Chloride, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chloride
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The buildings of Chloride look much as they have for the past 100 years. Once a booming silver mining town, few buildings remain.
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Sierra |
| Elevation | 6,181 ft (1,884 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 905118 |
Chloride is a small, quiet place in Sierra County, New Mexico. It's not a big city or town, but an unincorporated community. This means it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. Chloride is located where two streams, Chloride Creek and Mineral Creek, meet. Most of the old mining areas are to the west, along Chloride Creek. The nearby community of Winston is about two miles to the east.
History of Chloride
Chloride began in 1881 because of a big discovery! People found a special kind of silver ore called chlorargyrite (which is also known as silver chloride) along the streambanks. This discovery quickly turned the area into a busy mining community.
To help the growing community, a post office was opened in Chloride in 1881. This post office served the people living and working there for many years, until it finally closed down in 1956. Today, Chloride is much quieter, but you can still see buildings that look like they did over 100 years ago, reminding us of its mining past.
Schools in the Area
For students living in and around Chloride, the local school district is called Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools. This district covers the entire county. Middle school students attend Truth or Consequences Middle School. High school students go to Hot Springs High School. Both of these schools are located in the town of Truth or Consequences.
