Step Inside The Creepy, Abandoned Town Of Dawson In New Mexico

Today, most people stay away from Dawson, New Mexico, a town located between Cimarron and Raton. Since the cemetery is all that remains of this old mining settlement, that’s not surprising. However, the fact that it’s a ghost town is not what keeps visitors at bay. See, Dawson is a haunted New Mexico ghost town. Are you ready to experience one of the creepiest abandoned places in New Mexico?

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At the start of the 20th century, approximately 2,000 people lived in Dawson.The town’s amenities included a hotel, post office, newspaper, mercantile, and school. The Phelps Dodge Corporation purchased the town’s mines in 1906, turning Dawson into a company town.

Wikimedia Commons/Legends of America Archives (Legends of America)

The company invested in Dawson, establishing a hospital, movie theater, swimming pool, bowling alley, and opera house. The population swelled to around 9,000. The photo above shows what the main street looked like in 1916. At its peak, in 1918, the mines in Dawson produced 4 million tons of coal.

These are the town’s coke ovens in 1920. As you can see, the mining operation here was a substantial one.

Wikimedia Commons/Legends of America Archives (Legends of America)

This all sounds like a recipe for success, but mining has always been a risky endeavor and, on October 22, 1913, tragedy struck in Dawson.

At 3:00 p.m. a massive explosion occurred in one of the mines. It was strong enough to literally shake the town.

Flickr/Albert Mock

Rescue crews worked for two days to free the 23 surviving miners; two crewmembers perished from gas inhalation as they worked. Out of the 284 miners who entered the mine on the morning of October 22nd, 261 died. It was the second worst coal mining disaster in U.S. history.

The cemetery here is larger than you might expect for a town of its size.

Flickr/Albert Mock

That’s because it had to be expanded to accommodate all those who lost their lives on October 22nd.

A decade later, on February 8, 1923, history repeated itself.

Flickr/Douglas

Sparks from a derailed mining car lit some coal dust on fire, causing another explosion. This accident claimed the lives of 121 miners.

Despite the double tragedy, it wasn’t until 1950 that the Phelps Dodge Corporation abandoned the mines and the town.

Flickr/Douglas

Some structures were relocated, but the majority of the buildings were razed, leaving just the cemetery behind.

Today, Dawson, a ghost town in New Mexico is located on private property, but you can get close enough to the cemetery to feel a certain tension in the air. That coupled with the unnatural stillness may be why many believe this ghost town to be haunted and consider it to be the creepiest abandoned town in New Mexico.

If you want to see more of Dawson but don’t feel like leaving your couch, check out this fascinating Youtube video.

Did you know anyone who lived in Dawson? Tell us on the Only In New Mexico Facebook page or in the comments.

Dawson is one of the hundreds of ghost towns in New Mexico. Some, like Cuervo, remain intact yet creepy, while others are only a memory.