With some free time this weekend, I headed south on Saturday, and after a short stop in Socorro, I ended up going on over and spending some time in Magdalena, NM. Not knowing anything about the place, I left the village with a handful of interesting photographs and a tidbits about the village.

What made the stop more interesting is the fact it unfolded on a whim.

Outside of Socorro, on one of those Places of Interest maps that the state planted at a rest stop, one attraction listed as nearby sounded interesting. Kelly Mine, situated near Magdalena west of Socorro, was described as a ghost town worth a visit, and a sucker for dead towns, I headed on towards Magdalena.

When I arrived in the village, I was sidetracked immediately, noticing the old buildings up and down the main drag. After pulling over to take a few photos of one building and then driving halfway up the block to stop and photograph another, and repeating this a few times, I realized I’d lost my bearings to the mine, and I looked right down a street at the corner I was stopped at, and two unique structures immediately called out to me.

The first was the town library- and the library stood out to me because it had, in a previous life, been an Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe train depot. Situated adjacent to the old structure was an old box car emblazoned with the Santa Fe logo resting on a segment of rails. As I approached the box car to take some photos, an older gentleman pulled up and got out of his car, carrying a small camera as well, and I asked him if he was local, and what he knew about the “library”.

The library was built in 1915, Standard Frame #3 according to station specs, he told me, and the fact it still existed was a marvel: the Santa Fe Railroad notoriously scrapped their facilities quickly when they deactivated. Magdalena Village had the foresight in 1974 to buy it after Santa Fe decided to leave the area, so the station, logged in the National Register of Historic Buildings, is a novelty tucked away in this quiet place. The box car actually has a purpose as well- it is a museum about frontier life on the days that it is open.

The Old Lobby of the Depot

Ticket Window

The gentlemen I talked to told me that Magdalena had a unique place in the past. At one time, it was the end of the south spur for railroad transport, and cattlemen in the early 20th century west of the village brought their stock to the municipality to sell it and get it on trains headed back east. That also made Magdalena a trade hub of sorts for the frontier men and women residing west, on into present day Arizona- a fact that was not lost on enterprising young Charles Ilfeld (see tomorrow’s post).

Original Bench from the Depot

Scrawlings made on the original depot walls have been preserved and remain visible inside the back of the library. You can see some scrawl dates in this image.

After speaking to the man, I went in the library to take a few photos, and spoke briefly to the librarian and one of her volunteers about the town itself. They let me know it was now experiencing surges in two areas: astronomy, and the arts.

Dark skies in the region have made it a hot bed of astronomical activity, attested to by the location of the Very Large Array nearby, and the fact Magdalena began hosting star parties for community-supported skygazing over 20 years ago. John Briggs, a seasoned research engineer and astronomer, bought the town’s old schoolhouse and is converting it to an astronomy museum and learning center.

Adjacent to the library is the village’s rodeo grounds, and welcoming visitors at the entrance is a piece of sculpture called “Trail’s End” by Holly Hughes. Holly is an artist from Socorro, NM, who specializes in using recycled items in her works to bring attention to recycling and raise environmental awareness. Many know her significant piece, Buffalo, which is displayed prominently in the New Mexico State Capitol Building.

Bull, “Trail’s End”, by Holly Hughes, 1994.

Cowboy, “Trail’s End”, by Holly Hughes, 1994.

Cow, “Trail’s End”, by Holly Hughes, 1994.