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SAN MARCIAL

Other Socorro County Historical Sites

Visiting Socorro County

Ghost Towns and Historical places

Compliments of —

Not much is left of San Marcial. It was

completely destroyed by a flood in 1929. Still, it

attracts hundreds of visitors every year to see

the town that is no more.

Remnants of San Marcial near Black Mesa

San Marcial as it appeared three months

following the 1929 flood.

GPS: 33°42’12”N 106°59’02”W Elev. 4,500 ft.

Directions from Socorro: Take I-25 south, exit at San

Marcial, Exit 124. Drive east 1 mile to junction of

Highway 1. Note Confederate Monument. Continue

east on dirt road about 2 miles to rock water tank, buried

ranch house, a grave, and other remnants.

Travel: Year-round; most of travel on paved highways.

Last 2 miles on well maintained dirt road.

Advisories: The town site is a combination of Bureau of

Reclamation property, the Armendaris Ranch, and other

private land. No digging or treasure hunting allowed.

History: San Marcial was established shortly after

the Civil War and quickly became a center for

banking, mining and the AT&SF railroad.

Population was about 2,500. San Marcial was

completely inundated by a flood in 1929. The

nearby towns of Valverde, La Mesa, Plaza Viejo and

Geronimo were destroyed by a flood in 1937. These

towns, including the Valverde battlefield, now lie

under several feet of silt.

Courtesy of Socorro County Historical Society

There are many ghost towns and historical sites

in Socorro County from the pre-historic Piro

Pueblo culture, the early Spanish colonization

period (1598–1846), and others from the

Territorial days (1846–1912 statehood).

Most of these sites are inaccessible due to the

terrain, very poor roads (or lack of roads) –

leading to hazardous travel. Many sites are

virtually impossible to find without a guide.

Some sites are located on restricted federal

lands, closed private land, or protected because

of their high historic or cultural significance.

For your safety, visiting historic sites not

listed in this brochure is not recommended.

GHOST TOWN GUIDE

Socorro County

New Mexico

A Guide to some of

Socorro County’s Ghost Towns

Including

Socorro County Ghost Town Map

by Paul Harden

With specific travel directions to:

Ghost town of Riley (Santa Rita)

Mining ghost town of Kelly

Rosedale Mining District

The Graphic Mill

San Marcial

Fort Craig

1. Preservation. Please respect Socorro County’s

ghost towns and historic or cultural sites for

our future generations. Remember ...

TAKE only photos

LEAVE only footprints

2. Respect private property. Close cattle gates;

no firearms (don’t shoot at buildings, signs, or

water tanks); drive slowly around livestock.

3. Remoteness. Once you leave the paved

highways in Socorro County, you are entering

very remote country on dirt roads seldom

traveled. Be safe and be prepared.

4. Water. In summer months, temperatures can

exceed 100°F with single–digit humidity.

Take plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

5. Rattle snakes. Yes, we have rattle snakes.

6. Cell phone coverage is unreliable in most

rural areas.

7. Arroyos. Many dirt roads cross arroyos or dry

stream beds. During thunderstorms, arroyos

are prone to flash flooding. Crossing an arroyo

with a swift water flow can be deadly.

8. Notify. Let someone know where you are going

(friends, family, motel clerk, etc.) in the event

you experience problems and are delayed

reaching your destination.

9. Location. Know where you’re at and what road

you are on in case you need to seek help.

10. Travel at your own risk. Roads are generally

suitable for most automobiles – but not

recommended for RVs. Conditions can

change. Ask for current local conditions.

Grave of Deputy Sheriff

Daniel Bustamante,

killed by train robber

Broncho Bill Walters.

The school house at Riley, in use until 1953

Ruins of the

Pedro Aragon

home, built in

1882. The

Aragons were

the first family

to settle at

Santa Rita.

Ruins of the

Nuñez home.

The Nuñez sisters

operated a small

general store

from this adobe

building for many

years.

History: Riley was settled in 1882 by Pedro Aragon

from Polvadera. The small valley and springs at the

foot of Ladron Peak proved to be good farm land. The

Aragons were soon joined by other family and

friends from Polvadera. They named the town Santa

Rita, changed it to Riley in 1892 when they applied

residents reverted to calling the town Santa Rita.

In the 1940s, many of the men left to serve in World

War II, which further depleted the town of ranchers and

farmers. The school was closed when the Rural School

Administration was abolished in 1953. This forced the

remaining residents to move to either Magdalena or

Belen for schooling, where most of the former residents

live today. The Aragon, Romero, and Bustamante

families still live nearby.

The Santa Rita church remains an active mission

church to San Miguel parish in Socorro. A traditional

Spanish Mass is held once a year during the Santa Rita

fiestas on Memorial Day weekend. The fiesta serves as a

town reunion for former residents and their descendants.

Many remains of Santa Rita go unnoticed by most

visitors. They are located along the road running east

from the church. This becomes a rough road and use of a

high clearance vehicle is advised. There are several

structures along this road, including the old general

store, several homes and the small Protestant cemetery.

Riley is a ghost town, but the former residents keeps

its spirit alive and well today by keeping the old church,

built in the 1880s, in pristine condition and their annual

reunion and fiesta. Please respect the private ownership

and posted areas.

History: Gold and silver were discovered in 1882

when Nana’s band of Apaches still roamed the

San Mateos. A mining town quickly began. The

Rosedale Post Office operated from 1891-1928,

thereafter served by San Marcial. Rosedale was a

major gold and silver producer until the mine

played out in the 1930s. Buildings were

dismantled during the Great Depression and

abandoned by 1937. Much of the mine and

foundations of the mill remain.

RILEY (Santa Rita) ROSEDALE

GPS: 32°24’50”N 107°013’41”W Elev. 5,500 ft.

Directions from Socorro: Take U.S. 60 west to

Magdalena; turn north on Main Street (at old Bank

building), follow signs to Riley on County Road 354

(dirt). Immediately after crossing Rio Salado arroyo,

take right (east) road; drive ¼ mile to Riley.

Directions from I-25: Exit off I-25 at Bernardo, Exit 175

(25 mi. north of Socorro); drive west past RV park and

cell phone tower. After crossing historic Rio Puerco

bridge, turn right onto Socorro County Road 12 (dirt);

road leads directly to Riley – follow the signs.

Travel: Year-round; 2-wheel drive. Roads can be

hazardous during heavy rains or snow.

Advisories: Avoid travel during thunderstorms. From

Magdalena, don’t cross Rio Salado if flow is heavy.

for a post office (there was

already a Santa Rita at the

copper mines near Silver City).

Riley soon became known for

it’s pinto beans, peaches and

pears. Orchards were located

between Riley and the banks of

the Rio Salado.

The village of Riley, and

nearby Puertocito, were

popular stops for travelers

along the Rio Salado – the main

road from the Rio Grande to

eastern Arizona.

The water table and springs

began to dry up during the

1930s “dust bowl” years,

causing some of the residents to

move to greener pastures. The

post office was closed in 1931;

GPS: 33°48’29”N 107°24’18”W Elev. 7,150 ft.

Directions from Socorro: Take U.S. 60 west to

Magdalena then south on NM 107 about 24 miles to

Forest Road 330 (marked “Grassy Lookout”). Turn

right (west) on FR 330; cemetery is 5.3 miles up the

canyon; Rosedale Mine, and remnants of the mill, are

another 1/2 mile to the west.

Travel: NM 107 is a well maintained dirt road; FR 330 is

not and can be difficult with washouts following rain

storms. A high clearance vehicle is advised.

Advisories: Avoid travel during thunderstorms or in

snow.

Cemetery

includes the

grave of a

Fort Craig

soldier

killed by

Nana’s

Apaches in

1886.

Remnants of the Rosedale Mine and mill

Rosedale was a mining town. Remains of the

mine, foundations of the mill, a cemetery,

and scant signs of the town can still be seen.

Riley is one of New Mexico’s classic ghost

towns, located north of Magdalena, N.M. The

church and school mark the center of Riley, with

remnants of stores and houses scattered about.

The Kelly Church is

an active mission

church to San

Miguel parish in

Socorro. Dedicated

to Juan Bautista

(John the Baptist),

it is still used for

Mass, weddings,

funerals and the

annual fiesta.

Kelly’s Main

Street in the

1890s. Photo

courtesy of

Carlos Tafoya,

whose father and

grandfather

worked in the

Kelly mines.

Remnants of the

Graphic Mill. The

old concrete

structures once

supported the ball

mills, crushers,

and other heavy

machinery for the

mill.

The Ft. Craig sally port, or

entrance, during better days.

KELLY FORT CRAIG

History: Minerals were found in the area by John

Hutchinson in 1866. His claims were producing by the

1870s and spawned a small town at Pueblo Springs, now

called Magdalena. The post office was established in

1875. More lucrative claims were discovered farther “up

the mountain” and formed several mining camps. The

main camp was named after Hutchinson’s friend, Andy

Kelley, but misspelled “Kelly” when registered at the

Socorro County Courthouse in 1879. The district

exploded in the 1880s with many silver and lead mines.

The Kelly Post Office opened in 1883; the AT&SF

railroad arrived at Magdalena in 1885 and a daily stage

coach serviced Kelly. The grade was too steep to continue

the rail line to the Kelly mines. By the 1890s, the

population ranged between 1,500 and 2,000 residents.

The main ore mined was silver, lead, and zinc.

Taylor headframe and Tri-Bullion smelter at Kelly

Old Glory still flies from the old parade grounds

GPS: 33°38’00”N 107°01’07”W Elev. 4,520 ft.

Directions from Socorro: Take I-25 south to San

Marcial, Exit 124; follow signs. Drive east 1 mile. Note

Confederate Monument. Turn right (south) on paved

Highway 1, then south 6.2 miles. Turn left (east) onto dirt

road at sign for Fort Craig (at microwave tower). Fort

Craig is 4.5 miles further ahead.

Travel: Year-round; most of travel on paved highways.

Last 4.5 miles on well maintained dirt road.

Advisories: Call Socorro B.L.M. field office at

575–835–0412 for additional information. No artifact

collection, digging, or treasure hunting.

History. The first army fort in the region was Fort

Conrad, built in 1851 north of San Marcial (see

map). It was abandoned in 1854 to build Fort Craig.

GPS: 34°05’00”N 107°012’08”W Elev. 7,265 ft.

Directions from Socorro: Take U.S. 60 west 26 miles

to Magdalena; turn south on the Kelly Road at the U. S.

Forest Service Office. Drive south 2 miles to a fork in the

road. At the fork are the ruins of the Graphic Mill. Take

left-hand fork; Kelly is 1.5 miles ahead.

Travel: Year-round; road is steep and sometimes rough

and rocky, but suitable for most high clearance 2WD

cars (take it slow and easy – it only takes a few minutes

to arrive).

Advisories: Do not attempt road in winter with snow.

Snow can be deceivingly deep and hazardous to turn

around. Mines are still privately owned – no digging,

treasure hunting, or scavaging for minerals without

permission. Kelly Mine issues mineral permits at very

reasonable fees. Do not enter mine shafts!

In 1896, a railroad spur was extended to the foot of the

mountain when the Graphic Mill was built. The Sherwin

Williams Paint Company purchased the Kelly mine and

the Graphic Mill in 1904. The mill was destroyed by fire in

1916, and rebuilt the following year to process zinc and

lead from the Kelly and Waldo mines for paints.

The mines continued into the 1930s, when depleted

ore veins and the Great Depression took their tolls. A

swell of activity during World War II temporarily revived

the town.

The Kelly Post Office was closed in 1945, and the last

of the residents moved to Magdalena or Socorro by the

early 1950s. The abandoned town was dismantled for the

wood and bricks, which left only the mines and a few

buildings. An annual fiesta, held at the Juan Bautista

church, reunites the town’s residents.

Ft. Craig became

a major frontier

fort. It served as the

Department of New

Mexico during the

Civil War.

Historically, it is

well known for its

involvement in the

nearby Battle of

Valverde, fought

February 21, 1862, north of Black Mesa.

Today, Ft. Craig is a National Historic Site,

administered by the Bureau of Land Mangement.

The visitors area has restrooms and drinking water.

The fort is a self-guided tour and interpretive signs.

Kelly is another one of New Mexico’s best ghost

towns. Located just 3½ miles from Magdalena,

it is also very convenient to visit. Mines, head

frames, tailings, and remnants of mills and

smelters, remain of this once bustling mining

town.

Fort Craig was built in 1854 to protect travelers

along El Camino Real from attacking Apaches. It

was a major fort in New Mexico during the Civil

War and the Indian Wars. Interpretive signs

describe the fort and surviving structures.

Graphic

Mill

RILEY

169

KELLY

ROSEDALE

FORT CRAIG

380

SAN MARCIAL

354

107

Ladron

Peak

GHOST TOWN MAP of

Socorro County, New Mexico

Field

Ranching settlement

P.O. 1930–1939

Las Nutrias

Vegita

Abeytas

Puertocito

Trading post

P.O. 1909–1929

Sabinal

Est. 1741

P.O. 1866–1907

SOCORRO

Escondida

San

Pedro

Pueblito

San Antonio

Bosquecito

Luis Lopez

Lemitar

Est. 1830s

Polvadera

Est. 1830s

Alamillo

Est. 1803

Alamo

Historic Navajo

Community

Magdalena

La Joyita

Est. 1840s

destroyed by flood 1929

Park City

P.O. 1892–1894

Contreras

P.O. 1919–1943

La Joya

Historic

Camino Real settlement

P.O. 1871–1999

Bernardo

Trading post

settlement

P.O. 1902–1919

Council Rock

P.O. 1881–1882

Monica

P.O. 1881–1883

Adobe

Stage Stop

P.O. 1933

Lava

AT&SF RR settlement

P.O. 1886–1903

Paraje Fra Cristobal

Camp on El Camino Real 1598–1880s

P.O. 1867–1910

Gold

Barite

Galena

Copper

Silver

Uranium

Barite

Silver

Lead

Zinc

Silver

Maganese

San Acacia

1600s Hacienda &

AT&SF RR town

P.O. 1881–1982

Scholle

AT&SF RR town

Est. 1908

Ozanne

Stage Stop

P.O. 1906–1909

Oscura

Stage Stop

P.O. 1881–1882

Fraley

Limestone Quarries

and kilns 1890s

Carthage

Coal Mining Town

P.O. 1883–1935

Bingham

Ranch settlement

P.O. 1934–1994

Tokay

Coal Mining Town

P.O. 1917–1932

Valverde

P.O. 1897–1937

Destroyed by flood 1937

SanAntonio–White Oaks

Stage line (1881–1907)

Mockingbird

Gap

Apache Kid

gravesite

APACHERIA

Home to the Tchihene

(Warm Springs Apache)

under Chiefs

Victorio and Nana

and warrior Geronimo

1898 shootout

between train

robber Bronco Bill

Walters and posse.

Sheriffs Vigil and

Bustamante killed;

Navajo guide Guerro

Train robbery May 24, 1898

AT&SF Southbound Train #2

Bronco Bill Walters and Kid Johnson

Estimated take $30,000+

Lost Adams

Diggings

Originally named

Santa Rita

B-17 crash site

Oct. 15, 1942

9 Airmen killed

Battle of Valverde

Feb. 21, 1862

Confederate

Monument

Fort Conrad (site)

1851–1854

Black Mesa

(Mesa del Contadero)

El Camino Real trail

Used 1598–1890s

El Camino Real trail

Used 1598–1890s

Present day towns

Historic towns

Ghost towns

Roads

Paved

dirt

trails

AT SF & RR

A F

T&S

AT&SF Railroad

Arrived Socorro 1882

Suitable to visit

Bursum Road

to Mogollon

1890s–1920s

Socorro–

Magdalena

Stage Line