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Baldy Town, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
 View of Baldy Town c. 1916 | |
  Baldy Town, New Mexico Location in The United States | |
| Coordinates: 36°37′26.3166″N 105°10′18.9726″W / 36.623976833°N 105.171936833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Colfax |
| Established | 1866 |
Baldy Town, New Mexico is a former mining town in the Baldy Mining District in Colfax County, New Mexico. Baldy Town was established in 1868, to service mining prospects on the East side of Baldy Mountain, notably the Aztec Mine. After Baldy Town's initial high profit boom from 1868 to 1870, Baldy Town suffered a series of booms and busts as investors and prospectors searched for profitable lodes. The town was originally a conglomerate of miner's homes and services in Ute Meadow. Then in 1886, Baldy Town's core was moved to a strip of services just above the Aztec Mill. The new town grew to accommodate hundreds of residents with a store, stables, saloons, boarding houses, a church, small school, and post office.[1][2] In 1895, at the height of its population, Baldy Town was home to around 1,000 residents. Multiple ambitious and extensive expeditions were made from 1870 to 1936 to discover additional gold veins, but only a select few found substantial lodes.[1] By 1941, Baldy Town had been deserted and a majority of its infrastructure sold.[2] In 1963, the eastern half of Baldy Mountain, including former Baldy Town, was donated to the Boy Scouts of America by Norton Clapp. Today, Baldy Town operates as a staffed camp at Philmont Scout Ranch providing a living history program regarding mining as well as logistical support like food resupply for hikers[3]
- ^ a b Murphy, Lawrence (1965). "Boom and Bust on Baldy Mountain, New Mexico, 1864–1942" (PDF). University of Arizona.
- ^ a b "Baldy Mining District". Mindat.org.
- ^ "Staff Camps". Philmont Scout Ranch.