I put Los Cerrillos and Madrid together because of their proximity to each other and their histories. They are both located south on NMHwy-14 (The Turquoise Trail) about 25 miles from Santa Fe and about 3.5 miles from each other. The Turquoise Trail got its name because of the Cerrillos Hills which are famous for the light blue turquoise that has been mined there since the times of the Chaco Culture. Beads from the Cerrillos Hills turquoise mines has been found in ruins of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon.
Cerrillos
Los Cerrillos was once seriously considered as the capitol of New Mexico. Early on it was home to the Tano Indians who were scattered throughout the Galisteo Basin. Many materials were mined out of Cerrillos. A Spanish explorer, Antonio de Espejo, wrote about these treasures being mined at a place of “little hills" the source of Cerrillos' name.
Cerrillos was rediscovered in 1879 by two prospectors from Leadville, Colorado leading to a mineral boom for the town. This led to the town growing into a town of many buildings, homes, a church, an opera house, a school and stores. The railroad running through the town enabled the residents to send and receive goods from all over the country. There was even a spur railroad to Madrid that brought coal from there. A coke oven was built in the town of Waldo to produce fuel for steel production in the east. There is nothing in Waldo today except evidence of the abandoned buildings. You can get to it by driving down the main street over the railroad tracks, turning left and going on the unpaved road up past the big rock "Devil''s Throne" and down to the valley below. (The road continues on to intersect with I-25.)
Today Cerrillos is a tourist destination. The Cerrillos Hills State Park Visitor Center is there close to the railroad tracks off the main street. There is the St. Joseph Catholic Church, a few residents and several small businesses that include a petting zoo/museum, Mary's bar, the Black Bird Saloon and a co-op store.
Madrid
Madrid has completely turned into a tourist destination. The town is in the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico. There is evidence of primitive mining in the Madrid area as early as the mid-1850's. By 1893 a seven story anthracite breaker was constructed and by 1899 all coal production in the area was consolidated at Madrid. Wood framed cabins were dismantled in Kansas and brought to Madrid by train to house the miners and their families. The town flourished as a "Company Town" of some 2500 people.
The last mine shut down in 1954. In the early 1970's Joe Huber (Oscar's son), then owner of the entire town site, rented a few of the miner's cabins to rugged individuals, artists and craftsmen. At one time the entire town and everything in it was offered for sale for $1M dollars in the New York Times. No one bought it!
Today most of the miners' houses are gift shops or art studios. Two eating establishments are The Mine Shaft Tavern, and the Hollar. It is a fun town to walk down the main street and visit the many tourist shops.
Gallery
Cerrillos
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Madrid
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