Journey into the heart of New Mexico’s forgotten history, where McKinley County ghost towns stand as poignant reminders of a bygone era. Located around the vibrant city of Gallup, these spectral settlements are not haunted by spirits, but by the echoes of bustling coal mines and the dreams of countless workers. What caused these towns to boom, and what ultimately led to their silence?
For the first half of the 20th century, McKinley County thrived on its abundant coal reserves. So vital was this industry that Gallup, the county’s largest city and seat, was once affectionately known as “Carbon City.” The region’s early population was a diverse tapestry of European, Oriental, Mexican, and American migrants, all drawn by the promise of employment in the mines and the burgeoning railway system. Many of these nascent communities were quintessential coal-mining company towns, their economies singularly dependent on the mines. When the mining operations ceased, so too did the towns that sprang up around them.
The Birth and Decline of McKinley County’s Coal Camps
McKinley County itself was established in 1889, named in honor of President William McKinley. While the county formed in the late 19th century, many of its mining towns flourished after the turn of the century. Gallup, incorporated in 1891, became the county seat in 1901, solidifying its importance as a regional hub amidst the coal boom.
Heaton: A Town on the Move
Approximately three miles northeast of Gallup, nestled in Heaton Canyon, lay Heaton, also known as Camp Heaton. This coal-mining company town saw its post office open in 1909 and close just thirteen years later in 1922. The Gallup American Coal Company operated the Heaton mine, and when its operations concluded, the town was abandoned. In a unique twist, Heaton’s buildings were physically relocated to the nearby settlement of Gamerco, another enterprise of the Gallup American Coal Company, leaving no trace of its original footprint today.
Mentmore: From Boom to Fading Footprints
Four miles west of Gallup, the town of Mentmore emerged in 1913 with the opening of the Dilco Coal Mine by the Direct Coal Company. Initially named Dilco, it adopted the name Mentmore when its post office was established. The town grew significantly after George Kaseman acquired the Dilco Mine and the nearby Morris Mine in 1918, consolidating them under the Defiance Coal Company. Mentmore was a self-contained community, featuring a company store, post office, school, and power plant. Its residents lived in company-owned frame houses, complete with electricity and running water, and enjoyed free bus transportation for high school students to Gallup. With a population of about five hundred, Mentmore was a vibrant, active town.
However, like many of its counterparts, Mentmore’s fate was tied to its mines. When the mines closed in 1952, the town began its decline. By 1975, only a combination store and post office, along with about ten houses, remained. Today, merely an old trading post, now repurposed as a church, and a scattering of foundations bear witness to Mentmore’s past. The townsite remains privately owned, a quiet testament to its coal-rich legacy, accessible via US Interstate 40.
Navajo: A Shifting Center of Activity
The Navajo coal mine, established by the American Fuel Company, gave rise to the Navajo camp. This community provided small frame houses for its residents and briefly boasted a store and a hotel. However, around 1922, the Gallup American Coal Company’s new shaft at Gamerco, less than a mile west, shifted the center of coal mining activity. While the Navajo Mine closed, many miners continued to reside in Navajo while commuting to work at Gamerco. By the mid-1930s, Navajo still reported a population of six hundred, but its buildings were soon moved, leaving behind only mine dumps and foundations.
Gamerco: The Model Mining Town
Gamerco, perhaps the most comprehensively developed of McKinley County’s coal mining towns, was founded by the Gallup American Coal Company. Shafts began sinking into the coal deposits north of Gallup in 1920, and by 1922, the first coal was hoisted. The town was meticulously planned, with abandoned homes from Heaton and Navajo, along with newly constructed residences, forming its core. Gamerco quickly became a self-sufficient community with a company store, meat market, hotel, clubhouse, shower house for miners, and an executive office building. Emphasizing employee welfare, the company provided extensive recreational facilities, including a golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, and a baseball park, as well as a resident physician and nurse.
The Gallup American Coal Company prioritized safety, aiming to prevent disasters like the one in Dawson, New Mexico, which claimed 263 lives. Ninety percent of underground employees were certified in rescue and first aid, using electric lamps and permissible low-heat explosives. Surface workers earned $5.60 for a seven-hour day, with underground workers receiving higher wages, and no one worked more than five days a week. The five hundred men on the payroll were not unionized, a conscious choice that set Gamerco apart from other regional mines that experienced strikes, some violently broken up by the National Guard and militia.
Despite its progressive approach, Gamerco’s fate was sealed by the inevitable decline of coal mining. The mines closed permanently in the 1960s, leading to the town’s eventual demise. In 1975, many original buildings, a giant steel headframe, and a towering smokestack from the power plant still stood. Even today, a few residents cling to the remnants, and the prominent smokestack along with several foundations serve as enduring monuments to Gamerco’s prosperous past, located on US Hwy 666 north of Gallup.
Allison: A Community Forged in Coal and Conflict
Allison, New Mexico, situated on a coal belt northwest of Gallup, once thrived as a busy coal-mining camp. Today, only a handful of old company houses and mobile homes hint at its former existence. The mine’s history is steeped in early frontier tales, including the tragic death of Andrew Casna, whose widow’s subsequent flight to Germany led to the forfeiture of his claim. F. J. Allison and W. A. Patching filed on the mine site in 1897, and the town took its name from F.J. Allison. A post office opened in 1913, and the pair operated the mine until 1917, when the Diamond Coal Company acquired it.
Allison, like most others in McKinley County, was a company-owned town. Employees resided in small frame homes provided by the Diamond Coal Company, which also fostered community spirit through tennis courts and a company-sponsored baseball team. With a population of five hundred, the town featured a company store, meat market, post office, school, doctor, and sheriff. Today, Allison is largely depopulated, with only a few residents remaining.
Clarkville: A Unique Temperance Town
Though now long gone, Clarkville was once a vital lignite coal mining camp operated by the Clark Coal Company. Founded in 1898, it was named after its owner, the prominent mining magnate and millionaire W.A. Clark. Clarkville was reportedly a picturesque settlement with comfortable houses, distinguishing features including a two-story brick commissary, a school, a library, and a hospital. What made Clarkville truly unique among its peers was its complete prohibition of saloons and liquor sales, contributing to what was described as a happy and contented atmosphere for its miners.
The mine was equipped with an electrical plant and a ten-ton electric locomotive for coal transport, and telephone connections linked the mine to the town. In 1905, Clarkville boasted 400 residents, but this number halved to 200 within two years. The post office closed in 1908, marking Clarkville’s transition into a ghost town. It was located approximately six miles northwest of Gallup.
The Enduring Legacy of New Mexico’s Coal Towns
The story of McKinley County’s ghost towns is a compelling chapter in New Mexico’s industrial past. These communities, born of the demand for coal and sustained by the sweat and toil of miners, ultimately succumbed to economic shifts and resource depletion. From the carefully planned amenities of Gamerco to the transient nature of Heaton, each town offers a unique glimpse into the lives of those who sought opportunity in the arid landscapes of the American Southwest. Today, these silent sentinels stand as a powerful reminder of the cyclical nature of industry and the enduring human spirit that once fueled these forgotten towns.
