| Silver City, New
Mexico
Silver City is the home of Western
New Mexico University.
|
The
valley which is now the site of Silver
City once served as an Apache campsite.
With the arrival of the Spanish, a
settlement developed and became known as
San Vicente de la Ciénega (St. Vincent
of the Marsh). With a wave of American
prospectors in the 1860s, the pace of
change increased, and Silver City was
founded in the summer of 1870.
The
town's violent crime rate was
substantial during the 1870s, Grant
County Sheriff Harvey Whitehill was
elected in 1874, and gained a sizable
reputation for his abilities at
controlling trouble. In 1875, Whitehill
became the first lawman to arrest Billy
the Kid, known at the time as William
Bonney. |
Tour
of the Gila - Downtown Silver City |
Whitehill arrested him twice,
both times for theft in Silver City, and
would later claim that Bonney was a
likeable kid, whose stealing was a
result more of necessity than
criminality. Billy's mother is buried in
the town cemetery.
The
Anasazi Indians once lived in the area.
They predated the Apaches by several
hundred years. Pot shards can still be
seen at various sites throughout the
surrounding area. Beads, arrowhead
pieces and pot shards were once visible,
scattered all over the hill above the
old hospital.
Points
of Interest:
The
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
is about 44 miles north of Silver City,
via NM 15. At the monument, the remains
of Indian inhabitants within five caves
in a cliff can be found. They were built
sometime between 1275 and 1300 AD by the
Mogollon culture. In addition to ancient
ruins, there are plenty of places to
camp, hike and fish within the Gila
Wilderness.
The
Catwalk is a trail enclosed by a
metal walkway that suspends 25 feet
above the Whitewater Canyon hugging the
canyon walls. It follows waterpipe
routes build by miners in 1893. When the
pipes needed repair, the miners walked
on them. Visitors can explore the
walkway and trail, picnic and enjoy the
river. It is located 70 miles north of
Silver City on U.S. Route 180.
City
of Rocks State Park is a area of
interesting rock formations created by
volcanic eruptions long ago. People can
enjoy climbing the rocks, picnicking,
and camping. The City of Rocks is
located off NM 61.
The Kneeling Nun is a natural
rock formation located about 20 miles to
the east of Silver City along NM 152.
Several legends have developed
explaining its origin.
There are
several lakes in the area. Lake Roberts
is 72 acre lake about 27 miles north of
Silver City on NM 15 near the NM 35
junction. Other lakes in the Silver City
area include Bill Evans Lake, Snow Lake,
Wall Lake, Bear Canyon Dam. Anglers have
a choice of brown and rainbow trout,
catfish and bass. In addition, several
mountainous rivers can be found nearby.
Some of note are the Gila River, Negrito
Creek, San Francisco River, and Willow
Creek. |
