Another Ghost Town

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blog 04-03-19 Chloride- Ghost Town

My last day here in Elephant Butte and I just had to go to another ghost town. Chloride is about 1 hr away down this very windy road through some hills and about 1500 ft higher in elevation. The scenery was beautiful for a desert climate with an increase in large bushes and even an occasion tree. To keep me on my toes driving it is open range meaning the cows roam free, no fences. We did see a few cows just around a corner but they were just off the road so no emergency braking was necessary.

We came to a little town of Winston and there was a general store on the corner just begging for a visit. It was an old fashioned store that sold just about everything. They had pots and pans, paint, some clothes, shoes, jewelry, blankets, china and even food. I bought a card and Lynne had an ice cream and we decided to come back for lunch.

Chloride is 2 1/2 miles down the road, stay on the pavement, and you can't miss it, it's the end of the road. As we drove through town a woman approached the car and proceeded to tell us about how she happened to live here. She moved from Ohio a year ago, rented a house, and has had her phone ring once, she is thrilled. The thrill is to sit on the porch and watch the clouds roll by. She seemed normal.

We found the museum and before we could get out of the car a man drove up on a golf cart and announced he was our tour guide. It turns out he bought a good bit of the town and is restoring it piece by piece. The museum is an old Pioneer Store that was boarded up in 1927 and hasn't changed since. The town grew with the discovery of silver and most of the buildings were constructed about 1886 to 1889. There are pictures of the merchandise in the store.

Next door was the dance hall but is now the gift shop, a co-op of about 8 people that live nearby, some strange things, some beautiful.

There are 11 people that live in Chloride now but the number goes up to about 45 if you count the nearby county. They have electricity, and internet is available so if you want to get away from it all this is the place for you.

On the way home we stopped at the general store in Winston and I had a microwave burrito and Lynne had an individual pizza. We sat at a table that was built by a local craftsman that would not blow over in any wind.

The ride home was equally beautiful and we arrived about 4 pm. Time for me to pack up and get ready to leave in the morning. It's been a great place to stay, I'll have to put it on my repeat list.

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