Elizabethtown is an unincorporated community in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. It is located just off

New Mexico State Road 38 State Road 38 (NM 38) is a state highway in Taos and Colfax counties in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its total length is approximately . It traverses the Sangre de Cristo Mountains through portions of Carson National Forest and Moreno Valley ...

, between the communities of Eagle Nest and Red River. Elizabethtown is situated just east of the

Carson National Forest Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows ...

. The community is a former mining town and lies northeast of

Scully Mountain Scully may refer to: *Scully (surname) * ''Scully'' (TV series), British television drama See also * * *Leon Sculy Logothetides Leon Sculy Logothetides (also known as Sculy Logotheti or only Sculy, sometimes Scully or, erroneously, Scully-Logothe ...

and west of Baldy Mountain.

History

Elizabethtown began in 1866 when miners began placer mining and founded hard rock mines like the

Mystic Copper Mine A mystic is a person who practices mysticism, or a reference to a mystery, mystic craft, first hand-experience or the occult. Mystic may also refer to: Places United States * Mistick, an old name for parts of Malden and Medford, Massachusetts * ...

. It was New Mexico's first incorporated town. The town was founded by the Captain William H. Moore, the commander of

Fort Union, New Mexico Fort Union National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service of the United States, and is located north of Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico. The national monument was founded on June 28, 1954. The site preserves the second of three ...

(north of Las Vegas, New Mexico), and was named after his daughter, Elizabeth Catherine Moore. Nicknamed "E-Town," the town rapidly grew to from 1867 to 1869 during a regional gold rush. At its height of prosperity in 1869, Elizabethtown possibly had between 5,000 to 9,000 residents, making it the most populous place in New Mexico at the time, although the exact number is uncertain since no census was taken. In 1870, it was designated the first seat of the newly formed Colfax County. However, by 1872, the population had dwindled to about 100 residents as the gold rush subsided and the mines dwindled. Consequently, the county seat was moved to Cimarron. The town was somewhat revived when the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad passed nearby in the early 1890s, making mining feasible once again. The village was also part of the

Colfax County War The Colfax County War was a range war that occurred from 1873 to 1888 between settlers and the new owners of the Maxwell Land Grant in Colfax County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The war started when the new landowners tried to remove the lo ...

. However, a fire in 1903 destroyed the majority of the wooden town. As the mines declined, the town population dwindled, and by 1917, few called the Town home. Today, Elizabethtown consists of a small collection of ranch homes, built atop the once bustling city. Many of these homes are informal houses built over time with available materials. The only remnant of the original town is the stone wall of boarding house. Additionally, there is a large cemetery atop the hill, containing graves belonging to various individuals, primarily Hispanic.

Charles Kennedy

Serial killer Charles Kennedy lived between Elizabethtown and Taos, luring weary travelers to dine and stay with him at his cabin; he may have killed 14 or more people.Story of Charles Kennedy
- at Legends of America Kennedy was killed by a group of angry vigilantes, led by the notorious Clay Allison.

Major highways

References

External links

Elizabethtown page @ Legends of America

{{authority control History of Colfax County, New Mexico Unincorporated communities in New Mexico Ghost towns in New Mexico Museums in Colfax County, New Mexico History museums in New Mexico Unincorporated communities in Colfax County, New Mexico Populated places established in 1866 1866 establishments in New Mexico Territory