Nestled along New Mexico State Road 14, also known as the Turquoise Trail, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, lies the small and eclectic town of Madrid. Today, Madrid is home to several shops, restaurants, and a museum, but nearly eighty years ago, it was a bustling community. During its heyday, the town boasted the largest coal mining companies west of the Mississippi, a professional baseball team, and Christmas celebrations that attracted thousands of visitors from around the world.
Indeed, Madrid, New Mexico, has an incredible history. Few towns can claim to have been a boomtown, a ghost town, and then experienced a revival, all within a few decades.
Let me share how I stumbled upon Madrid over thirty years ago. I had a day off from work with nothing planned, so I packed my camera and set off for a solo day trip into the mountains. I headed east from my home in Albuquerque on Interstate 40. At Tijeras, I turned onto Highway 14. Instead of taking my usual route on Highway 536 toward Sandia Peak, I decided to follow Highway 14 to see where it might lead me.
Eventually, my journey brought me directly to Madrid. At that time, the town resembled more of a ghost town than it does today. As I approached the nearly perfectly preserved frontier town, I hit the brakes and pulled over, realizing it was the perfect spot to practice my photography.
The town felt like a time capsule, as if the residents had simply walked away and left everything behind. There were numerous old houses, vintage cars, mining equipment, and, surprisingly, a vintage Santa Fe steam locomotive.
I spent the day photographing everything I encountered in Madrid. It felt like a living museum, with countless interesting subjects to capture.
I spent the day photographing everything I encountered in Madrid. It felt like a living museum, with countless interesting subjects to capture.
In the years that followed, I brought several friends from Albuquerque to Madrid. Like me, they were unaware of its existence and were pleasantly surprised.
Eventually, I moved away from New Mexico and returned to my native California. Over time, my memories of Madrid gradually faded into the background of my crowded mind.
Interestingly, yesterday we took our granddaughter on a road trip to Lafayette, Louisiana. While my wife and granddaughter slept during the journey back home, memories of Madrid surfaced in my thoughts. To be honest, I could only recall images of the town and couldn’t remember its name.
Once we got home, I searched Google Maps and discovered that the town I was thinking of was indeed Madrid. As soon as I saw the name, it instantly clicked.
As a research enthusiast, I decided to delve deeper into the mysterious town of Madrid, New Mexico, which had piqued my curiosity nearly three decades earlier.
What I discovered truly surprised me.
During its heyday, Madrid boasted a population of over 4,000 residents and was home to the largest coal mining operations west of the Mississippi River. This was due to the vast amounts of coal found in the nearby hills and the Santa Fe Railroad's reliance on it to power its fleet of coal-fired steam locomotives across the western United States.
Surprisingly, the coal miners of Madrid formed a professional baseball team that attracted fans from all around the region. Known as the Madrid Miners, the team was so talented that it featured players who would eventually make it to the major leagues. Moreover, their stadium was the first in the West to be equipped with electric lights, allowing them to hold night games.
As the saying goes, what goes up must eventually come down.
The town's prosperity relied heavily on the Santa Fe Railroad's demand for coal. However, when the railroad transitioned from coal-powered steam locomotives to diesel engines in the 1950s, the mine closed down, and the population dwindled, leaving the town virtually abandoned for decades.
Today, Madrid is very much alive again, featuring shops, restaurants, and a museum dedicated to its mining history.
This is a must-see location for anyone visiting central New Mexico!
Photos & Story By Ken Hulsey
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