The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico

In the desolate expanse of northeastern New Mexico, where the high plains meet the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, lies a silent testament to a bygone era. Dawson, New Mexico, once a vibrant and bustling coal mining town, now exists only as a haunting memory etched into the landscape. Its story is one of boom and bust, of dreams forged in the heart of the earth and shattered by tragedy, leaving behind a palpable sense of loss and spectral echoes that linger to this day. Today, the most prominent physical reminder of the once-thriving community of Dawson is a poignant cemetery, a field of white crosses standing as silent sentinels over the remains of miners and their families, a stark symbol of the dangers inherent in the pursuit of black gold.

The story of Dawson begins with John Barkley Dawson, an enterprising individual who arrived in the Vermejo Valley in 1869, seeking a place to call home. He secured a deed for land located approximately five and a half miles upstream from the Colfax settlement, purchasing it from the legendary Lucien B. Maxwell for $3,700, a transaction sealed with a simple handshake, a common practice in those days. Little did Dawson know that his property held a far greater treasure than fertile soil; beneath the surface lay vast seams of coal, a resource that would transform his life and the surrounding area.

Initially, Dawson utilized the coal he found on his land for personal use, burning it in his stove instead of wood. His neighbors, initially skeptical, soon recognized the value of this readily available fuel and began requesting samples. As demand grew, Dawson started selling the coal, laying the foundation for what would become a significant mining operation.

Lucien B. Maxwell, having sold his interest in the Maxwell Land Grant in 1870, set in motion a chain of ownership changes. By 1872, a Dutch firm aggressively sought to exploit the grant’s resources. Upon discovering the extensive coal deposits on Dawson’s land, they attempted to evict him, eager to develop the vein themselves. Dawson initially resisted, prepared to defend his claim with arms, but ultimately agreed to settle the dispute in court. The legal battle hinged on the validity of Dawson’s original verbal agreement with Maxwell.

In the fall of 1893, the court ruled in Dawson’s favor, upholding his ownership of the land and mineral rights. Surprisingly, the court also determined that Dawson owned not just the 1,000 acres he believed he had purchased, but a significantly larger 20,000 acres. Dawson and his partner, Charles Springer, continued to ranch the land until 1901, when they sold the majority of the property to the Dawson Fuel Company for a substantial sum of $400,000, retaining 1,200 acres for themselves and continuing their ranching operations. The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico were starting to awaken.

The Dawson Fuel Co., established with the support of railroad promoter Charles B. Eddy of El Paso, Texas, embarked on an ambitious project. They constructed a 137-mile-long railroad connecting the mine to Tucumcari, New Mexico, thereby linking it to the Rock Island Lines. By August 1, 1901, a crew of fifty miners was ready to commence operations. A sawmill was erected to provide lumber for houses, and coke ovens were soon billowing smoke. Within a year, Dawson was rapidly evolving into a city, destined to become the center of the largest coal mining operation in New Mexico. As the town expanded, the company constructed additional cottages to house the growing workforce and built more coke ovens. Dawson was off to a promising start, experiencing rapid prosperity and growth.

However, the burgeoning community soon faced its first major tragedy. On September 14, 1903, a fire erupted in the No. 1 Mine, followed by a series of explosions. Miraculously, 500 miners managed to escape, but the ensuing week-long effort to control the blaze resulted in three fatalities. This event marked the beginning of a series of devastating incidents that would forever scar the history of The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico.

By 1905, the town boasted 124 coke ovens, belching fire into the sky, and a thriving population of approximately 2,000 residents. Dawson offered a variety of amenities, including a post office, a liquor store, a mercantile, a school, a newspaper, and a large hotel, indicative of its growing importance as a regional center.

In 1906, the Phelps Dodge Corporation acquired the Dawson mines, determined to transform the town into a model city and an ideal company town. The company invested heavily in improving the living conditions of its miners, building spacious homes equipped with water from the company’s own water system.

Phelps Dodge also constructed a four-story brick building to house the Phelps Dodge Mercantile Department Store. This comprehensive store catered to virtually every need of the townspeople, offering food, clothing, shoes, hardware, furniture, drugs, jewelry, baked goods, and even ice produced in its own plant. A modern hospital was built, staffed by five doctors and equipped with a laboratory, surgery, and x-ray equipment. The miners and their families enjoyed access to a variety of recreational facilities, including a movie theater, swimming pool, bowling alley, baseball park, pool hall, golf course, lodge hall, and even an opera house. Phelps Dodge also supported two churches, one Catholic and one Protestant. Children attended either the Central Elementary School in downtown Dawson or the Douglas Elementary School on Capitan Hill. A large high school building was constructed, employing 40 teachers, and its athletic teams achieved numerous state championships. The company also built a steam-powered electric plant, providing power to Dawson and the neighboring towns of Walsenburg, Colorado, and Raton, New Mexico. These investments in the community created good-paying jobs and stable employment, fueling rapid population growth, reaching approximately 3,500 under the new management.

Despite the efforts to create a safe and comfortable environment, the residents of Dawson were acutely aware of the inherent dangers of mining. The best coal mines were inherently squalid, hot, dark, and filled with black dust. Even if miners avoided cave-ins and explosions, their life expectancy was significantly reduced by "black lung" and other respiratory illnesses caused by the sooty mine air. Accidents were commonplace, with miners occasionally falling into pits or dying in the collapse of a seam. The company-built cemetery gradually began to fill, a somber reminder of the risks involved. The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico were steadily growing in number.

Dawson attracted miners from around the world, including immigrants from Italy, China, Poland, Germany, Greece, Britain, Finland, Sweden, and Mexico. United by their shared profession, these miners worked together to extract the coal that fueled a vast area, equivalent to one-sixth of the United States. Dawson grew into a diverse and vibrant company town with a population of approximately 9,000.

Phelps Dodge prioritized safety in its mining operations. Stag Canyon Mine No. 2, in particular, was lauded for its advanced equipment and safety measures. In 1913, coal-mining experts described it as "the highest achievement in modern equipment and safety appliances that exists in the world." A New Mexico Inspector of Mines conducted a two-day inspection of the Dawson pits on October 20, 1913, and reported that Stag Canyon Mine No. 2 was "free from traces of gas and in splendid general condition."

However, despite these efforts, Dawson was destined to experience further tragedies that would forever overshadow its history. On Wednesday, October 22, 1913, just two days after the mine’s inspection, disaster struck. On a bright and clear morning, 284 miners reported to work at Stag Canyon Mine No. 2. Work proceeded normally until a little after three p.m., when a massive explosion rocked the mine, sending a tongue of fire 100 feet out of the tunnel mouth and shaking homes in Dawson two miles away.

Relief and disaster crews were immediately dispatched from neighboring towns. Phelps Dodge sent a trainload of doctors, nurses, and medical supplies from El Paso, and striking miners in Colorado suspended their picketing to offer their assistance in rescue efforts. Working tirelessly around the clock, rescue teams brought rows of bodies to the surface. Distraught wives and family members gathered at the mine entrance, hindering rescue operations.

Tragically, only 23 of the 286 men working in the mine survived. Two of the rescuers were killed by falling boulders in the shaft. Mass funerals were held for the victims, and row upon row of graves were dug, necessitating an expansion of the cemetery far up the hill. White iron crosses were erected to mark the graves, and burials continued for weeks. It was the second-worst mine disaster of the century, a cataclysmic event that deepened the shadows of The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico.

Investigators determined that an overcharged blast in a dusty pillar section of the mine had caused the explosion. Dynamite, an unauthorized explosive, was being used. Regulations stipulated that blasting was permitted only when all miners were evacuated and water sprays were used to suppress coal dust, but these rules had been ignored.

Following the disastrous explosion, safety measures were significantly increased, and subsequent accidents were comparatively minor, resulting in fewer fatalities. Mining operations continued, and in 1918, the Dawson mines reached their peak production of over four million tons of coal.

But tragedy struck Dawson again on February 8, 1923, at approximately 2:20 PM, in Stag Canyon Mine No. 1. A mine train derailed, striking the supporting timbers of the tunnel mouth and igniting coal dust in the mine. At the time, 123 men were working in the mine. Women who had lost their husbands in the earlier disaster waited anxiously for their sons to emerge from the smoke. The following day, two miners who had been in an isolated section of the mine walked out, the only survivors. The cemetery was expanded once again, and more white crosses were added to the landscape, further populating The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico.

After the cleanup, Dawson continued to operate for almost three decades, with sons following their fathers into the mines. However, the transition of railroads to diesel-electric locomotives and the increasing use of natural gas and heating oil as fuel sources gradually diminished the demand for coal. A brief resurgence of mining occurred during World War II, but after that, it became evident that coal was a fuel of the past. On April 30, 1950, the mine was shut down, marking the death of the company town.

Phelps Dodge sold the entire town, buildings and all, to a salvage company in Phoenix. The massive coal washer was dismantled and shipped to Kentucky, and many houses were moved and relocated. The company safe ended up in the Phelps Dodge headquarters in Bisbee, Arizona, where it is still displayed at the mining museum. Over the ensuing years, ranchers operating Phelps Dodge’s "Diamond D" ranch occupied the few remaining dwellings.

Today, the most prominent reminder of Dawson’s existence is its cemetery, where over 350 white iron crosses mark the graves of those who perished in mining disasters. The cemetery, a deeply moving site, is now the only part of Dawson accessible to visitors. These silent sentinels, some bearing individual names and some unmarked, stand as poignant reminders of the tragic deaths of the victims and, more importantly, their lives.

New Mexico had largely forgotten Dawson until 1991, when two brothers on a metal-detecting expedition stumbled upon the neglected and abandoned cemetery. Shocked by its condition, Dale Christian returned to Albuquerque and petitioned the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Division to place the cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places.

The New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs was unaware of the cemetery’s existence and requested site measurements from Christian. He provided not only measurements but also photographs and an accounting of the number of graves. Impressed by his efforts, the Office of Cultural Affairs added the Dawson Cemetery to the National Register on April 9, 1992, despite the fact that very few cemeteries receive this designation.

Today, the site is once again part of a working ranch, as it was before 1901. Every two years, former residents gather for a picnic on the site of their former town during Labor Day weekend. On Memorial Day, many visit the cemetery to pay their respects to their buried relatives, keeping the memory of The Ghosts of Dawson, New Mexico alive.

To reach the cemetery, take Highway 64 northeast from Cimarron for approximately 10 miles to the old Dawson Road, located just north of the ghost town of Colfax. Turn left (northwest) and follow the dirt road for about five miles. A locked gate prevents access to the old townsite of Dawson, but the cemetery is located just to the right. The ghosts of Dawson remain, a silent vigil over a lost community and a testament to the enduring power of memory.