NEW MEXICO

In between Socorro, New Mexico and the Very Large Array is a “ghost town” called Magdalena. I have to use quotes because I really do hate to call it that. As I’ve found throughout my travels, many places are dubbed ghost towns despite being fully functioning towns with several thousand inhabitants. On the day that we arrived in Magdalena, the little town seemed anything but abandoned. The Tumbleweeds diner was packed for dinner and they were even doing a fundraising event outside the fire station, all indications to me that this sleepy little town at the foot of the Magdalena Mountains was anything but “ghost”, but just three miles up the road, you’ll find the remnants of Kelly Mine where the real ghost story begins.

The History

Kelly Mine is actually a network of several mines, named after Patrick Kelley, owner of several claims in the area. Kelly Township was founded in 1886 and housed several thousand at its peak with Magdalena becoming the neighboring town and railroad stop to pick up ore. The Kelly Mine was profitable until 1929 when surveyors determined that it had exhausted its ore veins, and any further exploration would be cost prohibitive. In 1947, the last residents of Kelly Township left, their houses being relocated down the hill to Magdalena.

Getting There

One of the best parts about Kelly Mine is how easy to get there, well, from Magdalena anyway. Granted the drive to the New Mexico desert is a trek in itself, locating the Kelly Mine is a breeze. Kelly Road bisects the 60 right through the middle of town. Turn southwest toward the mountains and follow the road until you see the remnants of a mill on the right. This is the old Graphic Mine mill. Instead of following the paved road to the right, you’ll turn off onto the dirt road to the left at the split and follow it up. You’ll pass the gate to the Graphic Mine on the left. Keep going until you come to the church. This is where you’ll park and walk the remaining few hundred yards up to Kelly Mine.

The Remnants of Kelly Mine

Once you get up to the main area of Kelly Mine, you'll see the large concrete platform with two towers still standing. This is the old Tri Bullion smelter which processed ore on sight before shipping it off, making this mine particularly profitable. A lot of the smelter still exists, including the brick tower.

One of the most recognizable features at Kelly Mine is the huge metal structure up top. This metal tower was actually a kit from the Carnegie Steel Company, created by Andrew G. Eiffel, also known as Gustav, the man behind the Eiffel Tower. Directly below the tower is a mine shaft connecting all the mines in the area that purportedly drops 1100 feet. While it was fenced off at one point, it is now clearly open again so take caution when you’re in the area.

The first impression Kelly Mine gives off is that there’s quite a bit to discover, as the smelter buildings and steel structure are still standing. Unfortunately, that is not true as that’s pretty much all there is to see. There are a lot of tailings up the mountain and wood from previous structures but for the most part, it’s the tower and the view that are worth the trip.

Some Interesting Facts

Ok, so some cool shit I discovered about Kelly.

First I thought it was awesome that Eiffel designed the tower because, well, he designed the Eiffel Tower!

Another super interesting fact that only real nerds know if that this tower is actually prenuclear war. What does that mean? The ore had already been extracted from the ground and treated, making it devoid of any of that nasty nuclear shit we set off in Japan in the 40’s. That is because once a nuclear bomb was set off, everything in the world, specifically ore in the ground, is not contaminated by tiny little bit of nuclear matter. Essentially the entire world had been contaminated unless said object was mined before the blast. Amazing huh?