Elizabethtown – Ghost Town

About 5 miles or so north of Eagle Nest, there are the remains of what used to be the town of Elizabethtown.  The post office was established in 1868, during the gold rush days out West, and closed in 1931. 

Remnants of Elizabethtown

The founding of Elizabethtown came about after the discovery of gold on Willow Creek in 1868.  During the next year, gold was found in every creek and gulch around Mt. Baldy, and this area was buzzing with mining activity.

Fallin’ Down in Elizabethtown

In 1868, John Moore and others established a town site and named the new settlement after his daughter, Elizabeth.  It had 2 singular distinctions – it was the first town incorporated in New Mexico, and in 1869, it became the first county seat of the newly formed Colfax County.

Deserted Cabin in Elizabethtown

In 1871, the prosperity of Elizabethtown began to slacken, and when a fire burned a great deal of the town in 1903, it was a set-back that the town never recovered from.  Most of the town is gone, with just these few buildings left to mark what once was.

Enjoy!