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Cerrillos (Los Cerrillos) |
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Snapshot |
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Why
Visit? |
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Overview: |
Visiting Cerrillos is like traveling back in time.
Many of the buildings are from the late 1800's and still
occupied by the town's residents. Imagine you're
walking down the dirt street, it's 1880 and you spot Billy
the Kid in the saloon having a warm beer. Then you
hear the distant whistle of the noon train.
It's all possible in Cerrillos. |
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Special Features: |
Historic Old West Town, Used as a Movie Set 13 times |
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Background: |
Before the Spanish arrived, the Tano Indians first arrived
in the 1500's to the Galisteo Basin and the Cerrillos (Los Cerrillos) area.
Both the Native Americans and the Spanish mined turquoise in
the mineral rich hills around Cerrillos. At one point, the
Spanish actually considered making Los Cerrillos the capitol
of Nuevo Mexico because of the mining activity. Some of the
Turquoise mined here even made its way into the Spanish
Crown Jewels.
During its heyday in the late 19th century miners
poured into Cerrillos to extract gold, silver, lead, zinc,
and turquoise from the surrounding mountains.
Los Cerrillos (aka: Little Hills) was founded in 1879
and at it's peak Cerrillos had
21 saloons, 5 brothels and 4 hotels. Before it became
a tourist stop along the Turquoise Trail, Cerrillos hosted
several famous visitors including Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison
and Ulysses S. Grant.
Hollywood has taken advantage of Cerrillos'
old west backdrop and the surrounding area to film several movies. Examples include...The Nine Lives of Elfego Bacca (1958), Shoot Out (1971),
John Wayne's Cowboy (1972),
Outrageous Fortune (1987), Young Guns (1988), Young Guns II
(1990) and Vampires
(1997). |
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Status: |
Active Historic Community |
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Trip Planning & Facts |
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Best Time to
Visit: |
All Year, Spring & Fall are wonderful times to visit. |
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Hours: |
Historic stores are typically open 10M-4PM on the Weekends,
9AM-5PM Weekdays |
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Byway Segment: |
Highway 14 |
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Mile Post: |
31.3 ~ Turn west on Main Street |
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Road Access: |
Paved from NM-14 to Cerrillos ~ Village streets are dirt |
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Elevation: |
5,588 Feet |
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Address: |
Cerrillos, NM 87010 |
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County: |
Santa Fe |
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GEO
Coordinates: |
+35.436678 | -106.124925 |
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Census: |
2007: 252 people |
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Near By:: |
Cerrillos Hills Historic Park ~ Waldo ~
Santa Fe Railroad |
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Local Contact:: |
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Preservation |
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Historic
Markers: |
NM Historic Marker (between NM-14 and Cerrillos on Main
St.) |
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Encouraging |
The entire Cerrillos Mining District, including Cerrillos is
listed on the
New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.
Cerrillos is also included in the
US
Department of Interior’s National Survey of Historic Sites
and Buildings. A majority of the residents are
very interested in maintaining the current character and
history of Cerrillos. Several buildings have or being
restored. |
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Challenges |
Un-known (We will work with the residents of Cerrillos to ID
Challenges) |
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Preservation Status: |
Un-known (We will work with the residents of Cerrillos to ID
Status) |
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Related
Links |
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Photo Gallery: |
Town of Cerrillos ~ St. Joseph's Church ~
Santa Fe Railroad ~ Cerrillos Hills Historic Park |
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Video Gallery: |
Cerrillos Hills Historic Park |
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Maps: |
Bing
Aerial Map ~
Google
Aerial Map |
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Additional
Readings: |
Turquois and Six-Guns: The Story of Cerrillos, New Mexico
Cerrillos, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of New Mexico
New Mexico's Best Ghost Towns: A Practical Guide
New Mexico's Railroads: A Historical Survey
New Mexico: Webster's Timeline History, 10000 BC - 1961 |
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External Links: |
Cerrillos Hills
State Park
New Mexico Office of the State Historian (Cerrillos)
Wikipedia |
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Credits |
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TTPT: |
Ken Lundy, Sr. |
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Others: |
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