The name "Hachita" comes from the Spanish term for "Little Hatchet". This small settlement was located in the foothills of the Little Hatchet Mountains along the western edge of the Hachita Valley in the bootheel of New Mexico. Although this town was established years before the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad was built, and was not exactly located along the railroad's route, it is still in the vicinity, and the railroad played a large part in the history of this small community. This town is probably one of the better ghost towns in New Mexico, yet still virtually unknown to many ghost town enthusiasts because it is in a hidden location in a remote part of New Mexico where not very many people travel. Settlers first came to the area when stories told by Indians mentioned turquoise deposits found in the hills of the Little Hatchet Mountains. Prospectors began working the area around 1875 and not only found the turquoise, but silver, copper, and gold as well. This was at a time when Apache Indians roamed the area freely and the nearest settlement of any significance was a few hundred miles away. Considering the remoteness of the area, the furnace like heat of the desert, and the constant risk of Indian attacks made this a harsh environment for these hardy soles to endure. But endure they did, and eventually the area produced several highly productive mines. Among the best were the Hornet, the King, and the American National Mines. It was said that the turquoise extracted from this area was some of the best in the territory. This area became known as the Eureka Mining District and the settlement that grew up around the mines was known as Eureka. In late 1880, construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad came within 45 miles of this area as it was being built eastwards from Tucson, Arizona toward El Paso, Texas. This railroad gave Eureka better access to civilization, and provided better transportation for the ore being extracted from the mines. A post office was established in 1882 and the town was officially registered as Hachita at that time. Two years later the town had a population of around three hundred people. At that time the town consisted of a steam smelting works, three saloons, two general stores, and the operations of several mining companies. But as with most mining camps, eventually the ore diminishes, or it is no longer cost effective to extract the existing ore, and the mines and the businesses that support them reduce their operations. By 1890, the town had dwindled down to a population of around twenty-five. The post office remained until 1898, and then it was finally shut down. Little remained of Hachita after that, until in 1902 when construction of the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad brought the tracks just a few miles from the town. About 7 miles away in the Hachita Valley, a railroad town was built to provide a water stop for the railroad, and this new town took the name of the fading mining camp. The original town became known as "Old Hachita" and the new railroad town was officially known as Hachita. The post office was reopened at the new location in 1902 where it is still in operation today. The center of activity shifted to this new community where saloons, general stores and a hotel were established. The mines at Old Hachita also shared all the prosperity brought by the railroad. With the railroad nearby, it was now considerably cheaper to transport the ore from these mines, and they were reopened. A little over three miles west of Hachita at a point where the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad came closest to the mining operations in Old Hachita, the town of Minero (Spanish for miner) was built. This town consisted of a siding and facilities to load the ore onto the trains for shipment. The town flourished for several years until the 1920's when copper prices dropped and it once again was not cost effective to mine the ore. The mines were closed permanently, all mining operations were abandoned and the town became a true ghost town. As with most ghost towns, the elements take their toll on the structures. Most buildings were constructed of adobe and after years of neglect they have deteriorated. Today about two dozen structures are still standing, a few with sheet metal roofs still intact, and others with just the foundations and partial adobe walls still standing. The ore crushing equipment still exists. The entrances to most of the mineshafts are still open. Most of these are vertical shafts and, although very dangerous, some can still be entered with wooden ladders left behind. The headframe of the American National Mine was partially cut down by vandals in the late 1980's. Many of the adobe walls are carved up with graffiti, but most of the deterioration is from natural elements.
Remains of headframe at the American National Mine located in "Old" Hachita. This structure used to stand about 30 feet tall until vandals cut most of it down with a chain saw to use the lumber for firewood in the late 1980's. The square object in the lower part of this picture is the shaft of the American National Mine, descending around 400 feet.
This building is part of an ore crusher that was operated at the American National Mine.
This structure adjacent to the headframe of the American National Mine used to be the bathhouse used by the miners to clean up after working in the shaft. A large shower stall and wash basin built into the wall can still be seen.
Looking through a window of one abandoned building, across the road is a structure that is believed to be a saloon and dance hall. The building had a concrete floor with flower designs engraved in the floor. Also this structure had double adobe walls, a common practice, with temperatures well over 100 degrees and no air conditioning in those days, this was necessary to protect the building's occupants from the deserts severe heat.
A lone structure, like many of the town's residents, scattered sparsely in the desert.
Photographs and documentation found on this website are the property of Lloyd W. Sumner
This site was created and is maintained by Lloyd W. Sumner
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