In 1868, Elizabethtown became New Mexico's first town. It was named for Elizabeth Catherine Moore, the daughter of one of the town founders. Copper was found here whan a man reached down into a stream and picked up a rock. It had a metallic sheen to it and he realized it was copper. The copper rush slowly brought people. By July of 1868, over 400 people lived here.
Many Texans moved here and brought cattle with them. Now Elizabethtown became a ranching area too. By 1875, the copper deposits had fixxled out. The town was slowly dying. But then in 1890, someone discovered gold that the previous miners had somehow missed. This time the boom was more frantic. The ppopulation grew to 3,000 at one time. Over $5 million in gold was taken from the area in single one year period.
One of the most notorious and famous townspeople was Charles Kenedy. He owned a hostel in town. People tended to check and not check out. One day he went to far when he beat his son to death. His wife went to the sherriff. They found all kinds of body parts under the hotel. The townsfolk were very upset ann arranged a lynch mob. He was lynched and his body was dragged the the streets until he was decapitated. A 1903 fire consumed much of the town, including the hotel.
In 1901, a coal mine opened here in northern New Mexico. A railroad was run from here to Tucumcari. Then 1906, Phelps Dodge bought the operation and expanded it. Things were looking up in Dawson.
On October 22, 1913, an incorrectly set dynamite charge exlpoded and sent a huge amount of fire and destruction through Stag Canon Mine #2. Very few men were able to be rescued in time. The disaster claimed the lives of 263 people. The are all in a special section of the cemetary with little white iron crosses marking their graves. It was one of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history.
In February of 1923, a mine car jumped its track and ignited coal dust in the mine. The resulting fire claimed the lives of another 123 men. Now the number of white crosses in the special section of the cemetary was 385. Surprisingly, the town didn't die. It lived on until 1950 when the mine closed.
Today in Dawson, the cemetary is main thing to see. But there also other remains, including a smokestack.
To get to Dawson, take the Highway 64 exit off of I-25 (exit 446). Go southwest about 25 miles to Dawson Road. Take a right (north) and go a couple miles to Dawson.
To get to Elizabethtown, take the Highway 64 exit off of I-25 (exit 446). Go southwest about 35 miles (past Dawson Road) to Cimarron. Continue west on Highway 64 for 23 miles to eagle's nest. Take a right on Highway 38 and go north about 5 miles to Elizabethtown..
