A view of what's left of Elizabethtown, New Mexico from the cemetery above.
Rich in history and once full of life with over 7,000 residents, it is hard to imagine Elizabethtown as it once was. The hauntingly beautiful remains of the once bustling boom camp look silently upon the Moreno Valley and the face of the imposing Baldy Mountain.

It all began in 1866, just one year after the Civil War ended, when Ute Indians arrived at Fort Union (north of Las Vegas, New Mexico) wanting to trade "pretty rocks" for supplies.
In 1870, Elizabethtown boasted 7,000 residents, seven saloons, three dance halls, five stores, a school, and two churches and was soon designated to be the Colfax County seat.

For about five years E-Town reigned as one of New Mexico's most important towns, but mining operations began to diminish dramatically. The fever cooled as mining costs started to out-weigh the volume of ore produced. Photo by Kathy Weiser-Alexander.