Elizabethtown, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabethtown, New Mexico
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 Elizabethtown, New Mexico
Location in New Mexico
Elizabethtown, New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Colfax |
| Elevation | 8,485 ft (2,586 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 928727 |
Elizabethtown is a small, quiet place in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. It's not a big city but a community without its own local government. You can find it near New Mexico State Road 38, between the towns of Eagle Nest and Red River. Elizabethtown sits just east of the beautiful Carson National Forest. This area used to be a busy mining town. It is located northeast of Scully Mountain and west of Baldy Mountain.
Contents
Elizabethtown's Mining History
Elizabethtown started in 1866 when miners discovered gold. They began digging for gold in streams (placer mining) and also opened hard rock mines. One famous mine was the Mystic Copper Mine. This community was New Mexico's very first incorporated town, meaning it had its own official local government.
Captain William H. Moore, who was in charge of Fort Union, New Mexico, founded the town. He named it after his daughter, Elizabeth Catherine Moore. People often called it "E-Town." The town grew super fast between 1867 and 1869 because of a big gold rush in the area.
A Bustling Gold Rush Town
At its busiest in 1869, Elizabethtown might have had between 5,000 and 9,000 people living there. This would have made it the largest place in New Mexico at that time! However, we don't know the exact number because no official count was taken. In 1870, Elizabethtown became the first county seat for the new Colfax County.
But the gold rush didn't last forever. By 1872, the gold mines were producing less, and most people had left. The population dropped to about 100 residents. Because of this, the county seat was moved to Cimarron.
Decline and Modern Day
The town saw a small comeback in the early 1890s. This happened when the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad built tracks nearby. This made it easier to transport goods and made mining possible again for a short time. However, a big fire in 1903 destroyed most of the wooden buildings in town.
As the mines continued to decline, fewer and fewer people stayed. By 1917, only a few families still called Elizabethtown home. Today, Elizabethtown is a small collection of ranch homes. These homes are built where the busy city once stood. Many of them are simple houses built over time using whatever materials were available.
The only part of the original town that still stands is a stone wall from an old boarding house. There is also a large cemetery on a hill. It holds the graves of many people who lived in Elizabethtown long ago.
Travel and Roads
Main Roads in the Area
New Mexico State Road 38 is the main highway that runs through the Elizabethtown area.
See also
- Baldy Town, New Mexico
- Eagle Nest, New Mexico
- List of ghost towns in New Mexico
