Driving a lonely highway past seldom visited towns with fewer residents than digits on your hands, the scenery is starkly different than what we are accustomed to. The pine trees break only momentarily for a glimpse at a small patch of tall grass where you may get a brief glance of wild horses. Suddenly in an unassuming little turn-off, a sign alludes to Mogollon our destination.
The roadway becomes a little more narrow as it winds through the rolling hills. After a few miles, it changes to a single lane and begins the arduous trek up into the mountains. Sheer drop-offs and tight 180 degree turns are numerous on this 8 mile stretch of tarmac.
Off against the opposing mountainside, an abandoned mining site sits charismatically high above the valley floor. These are the signs that we are close to our final destination as we descend into the valley.
Rock walls and a newly redesigned wash give way to time tested buildings. This has to be one of the most unusual but memorable entrances to a ghost town we have seen.
The Discovery of Gold and Silver
James Cooney initially found gold and silver in the mountains when he was stationed at Alma. Keeping his find a secret until he left the service before starting his mining career.
Apache attacks were frequent and it wasn’t very long before Cooney himself was killed down in the valley.
His brother interned his body inside a boulder near to where he drew his last breath. Legend has it, the tomb is lined with silver from his mine.
The History of Mogollon
Mogollon is a former mining town from the 1880s, and its big producers were gold and silver. The mines produced over $20 million in ore in their lifetimes.
The most massive operation took place at The Little Fanny Mine. It was dry and dusty, so silica hung thick in the air, causing the work-life to be only about 3 years. Many miners died here as a result of the dreaded black lung or silicosis.
As is the case with many old mining towns that still hang on today, their reputation was pretty rough. Mogollon was said to be one of the wildest mining towns chock full of gamblers, robbers, miners, claim jumpers, gunmen and Apache Raids.
By 1909 the town was believed to have a population of around 2,000. There were 5 saloons, 2 restaurants, 4 stores, 2 hotels, and 2 red-light districts. Mogollon also had a photographer, a bakery, a theatre, and an ice maker.
Like most old mining towns there was a lot of tragedy, due to Apache Raids, floods and fires. Most of the town was lost to fire in 1894. Throughout its history, there were many more fires and floods.
In 1915 electricity, water and phone came to town. The population around WW1 was 200 but would steadily grow. In 1918 Spanish influenza ran through the settlement wiping out entire families.
When WWII began, the population dwindled again.
In 1952 the Little Fanny Mine closed and soon after Mogollon became a ghost town.
Stage Coach Story
Here is a story as an example of daily life in Mogollon. The stagecoach stop in town would serve many of the outlying settlements in the area. It would travel a total of 80 miles daily, but back in those days, it took 15 hours to reach the destination.
This stagecoach, however, was very popular, because it was held up and robbed 23 times. Wait it gets better, believe it or not, it was all done by the same person in one year between 1872 and 1873.
Hollywood Comes To Town
In 1973 Hollywood decided this would be the perfect location for their film ‘My Name Is Nobody.’ A spaghetti western starring Henry Fonda and Terrence Mill. For this film, they built a saloon and general store.
The general store still stands, but unfortunately, the saloon was demolished to make room for someone’s new home.
More Info About Mogollon
- A saviour for the town came in 1987 when Mogollon was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The hotel at the beginning of town, the Silver Creek Inn was established in 1885 and is said to be extremely haunted.
- The graveyard above the town is circa the 1890s. It is the final resting place to entire families wiped out by Spanish influenza.
Our Takeaway
The eerie silence that lays over these places always adds to the mystery of their existence. The remaining structures are well maintained and stand as a testament to their will to survive against all those fires and floods.
Relics of the past lay almost everywhere you look, even immortalised in a stone wall behind the foundations of a washed away memory. The survivor instinct in this town is something to be admired.
The bygone era, the characters, the lives, the memories they all still hold a home in this valley. Water, fire or raid may have a hand in the telling of the history, but the remains will have the final word.
This entire area of New Mexico has so much history. We will be back to discover more of what makes the old west and its satires so romanticised to this day.
There are untold ghosts still roaming these countrysides waiting for their story to be told. We are ready to do their bidding.
In A Nutshell
- Free to walk around and enjoy
- Off Highway 180
- Take the 159, an 8 mile, narrow, windy, single-lane mountain road into town
- Hike up to the cemetery, it is unique
- The town does have residents, so be careful which windows you peer into
- Other Attractions nearby include: The Catwalk and Gila Cliff Dwellings
Want More? Check out our YouTube video on Mogollon
Mogollon location map
It as so nice to see Mogollon again. I took my grandson there in February because I wanted him to see where I used to live. It’s hard to imagine a town smaller than Randsburg but here it is. When you get back to Randsburg let’s have ice cream again in The General Store.
Glad you enjoyed our blog, we have a video on Mogollon coming out on the 8th of December on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pin+in+the+atlas We have other videos you may enjoy as well. We would love to meet up and have ice cream again at The General Store in Randsburg, our favourite Califoria Ghost Town!