Los Cerrillos, NM (# 0880)

Quite a bit of history for an almost hidden small town – it’s not visible from the main road.

The immediate area of Los Cerrillos was mined for turquoise by Indians until the Spaniards showed up in the 1700’s and began mining for gold, silver, and lead, using the Indians as slaves. Cave-ins though ended up in insurrection and the mines were covered up, laying dormant until Los Cerriollos was rediscovered by prospectors in 1879. Like many mining towns, it rapidly grew and then just as rapidly declined, largely abandoned some time in the early 1900’s. It has been marginally used by tourists and some movies were filmed there, just its current appearance.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Cerrillos,_New_Mexico