New Mexico Ghost Towns

SHAKESPEARE 

 

County: Hidalgo 

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Year Established: 1879

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Year Abandoned: 1893

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Location: 2 1/2 miles south and west of Lordsburg on NM Hwy 494 from Lordsburg. 

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About: Shakespeare, New Mexico, located in Hidalgo County, is a fascinating ghost town with a rich and colorful history. It's known for its authentic feel and dramatic past, having gone through several names and booms and busts.

 

In the 1850's the site named Mexican Springs initially served as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stage line and an Army Mail relay station, due to a reliable spring. Briefly after the Civil War it was known as Grant, and when rich silver ore was discovered, prospectors secured financing from William Ralston in the 1870's, co-founder of the Bank of California, and the settlement was named in his honor. This led to a boom, with the population reaching around 3,000. After the initial silver played out and a notorious diamond swindle (where a supposed diamond discovery was revealed as a hoax) caused the population to dwindle, Colonel William G. Boyle bought up most of the claims. In 1879 he renamed the town Shakespeare in an attempt to give it a fresh start and even dubbed the main street "Avon Avenue" and the hotel the "Stratford Hotel." 

 

Shakespeare experienced a second mining boom under Boyle's leadership, with the Shakespeare Gold and Silver Mining and Milling Company, among others, in operation.

 

The town was a hotbed of Old West tales and famous figures. Rumor has it that Billy the Kid worked as a dishwasher at the Stratford Hotel after escaping from jail in Silver City. Notorious cattle rustlers "Russian Bill" Tattenbaum and Sandy King were famously hanged in Shakespeare in 1881 for various offenses, with some accounts stating "Russian Bill stole a horse and Sandy King was just a damn nuisance." Other notable figures associated with the town include John Ringo, Curly Bill, and the Clantons. 

 

Unlike many towns that developed churches, schools, or newspapers, Shakespeare was largely without formal law enforcement, and "justice" was often meted out by citizens, including informal hangings. 

 

A major blow came when the railroad was built, bypassing Shakespeare by three miles and establishing the town of Lordsburg instead. Businesses gradually moved to Lordsburg to be closer to the rail line. The final nail in Shakespeare's coffin was the depression of 1893, which caused the mines to close down. Most residents left, often taking salvageable building materials with them. 

 

In 1935, ranchers Frank and Rita Hill purchased the abandoned town and its buildings. They dedicated themselves to maintaining and preserving it as one of the most intact ghost towns of the Old West. The family, including later generations like Janaloo Hill (Frank and Rita's daughter) and Manny Hough (Janaloo's husband), have been instrumental in its preservation. It remains privately owned by the descendants of the Hill family. Shakespeare was declared a National Historic Site in 1970, recognizing its historical significance. 

 

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Remains: On private property. Working on contacting current owners for access.  

 

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