Ghost Towns Alive: Trips to New Mexico's Past

The first book of the twenty-first century on New Mexico's ghost towns, this illustrated survey is based on research, interviews, and the travels of author Linda Harris and photographer Pamela Porter. They have divided the state into eleven regions comprising seventy ghost towns, from the Santa Fe Trail and Colfax County in the north to the southern mountains and the boot heel at the other end of New Mexico.

For this writing, Harris has redefined ghost town to refer not just to permanently abandoned places but also to those that have declined without necessarily dying. She sheds light on the ways some towns have survived and how some have reinvented themselves, like Madrid and Cerrillos, former mining towns turned artistic and bohemian enclaves.

All the towns in this book are accessible. Many have their own web sites and most have benefited from the efforts of preservation-minded residents and museum curators. Roads have been improved, churches restored, and schools have been transformed into community centers, libraries, or residences. Ghost Towns Alive will certainly entice New Mexicans and out-of-state tourists alike to pack a lunch and hit the road. Don't forget to bring walking shoes and your camera!