Santa Rita, New Mexico facts for kids
Santa Rita was once a busy mining town in Grant County, New Mexico. It is now a ghost town, which means it's a place where people used to live but don't anymore. Santa Rita was known for its large copper mine. It was located about 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Silver City.
Contents
History of Santa Rita
Early Mining and Settlement
People started mining copper in this area a long time ago. This was during the Spanish colonial period. But the town of Santa Rita itself was founded in 1803. A banker and businessman named Franscisco Manuel Elguea started it. He named it Santa Rita del Cobre, which means "Saint Rita of the Copper." This name honored Saint Rita of Cascia and the copper mine.
In the early 1800s, the mine produced a lot of copper. Over 6 million pounds of copper were mined each year! The copper ore was partly processed there. Then, it was sent to Chihuahua and Mexico City using mules.
Challenges and Changes
Life in Santa Rita was mostly peaceful at first. However, there were occasional attacks from the Chiricahua Apache people. They lived nearby. In 1837, a trader named John Johnson tricked some Apaches and then attacked them. This event led to serious fighting. Almost all of Santa Rita's 500 residents were killed in an attack on the town. Only six people managed to escape to safety. The town was empty until 1849. Then, the U.S. Army set up a post there called Cantonment Dawson.
The mine reopened in 1873 after a peace treaty was signed. However, the town still faced Apache attacks. Leaders like Geronimo and Victorio led these attacks. This continued until 1886, when Geronimo surrendered for the last time. A post office opened in Santa Rita in 1881. Five years later, the railroad arrived. This helped the mine grow even more.
The Town Moves
In 1901, the Santa Rita mine changed. It became an open pit mine. This meant the town had to move several times as the pit got bigger. The town moved again in 1957. Soon after, heavy rains caused mud and rocks to slide into the new town site. Because of this, the town was completely abandoned in 1967. The local school system also closed in 1972.
The population of Santa Rita changed over time. In 1884, about 500 people lived there. By 1915, the population grew to 2,500. By 1920, it reached 6,000 people. The population stayed around 6,000 until the 1950s. That's when many people lost their jobs at the mine.
Famous People from Santa Rita
- Ralph Kiner (1922–2014) was a famous Major League Baseball player. He is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His number 4 jersey was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The New York Mets honored his career as a broadcaster.
- William Harrell Nellis (1916–1944) was a United States fighter pilot. He flew 70 combat missions in World War II. Nellis Air Force Base was named after him.
- Harrison Schmitt (born 1935) is a geologist and former astronaut. He was part of the Apollo 17 mission and walked on the Moon. He also served as a U.S. Senator from 1977 to 1983.
See also
In Spanish: Santa Rita (Nuevo México) para niños
