauge railroad spur connecting the area to the main line of Santa Fe Railroad. Coal Gulch later became the town site of Madrid.
These imposing gate posts and wall are near the Oscar Huber Memorial Ballpark, which is named after the last superintendent of mines of the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company. The beautifully constructed structure is an oddity in a artist community with a population of 300. You can see mine tailings in the distance beyond the posts.
Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all. I will be mostly offline for the next few days and will catch up as time permits.
© Melissa Post 2017