Haunted Histories: Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown, New Mexico, once played a pivotal role during the 19th-century gold rush in the American Southwest. Located in the northern part of the state, near the base of the Rocky Mountains, Elizabethtown’s rise and fall reflect the boom-and-bust nature of mining towns in the American West.

Elizabethtown circa 1943

The Birth of Elizabethtown

The town was founded in 1866 after gold was discovered in the nearby Moreno Valley, drawing prospectors and miners to the area. The discovery was made by a group of settlers, including a man named William H. Moore, who staked his claim on the land. News of the find quickly spread, and by the late 1860s, Elizabethtown had become a bustling mining hub. In its prime, the town was home to several thousand residents, with miners, merchants, and entrepreneurs flocking to the area in hopes of striking it rich.

During its heyday, Elizabethtown was a thriving town, complete with saloons, stores, and a post office. The local economy revolved around gold mining, and several gold mines operated in the surrounding hills. As more people arrived, the town became known as a center of commerce and activity in northern New Mexico.

The Decline of Elizabethtown

However, like many other mining boomtowns of the era, Elizabethtown’s prosperity was short-lived. By the late 1870s, the easily accessible gold deposits in the area were largely exhausted. As the town’s gold mines began to fail, many of the town’s residents and businesses moved on in search of more promising opportunities.

The arrival of new railroads that bypassed Elizabethtown further contributed to its decline. With fewer ways to transport goods and fewer miners arriving to replace those who left, the town slowly emptied. By the early 20th century, Elizabethtown was all but abandoned, and its once-bustling streets fell silent.

A Legacy as a Ghost Town

Today, Elizabethtown is considered a ghost town, with very few remnants of what was once a bustling mining town. It is said that the area has a lingering ghost friend, Charles Kennedy, who was rumored to be one of America's first serial killers. The town may be gone, but the haunting of its past will live there forever.