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Lake Valley NM Townsite - Ghost town

Photos Courtesy of Mike Sinnwell March 2011

The famous “Bridal Chamber” silver deposit turned this sleepy stage station into a boom town.

It was in 1878 when George Lufkin discovered rich float in the area. He was a cowboy and occasional prospector. After hard work and little to show for their efforts Lufkin and his partner Chris Watson sold out for $100,000 to the Sierra Grande Mining company.  A short two weeks later John Leavitt, working under a lease agreement, broke into the Bridal Chamber, the richest silver discovery in history.

Even Black Jack Ketchum supposedly passed through and left behind a stash of gold. Seems the posse was hot on his trail and he decided to bury the loot. Is it still there? Only the good Lord knows the answer to that question.  

This town had the usual assortment of Blacksmiths, boarding houses, general stores and even a church. Of course, like many other towns the saloons dominated the main street. Based on the number of bottles I saw I suspect there may have been a few bootleggers in the area during the prohibition.  

The Post Office closed in 1954 and the last resident passed away in 1974.