Minero

Minero, New Mexico

Grant County

Elevation 4,519

The town of Minero was the loading point for ore shipments leaving the mining settlement of Old Hachita.  The mining community was originally known as Eureka, then later named Hachita was first established around 1875 when turquoise, copper, silver and gold were found in the foothills of the Little Hatchet range.  When the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad was constructed in 1902, the present day town of Hachita was built as a water stop and junction for the Lordsburg & Hachita Railroad.  This new settlement was named Hachita Junction or just Hachita, and the original mining settlement became known as Old Hachita.

The arrival of the railroad gave the local mining companies a convenient and easy way to ship their ore to smelters and receive incoming shipments of goods and supplies.  The town of Minero (Spanish for Miner) was built at a point on the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad nearest to the town on Old Hachita.  This town served as a water stop and siding for the railroad and a loading point for shipments to and from the mines.

By looking at aerial photographs of he area, I notice what looks like an old railroad grade, possibly a spur heading from the town of Minero to the town of Eureka (Old Hachita). This can be seen on Google Earth or Google Maps. More research to be done.

This page is part of the "Ghosts of the Southline" website, illustrating the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad and many of the abandoned towns along its route.

Photographs and documentation found on this website are the property of Lloyd W. Sumner

This site was created and is maintained by Lloyd W. Sumner