Abandoned

Abandoned Church in Taiban

Just outside of Fort Sumner New Mexico (final resting place of Billy the Kid) lies the ghost town of Taiban. In the fall of 1908, construction began on the First Presbyterian Church of Taiban. It was completed on December 22, 1908, and the last sermon was held in 1936.

Abandoned Church in Taiban BW

Just outside of Fort Sumner New Mexico (final resting place of Billy the Kid) lies the ghost town of Taiban. In the fall of 1908, construction began on the First Presbyterian Church of Taiban. It was completed on December 22, 1908, and the last service was held in 1936.

Abandoned Car

An abandoned car sits in the almost ghost town of San Fidel, NM.

Broken Windows

The former Santa Fe Railway Yard in Albuquerque, NM, built between 1915 - 1925. This is the Machine Shop at 165,000 sq ft. The expansive main bay is 57 feet (17 m) high and 604 feet (184 m) long with several overhead cranes, the largest of which has a 250-ton capacity. The building is floored with wooden blocks to cut down on noise.

San Geronimo de Taos Ruins

Snow surrounds the Taos Pueblo which was first occupied around 900 AD and is the oldest continuously occupied structure in America. In 1627 the Spanish began construction of a Mission to covert the Indians. The church was destroyed several times including during the Pueblo Revolt in 1680 and again during the Mexican-American war in 1846. The ruins of the bell tower and graveyard are pictured above.

San Luis, NM

The colors in the sky seemed to dance above the abandoned grave yard in the almost ghost town of San Luis, NM.

'35 Plymouth

I've always wondered why cars are just left sitting. Did it break down and the owner just left it? Was a man waiting on his wife for so long he just abandoned it? Either way, this beautiful '35 Plymouth was found at the ghost town of Lake Valley, NM. Lake Valley was a silver mining town established in 1878. The city finally died in the 1950's but a few hardy souls remained until the last one passed in 1994. Now, it's run by the BLM and open to the public. Lizard Mountain is seen in the distance.

Route 66

While traveling down Rt 66 in New Mexico I saw an old building with a rusty pickup next to it. I pulled over and when I wandered behind the building I found these beauties. Sitting as they have been for decades.

San Juan Mission Cemetery

Unmarked graves at the San Juan Mission Cemetery in New Mexico. The cemetery was built in 1918 and filled with victims of the Influenza epidemic. The flu epidemic of 1918 killed over 1,000 residents of NM.

Abandoned Books

Exploring the ghost town of Colonias, NM, and I came across this decaying adobe house. One of the walls had worn through and a bookcase, complete with books, was visible. It's amazing that they were in such good shape considering they are exposed to the desert weather.

Kamp Ground

The abandoned Kamp Ground in Two Guns Arizona. Two Guns was, in the past, the site of a major confrontation between the Navajos and the Apaches in the 19th century. Its modern history begins when the site is recognized as an easy place to cross Canyon Diablo--first, by wagon, and then later by motor cars. It was originally called "Canyon Lodge" when the National Trail Highway moved westward; when the Trail was re-named Route 66, the site's name was changed to Two Guns, because the proprietor of the facilities located there was one Henry E. Miller, who called himself "Two Gun Miller" (for reasons unknown). During the heyday of Route 66, Two Guns became one of the numerous tourist traps along the way, with a gas station, overnighting accommodations, a food emporium, etc., as well as the zoo (signs of which are still visible from the Interstate). 2021 Update - sadly, this beautiful remnant of Rt 66 is no longer standing.

Steins Stage Coach

The stage coach is still waiting in the ghost town of Steins, NM. The town began around 1880 and finally died when the railroad decided to no longer stop in 1944 and now it is a piece of history in the New Mexico desert.

Abandoned Truck

An abandoned truck sits along a lonely New Mexico highway. I always wish these abandoned vehicles could tell their story.

Abandoned Truck

A 1940's International Harvester truck sits in the ghost town of Elilzabethtown, NM. Elizabethtown began in 1866 with the founding of area gold mines. A fire took out most of the town in 1903, and the town mostly died out by 1917 with the decline in the mines.

Route 66 Relics

Relics from a golden age still lie along side Route 66 near the New Mexico / Arizona border.

Hwy 60 Bridge

The almost abandoned Hwy 60 Bridge is rusty but still stands.

Hwy 60 Bridge

Another view of the almost abandoned Hwy 60 Bridge.

Lights Among the Ruins

Luminarias (farolitos) light up the Jemez Historic Site ruins. The Jemez National Historic Landmark is one of the most beautiful prehistoric and historic sites in the Southwest. It includes the stone ruins of a 500 year old Indian village and the San José de los Jemez church dating to 1621. In the 17th century, the Spanish established a Catholic mission at the village. The mission was short-lived, and, in time, the people abandoned the site and moved to the current location of Jemez Pueblo. The massive stonewalls were constructed about the same time the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. A luminaria or farolito is a small paper lantern (commonly a candle set in some sand inside a paper bag) which is of significance in the US state of New Mexico in southwest United States at Christmas time, especially on Christmas Eve. They are said to light the way for the Christ Child.

Dodge Truck

An old abandoned Dodge truck sits in a field on the High Road to Taos.

No Trespassing!

The abandoned Ayer's House in Estancia, NM. This is a Sears House, yes - you used to be able to buy a house from Sears and they would deliver the pieces to you to build. This house is almost 100 yrs old.

Abandoned House

At one point in the distant past this house was probably somebody's dream home. Now, it's barely standing underneath this pink sky. Photo taken in Encino, NM.