That time when... A journey to our beginningsEditor's Note: This is the second in our series "That time when...", looking back at some of our favorite travels since 2003. Thirteen years ago, on June 27, 2003, Kathy registered the domain name "LegendsOfAmerica.com" as a continuation of a hobby website she had created, which focused on the Moreno Valley of northeast New Mexico. Kathy's own history in this area dates back to her childhood, when she would spend summers with her Grandma Foster at the family cabin in Idlewild, a small home association between Eagle Nest and Angel Fire. The gold rush brought many to the area, but even after the rush faded, some were convinced there was still gold to be found in the early 1900's. One of those being Fred Montague, who along with other investors, purchased property and dug three tunnels in 1920. One of those would become the Klondyke Mine.
Only after the mill was built did the investors find, in 1926, that the grade of ore found needed to be smelted, and the nearest facility was in Pueblo, Colorado. Trucking the ore to Pueblo was too expensive to justify continuing the endeavor. The Klondyke Mine was never very productive and the mining company was constantly in search of additional working capital, though they continued to hold board meetings until the 1940's. Finally, the mine was abandoned as a business venture, but the Montague family still retains the ten acres surrounding the mine. The remaining buildings of the mine were torn down in January of 2011.
Most of the properties in Idlewild were sold to visitors from Texas and many are passed from generation to generation, including Legends of America founder and editor, Kathy Weiser's family's cabin, one of the oldest in Idlewild. It was here that Kathy spent summers with her Grandparents, Ben & Irene Foster, and developed her love of history. Kathy says Irene was and still is the inspiration for Legends of America.
Read more about Idlewild & the Klondyke mine HERE.
Often on the list of places to see and explore, Kathy spent many a day at the ghost town of Elizabethtown.
A fire in 1903 wiped out most of the original buildings. One of the only businesses to survive the blaze was the Froelick Store.
Read more fascinating history of Elizabethtown HERE.
Just a few miles away is Eagle Nest, another historic community that continues today.
In 1927, Oklahoma oilman Walter Grant built the Eagle Nest Lodge, which featured 12 rooms, a lounge and restaurant in a luxurious building. The lodge was considered one of the finest for miles, and soon expanded to include five studio units. The Lodge also offered horseback riding, fishing and hunting expeditions to the many travelers who stopped to enjoy Eagle Nest Lake. It's been long abandoned, and the last word we had in 2008 was that several of the buildings still stand.
Today, the Village of Eagle Nest is lined with arts and crafts shops, lodging, restaurants, and saloons. Known as a laid-back mountain town, unbothered by the traffic and noise of city life, the village has seen a renaissance in recent years with the addition of sidewalks, old-fashioned streetlights, park benches and flowerboxes, making the stroll through the town a pleasure. The less than mile long Main street features numerous specialty shops carrying locally-made crafts and fine arts, sculpture, sterling silver jewelry, Indian jewelry, antiques, pottery, candies, fudge, clothing, souvenirs, and much more.
Kathy talks more about this area in our latest Newsletter as she reminisces about how our website began 13 years ago. If you are not a subscriber you can see the online version HERE. As always, all our images here in our photo print shop are available not only for prints in many sizes, but also on merchandise and as downloads. Just go to a photo, click "buy" then browse our products. In the meantime, enjoy this slideshow of the Eagle Nest Area, and thank you for your support during the past 13 years.
Keywords:
Eagle Nest,
Elizabethtown,
Idlewild,
Klondyke Mine,
Laguna Vista Saloon,
Legends of America Anniversary,
Moreno Valley,
New Mexico
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