Kelly - New Mexico Ghost Town

KELLY

NAME: Kelly
COUNTY: Soccoro
ROADS: 2WD
GRID #(see map): 5
CLIMATE: Mild winter, hot summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT:Summer, fall

COMMENTS: Open May 15 to October 15.
REMAINS: A quite extensive mine.

Kelly's post office was established in 1883, and was discontinued in 1945. Kelly was once a town of 3000, now reduced to a mine. Constantly plagued by indian attacks until about 1885, Kelly even had railroad cars set asside to carry women and children to nearby soccoro in case of an all out attack. 1904 saw the buyout by Sherwin-Williams Paint company as the "green rocks" which were zinc carbonate became very valuable in the manufacture of paint. From 1904 to 1928 over $21,000,000 of zinc was mined. Today no one is left but ruins of the mine and a few buildings are still there to see. To get to the mine one needs to obtain a visitors pass which is available just down the hill. Kelly Courtesy Kurt Wenner Kelly Courtesy Kurt Wenner Kelly Courtesy Richard Cook Kelly Courtesy Richard Cook View of Magdalena from Kelley Courtesy Robert Garcia Traylor Mine 1916 Courtesy David Johnson	Kelly, 1915 Courtesy United States Geological Survey Kelly Courtesy Kurt Wenner Kelly Courtesy Kurt Wenner Kelly Courtesy Richard Cook Graphite Mine Courtesy Robert Garcia Kelley Mine Courtesy Robert Garcia Mining Machinary Courtesy Robert Garcia

Kelly's post office was established in 1883, and was discontinued in 1945. Kelly was once a town of 3000, now reduced to a mine. Constantly plagued by indian attacks until about 1885, Kelly even had railroad cars set asside to carry women and children to nearby soccoro in case of an all out attack. 1904 saw the buyout by Sherwin-Williams Paint company as the "green rocks" which were zinc carbonate became very valuable in the manufacture of paint. From 1904 to 1928 over $21,000,000 of zinc was mined. Today no one is left but ruins of the mine and a few buildings are still there to see. To get to the mine one needs to obtain a visitors pass which is available just down the hill.

Kelly
Courtesy Kurt Wenner