msmooretravels

Historic Hotels in New Mexico

The Development of the Hotel in the United States

According to Daniel Milowski, “hotels in the United States developed around downtowns and railroads. Railroads dominated travel in America from the early nineteenth century through World War Two. Cross country travelers arrived by train and then took a cab, trolley or walked to a downtown hotel.” With the rise of the automobile in the 1920s, motor hotels or “motels” became more in demand, allowing visitors to drive up to their accommodations. This blog post details the historic hotels in New Mexico, past and present, and is also in effect, a history of transportation in our state.

Here are the ones discussed that you can stay in today. My goal is to visit all of the historic hotels in New Mexico. If I haven’t done so yet, I used google map’s street view to include a photo of the building (some also include old postcards or photos found on eBay). I created this map to aid in finding them.

El Camino Real

According to the New Mexico Museum of Art, “Spanish explorers in the 1500’s… were in search of wealth and glory, and certainly power. In 1598 Don Juan de Oñate built the first permanent settlement in the American west; Don Pedro de Peralta founded Santa Fe as the first capital in 1610. Many decades passed with fighting and bloodshed the norm, but the Spanish settlers were determined and remained. Travel and trade between Mexico and Nuevo Mexico continued to expand, with trade fairs from Taos to El Paso common by the 1790’s.” The Indigenous Pueblo architectural style influenced the Spanish and later impacted the Territorial style and then revival styles (explored below).

La Fonda in Santa Fe (built atop structures from 1600s): according to the hotel’s website, “city records indicate that La Fonda sits on the site of the town’s first inn, established when the city was founded by Spaniards in 1607, making our property the oldest hotel corner in America. Throughout the 19th century, La Fonda quickly became the preferred lodging option among trappers, soldiers, gold seekers, gamblers and politicians [along the Santa Fe Trail].” An older structure, known as the Exchange Hotel, “was razed in 1919. The La Fonda inn opened in 1922. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bought it in 1925 and leased it to Fred Harvey. In 1927 it underwent its first expansion, got its Pueblo Revival look, and was a Harvey House until 1968.”

Hilton Historic Plaza in Santa Fe (1625): according to Historic Hotels of America, “built in 1625, the hacienda originally belonged to Padre Ramon Ortiz, a member of one of Santa Fe’s founding families. In 1973, Hilton acquired, restored, and expanded the hacienda while preserving its historic features. The three luxury casitas are built within the adobe walls of the 17th-century coach house featuring planked ceilings, exposed brick, Colonial furnishings, and a traditional kiva fireplace”

Los Poblanos in Albuquerque (1930s): the current buildings at the Los Poblanos date to the 1930s, but according to their website, “the land became part of the Elena Gallegos land grant around 1716. The original ranch land was owned by Ambrosio and Juan Cristobal Armijo through the 19th century”

Double Eagle in Mesilla near Las Cruces (1849): according to this website, “the rich history of Las Cruces began in the 1600’s as the King of Spain built villages along the Camino Real… the City of Mesilla was established and remains much the same as it was in the 1600’s. It Plaza and Catholic Church remain center of life and community for the Village of Mesilla.” According to this website, “at the end of the Mexican American War in 1848, the United States took control of southern New Mexico. A rush of settlers looking to claim a portion of the undeeded land poured into the new territory. Soon enough, Las Cruces was on its way. As the town grew, so did the need for a name. No one knows exactly how Las Cruces was selected, but most historians conclude it is derived from the Spanish translation for ‘the crosses.'” The Double Eagle was built in 1849, amid this change.

Casa Blanca in Farmington (1950): this inn does not date to the days of the Camino Real, but its architecture pays homage to it. According to this New Mexico True article it was, “built in the 1950s for lumber magnate H. Merrill Taylor in Spanish Colonial Hacienda style.”

Kokopelli’s Cave in Farmington (1980s): this hotel is not historic, but does take inspiration from the Indigenous peoples who were in New Mexico long before the Spanish or the Camino Real. According to this post, “the story begins in 1980 when Bruce Black, a retired Rear Admiral and professional geologist, had the idea to build his office in a cave. He was inspired by American Indian architecture and wanted to create a hideaway reminiscent of those of the Anasazi.”

The Santa Fe Trail

The New Mexico Museum of Art continues, “mountain men began arriving in Taos by 1750, and with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Taos became a base of operation and a refuge for these predominantly French-Canadian and American trappers and traders. From 1821 until the coming of the railroad in 1879, the Santa Fe Trail… provided a ready trade route for handmade indigenous goods from the New Mexico Territory to find their way into Victorian parlors and private collections back east. These trade items… became an important factor in promoting tourism.” It was during this time that the distinctive Territorial Style developed.

St. James Hotel in Cimarron (1872): according to Wikipedia, “Cimarron was officially chartered in 1859 and was named for the Spanish word used to describe a mustang, meaning ‘wild’ or ‘unbroken.’ Cimarron was the county seat of Colfax County beginning in 1872. At that time, it was a stage stop on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.” According to their own website, the St. James Hotel was, “first built in 1872… many famous people have stayed at the St. James over the years, including Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, Clay Allison, Black Jack Ketchum, Billy the Kid and Thomas James Wright. It is said that some of these spirits still haunt these halls today”

Taos Inn (1800s): according to Wikipedia, “the Taos Pueblo, which borders the north boundary of the town of Taos, has been occupied for nearly a millennium. Taos was established c.1615 by Don Fernando de Taos, following the Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages.” The Inn is made up of several adobe houses dating to the 1800s.

Hotel La Fonda in Taos (1820): according to their website, “there has been a Taos hotel on the current site of La Fonda de Taos as early as 1820. The Taos hotel property changed hands many times but always had rooms and a bath for the weary travelers who no doubt were exhausted from the long and strenuous trek on the rough roads to this remote and most beautiful mountain community.”

Mabel Lodge Luhan House in Taos (1918): This hotel dates to much later after the days of the Santa Fe Trail, but is located along that old route. Mabel Lodge Luhan promoted the growth of the Taos art colony around the turn of the century. Her home is today a historic hotel. According to their website, she bought 12 acres of land in 1918 and began construction. In 1996, it was purchased and converted into a hotel.

Mutz Hotel in Elizabethtown (1870s): in his lecture series The American West, Patrick Allitt states that, “in the American West, [different] types of urban centers developed: Spanish towns before the American Revolution and in places where water could be found, places where the incentive for settlement was agriculture, Pacific coast cities, and places where the incentive for settlement was mining. [Boomtowns] were inherently unstable; their populations grew so rapidly and then shrunk to nothing. This led to the distinctive western problem—the ghost town.” In the 1860s, copper was discovered in the Baldy Mountains. A townsite was planned and was named after Captain William Moore’s daughter. “By the end of July 1868, about 400 people were living in Elizabethtown and by 1869, E-town had about 100 buildings.” A man named Herman Mutz built a hotel; the black and white photograph dates to 1943, the second from 2004, and I took the last one in 2020. One final type of urban center that Allitt discusses are towns along the line of railroads, which transformed the west with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 and the spread of the technology over the course of the next few decades.

Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe (1852): according to Santa Fe’s Historic Hotels, ” sometime in the 1860s, Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy, purchased the property. On a small hill overlooking agricultural fields, Lamy built his private lodge with an attached chapel. Until his death in 1888, [the property] was Lamy’s principal retreat from his responsibilities in Santa Fe.” It has been a hotel since around 1920. The book Death Comes for the Archbishop was written in 1927.

The Railroad

The New Mexico Museum of Art continues, “the coming of the railroad to New Mexico provided the easy access that was needed, opening full-scale trade and migration. The 1880’s saw extensive growth in the numbers of people traveling to the Southwest… ranchers and homesteaders, ethnologists, businessmen, adventurers and gold prospectors, artists and photographers, lawyers and politicians. With the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, people could travel to New Mexico in relative ease. A whole new population of travelers came west. These were the ‘tourists,’ people who had the time and means to take tours for recreational or leisure purposes—a radical change in the concept of travel. With this newest influx, the conscious development of tourism as an industry took hold.” Here are some of the hotels that were built along railroad lines in New Mexico, according to this map which shows railroad development around the state. Many of the hotels at this time were influenced by the Victorian architectural style.

The images above come from Wikipedia, Transit Map, Swann Galleries, and Kansas Historical Memory

The Palace Hotel in Raton (1896): according to Wikipedia, “Raton was founded at the site of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. In 1879, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bought a local toll road and established a busy rail line. Raton quickly developed as a railroad, mining, and ranching center for the northeast part of the New Mexico territory, as well as the county seat and principal trading center of the area.” Amidst this historical context, the Palace Hotel was built in, “1896 by the Smith brothers, Scottish immigrant coal miners. Nearly lost by fire in 1932, the Palace was purchased and restored by the Tinnie Mercantile Company in 1973.” The Yucca is another old hotel in Raton built in the 1920s.

Folsom Hotel in Des Moines (1888): according to Wikipedia, “In the first half of the 19th century, the region was a hunting ground for Comanche, Ute, and Jicarilla Apache Indians. The first white settlement near Folsom was Madison, settled in 1864. In 1877, a post office was established. Madison became a ghost town in 1888 when the Colorado and Southern Railroad was completed and Folsom was established nearby on the railroad line. The train was held up three times near Folsom by Black Jack Ketchum and his gang. The final robbery in 1899 led to the capture and hanging of Ketchum.” This building was constructed in 1888, and made into a hotel in 1910.

Casa del Gavilan near Cimarron (1911): built in 1911 outside of Cimarron, “in 1905, the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific Railway Co. laid tracks from Raton to Ute Park, with the intent to haul coal between Raton and Cimarron. Passengers used the daily train service, as well as ranchers who moved agricultural animals. During World War II, the tracks were removed, with the steel to be recycled to help with the shortage during the war effort. Soon after the tracks were laid through town, tracks were also laid 22 miles up Ponil Canyon by the Cimarron and Northwestern Railway Company, to haul timber from the surrounding mountains.”

Hotel Eklund in Clayton (1892): According to Wikipedia, “the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail brought some of the first settlers through the Clayton region. The Goodnight-Loving Trail also passed through the area (bringing cattle north from Texas) starting in the late 1860s. The Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad came to the area in 1888. In 1892, the saloon of what would later become the Hotel Eklund was built.” According to their own website, “the original part of the structure, now serving as our saloon, was built in 1892 and operated as a saloon and gambling hall; the property was purchased by Carl Eklund in 1894 and during the following years was expanded in phases to its present configuration. The current owners, Keith and Jeannette Barras, both professional architects with experience in the restoration and preservation of historic properties, purchased the hotel in 2011 and are directly involved in day to day management.”

Vorenberg Hotel in Tucumcari (1910): Tucumcari is more associated with Route 66 and the various old motels in town, but several decades before this time, the coming of the railroad led to the establishment of the town. According to The Jewish Founding Fathers of Tucumcari by David H. Stratton, “on the northeast corner of Main and Second stood the upscale, Spanish style Vorenberg Hotel owned by Adolph Vorenberg, who invested $40,000 for the hotel’s construction in November 1910.” The first photograph below comes from here and the second from facebook. Sadly, the hotel largely burned down in the 1970s, although you can still see its Spanish arches today.

The Victorian in Chama (1880): Chama is a popular tourist destination for the Cumbres & Toltec Railway today. In a 19th century home, the Victorian was renovated by, “John and Veronica V. Bush… well versed on the history and culture of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. John is the recently retired President/General Manager of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, having served previously as the Chief Mechanical Officer there. After 40+ years of professional service in the tourist steam industry, he is eager to share all the amazing stories of railroads he has worked at that span the entire industry.”

Foster’s Hotel in Chama (1881): according to Wikipedia, “the original 1881 building is a wood-frame two-story structure, built to meet demand related to Denver and Rio Grande Railroad construction. The second stage, also two-story, added around 1927, is cement stucco over adobe. The third stage, added in 1932, was cement stucco over wood-frame construction.”

The American in Aztec (1906): according to this website, “an early trading post, Aztec became an established community in 1887. Agriculture helped grow Aztec’s economy. In 1900, daily delivery to the post office was standard. Telephone service began in 1903, and by 1905 the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad operated a standard rail between Durango and Aztec, helping Aztec become a key shipping point for sheep and cattle.” This hotel was built in 1906.

Inn at the Delta in Espanola (1949): according to this Taos News article, “the other major railroad [besides the AT&SF] operating in north-central New Mexico was the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RG). In 1880 the D&RG’s narrow-gauge line… was extended into New Mexico, reaching isolated way stations. Continuing south, it then dove down into the Río Grande Gorge to Embudo, chugged along the west bank of the river past Alcalde and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and ended at a nearby spot with no name late in 1881. Regional farmers, ranchers and traders flocked to this terminus, and soon a village grew up around it, including a restaurant operated by a woman from Spain nicknamed La Española. The village grew from a population of 150 in 1881 to 1,500 by 1900, and the stop became the town of Española.” This hotel, the Inn at the Delta, has been open since 1949.

Santa Clara Hotel in Wagon Mound (1900): Wagon Mound is not listed on the map above, but is located along the AT&SF north of Las Vegas. According to this website, “when the railroad arrived in 1879 the flotsam and jetsam of the world came or passed by on their way ‘out west.’ Wagon Mound became another important frontier town. Several hotels were built, soon other businesses opened. Wagon Mound became a stopping point, a rest stop for the travelers on their way to Las Vegas, the town known as the ‘Wildest of the Wild West.'”

The Plaza in Las Vegas (1882): according to Wikipedia, “Las Vegas was established in 1835 after a group of settlers received a land grant from the Mexican government… [the city] prospered as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived at Las Vegas from the north on July 4, 1879. During the railroad era Las Vegas boomed, quickly becoming one of the largest cities in the American Southwest. Turn-of-the-century Las Vegas featured all the modern amenities.” On the Plaza’s website they write, “in the 1870’s Las Vegas was the biggest city in New Mexico territory, and growing fast! Land baron Benigno Romero and his friends decided Las Vegas needed a first-class hotel, so in 1881 they rounded up the cash and built the Plaza Hotel. It was a partnership of Spanish Catholic merchants, French Protestant traders and German Jewish immigrants.” It was renovated in 1982.

Montezuma Castle in Las Vegas (1886): the 1886 castle was built atop an earlier iteration of the hotel, opened in 1882. UWC’s website writes, “a new luxury hotel and the first building in the Southwest to have electric lighting and an elevator is constructed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. Named the Montezuma Hotel, it opens to the public in 1882. A landscaped park with shops, a water fountain, and even a zoo is created behind the building.” This hotel burned down in 1884. Another hotel was built, and also burned down! The 1886 hotel was opened and then closed in 1903 due to bankruptcy. Various groups owned in and the 1970s the film The Evil was shot there. In the early 2000s, United World Colleges restored the castle and it now houses an IB boarding school.

Eldorado Hotel in Las Vegas (1900): also located in Las Vegas, this hotel stands empty today

The Castañeda in Las Vegas (1899): the Castañeda Hotel, built by Fred Harvey, opened in 1899 and was in operation until 1948. The New Mexico Museum of Art continues, “Fred Harvey was an innovative entrepreneur who understood the tourist’s needs, developing what became the first chain of restaurants across New Mexico and the west—The Harvey House… at more prominent locations, these restaurants evolved into hotels. By the late 1880s, there was a Fred Harvey dining facility located every 100 miles along the Santa Fe Line.”

The La Fonda was a Harvey Hotel for a time. They write, “in 1925, the building changed hands again when it was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The company leased the property to Fred Harvey, a gentleman renowned for his keen sense of hospitality. Harvey introduced his own personal touch and made the inn a Harvey House, a hotel chain noted for its high standards, fine dining and the signature ‘Harvey Girls,’ a staff of exceptionally well-trained waitresses.” In Las Vegas, the Castañeda sat vacant for many years (although I was told in the 1980s there was a dive bar in part of the hotel known as the “Nasty Casty”) until it was renovated and re-opened in 2019! It is the only Harvey Hotel in New Mexico that is currently in operation as a hotel.

The Hamilton in Lamy (1920s): according to this website, “in February 1880, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was developed. The Village of Lamy—one of scores of “railroad towns”—was established in the eastern Galisteo Basin. As a passenger terminal for Santa Fe and the surrounding area, the Lamy Junction became an important stop—replete with locomotive storage and railroad employee housing. Lamy was a thriving railroad town until the 1930s, when the railroad converted from coal to diesel fuel and there was no longer need for a round house or for extra pusher locomotives. Lamy hit its peak population in 1930 with approximately 300 residents. After the 1930s Lamy’s population dwindled, but the town has maintained its ties to the railroad. Lamy is the destination for the Santa Fe Southern Railway, a tourist excursion train that runs twice a day from the Santa Fe Railyard, and it is still a stop on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (Amtrak) line from Chicago to Los Angeles.” Today you can visit Lamy and stay in a 1920s Pullman train car, which is listed on Airbnb.

El Ortiz in Lamy (1910): another one of Fred Harvey’s hotels in New Mexico. According to this website, the El Ortiz was built in 1910. The Spur line railroad Lamy to Santa Fe discontinued its service in 1926. There was a fire in the Ortiz in 1939 and it was demolished sometime in the early 1940s.

La Posada in Santa Fe (1882): according to their website, “both American settlers and European immigrants came to the New Mexico capital along the Santa Fe Trail, and among them was the German-born Abraham Staab, who arrived in the 1850s. In 1865, he returned to Germany to marry Julia Schuster, who came back with him to Santa Fe thereafter. In 1882, the Staabs built a French Second Empire-style mansion for themselves that still stands today on our resort: the magnificent Staab House.” Julia died in the mansion and there are many ghost stories surrounding La Posada today (although it is said that she is a nice ghost).

St. Francis in Santa Fe (1923): according to the book Santa Fe’s Historic Hotels, “the current St. Francis, originally called the De Vargas Hotel, dates from 1923. Because of its proximity to the state capitol, the hotel catered to politicians and businessmen. When the state government buildings across the street were demolished in the mid-20th century, the resulting vacant land became a parking lot, and the De Vargas lost its former luster. In 1986, the hotel was remodeled. In 2008, Heritage Hotels and Resorts renovated it into a fully up-to-date modern facility.”

Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque (1902): another Harvey Hotel, opened in 1902, it was demolished in 1970.

Bottger Mansion in Albuquerque (1912): the Villa de Alburquerque was established in 1706 by Spanish colonists. According to Wikipedia, “the 1860 Census showed a population of 1,608, of which an army garrison made up about a third. The late 1870s saw the building of New Mexico’s first railroad, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. The first train pulled into Albuquerque in April 1880, and development of New Town began immediately. Unlike Old Town with its long-established, primarily Hispanic population, New Town was dominated by recently arrived Anglo-Americans and European immigrants, and its built environment reflected their tastes and attitudes.” The Bottger Mansion built atop an older Spanish hacienda in 1912 in the Old Town of Albuquerque.

Franciscan Hotel in Albuquerque (1923): located along what became Route 66 when it was re-routed in 1937, the hotel was “erected in 1923. [the Franciscan] was a brilliantly designed Pueblo Revival building drawn by Trost & Trost. Not only did Trost consider it a milestone design, it became one of the most widely known and admired of the firm’s buildings, reaching the notoriety of his El Paso Alhambra Theater in widespread fame and admiration. The building was tragically demolished in the 1970s.”

Hotel Parq Central in Albuquerque (1924): located along what became Route 66, “the original building was constructed in 1924 and served as the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Hospital. It was then purchased in the 1980s and transformed into a mental health hospital. However, in 2010, a major renovation occurred and it became the luxury hotel that we know today.”

Kuhn Hotel in Belen (1906): according to Wikipedia, “Belén was founded in 1740 as Nuestra Señora de Belén (Our Lady of Bethlehem) by a group of [Spanish] colonists. It gained the nickname “Hub City” after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway completed a line through it in 1907.” The Kuhn Hotel opened in 1906 and served as a resting place for “for the conductors, the engineers, and the railroaders.” There have been plans to restore it, but it is currently slated for demolition. In downtown Belen there is also the Belen Hotel, built the same year as the Kuhn. It is currently the home of Judy Chicago.

Belen Harvey House (1910): according to the city’s website, “this Harvey House operated from 1910 to 1939 as a first-class Fred Harvey Restaurant and it served the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad passengers. The iconic Harvey Girls lived in the upstairs dorm rooms. In the 1940s, the Belen Harvey House reopened during World War II, with many Harvey Girls coming out of retirement to serve troop trains. In the 1950s, it became the Santa Fe Railroad Reading Room and served railroad employees with a breakroom and dormitory through the 1970s. With the building ready for demolition, a campaign by the local citizens saved the building. In 1982, the Santa Fe Railroad donated the building to the City of Belen and hundreds of volunteers began restoring it. The Building was repurposed and became completely devoted as the Harvey House Museum and features a large collection of Fred Harvey memorabilia, historic railroad and Belen artifacts.”

Shaffer Hotel in Mountainair (1923): according to the city’s website, “the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad established the railroad line known as the Belen Cutoff shortly after the turn of the twentieth century. Mountainair was founded in 1903 along the route as the first incorporated town in Torrance County. The town soon grew and became a thriving, farming community and was known during its heyday as the Pinto Bean Capital of the World.” The Shaffer Hotel was built in 1923 by “Pop” Shaffer who moved to the town in 1908.

Las Chavez in Vaughn (1909): according to this 1962 publication by UNM, “Myron H. Church of Chicago produced the plan of the Las Chavez Hotel at Vaughn in 1908-09. An excellent example of one of the Harvey Houses which expresses what we could call an architectural middle ground is the Las Chavez Hotel at Vaughn. Like many of these buildings the one at Vaughn has unfortunately been long abandoned. The change from coal to oil burning train engines has eliminated the importance of the town as a railroad repair center, and added to this is the fact that the community has never developed, as was originally planned, as a major center for the shipment of livestock.”

The photos below were taken in March of 2024.

El Navajo in Gallup (1916): according to the city’s website, “a Fred Harvey property, The El Navajo Hotel, was built west of the railroad station. Originally designed in 1916, the hotel’s construction was delayed due to World War 1, completed in 1923. The design was a blend of Mission style and Spanish Pueblo Revival style, with the Santa Fe Railroad symbol incorporated into the parapet. Unfortunately, the property was demolished in 1957.”

Hall Hotel in Magdalena (1917): According to Wikipedia, “in 1884, the village of Magdalena was named after Magdalena Peak when its post office opened. Magdalena is known as the ‘Trails End’ for the railroad spur line that was built in 1884 by the New Mexico Railroad company (a local subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe) from Socorro to Magdalena to transport the cattle, sheep wool, timber and ore. Magdalena was incorporated as a town in 1913, during a mining boom.” The Hall Hotel opened in 1917 and “is the only one of the original ‘cowboy hotels’ remaining in Magdalena.” When I went to stay there in February of 2024, the new owner told me that it sat vacant from the 1930s or 40s until the 1990s, when it was renovated to serve as low-income housing. He and his wife bought it in 2017 to renovate it back into a hotel.

Val Verde Hotel in Socorro (1919): According to Wikipedia, “In June 1598, Juan de Oñate led a group of Spanish settlers through… an inhospitable patch of desert that ends just south of the present-day city of Socorro. Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro, the first Catholic mission in the area, was probably established circa 1626. The Spanish did not initially resettle Socorro when they re-conquered New Mexico [after the Pueblo Revolt].” The Spanish did resettle Socorro in 1815. After the United States conquered New Mexico, they established military forts in the area. “The New Mexico and Southern Pacific Railroad (a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe) arrived in July 1880. Its presence contributed to growth of the community, as it also became a center of mining activity of lead and zinc.” The Val Verde Hotel was built in 1919. It appears to no longer be in operation but according to their Facebook page, they hosted a haunted house in October of 2023. I took these photos in February of ’24. The last image is an old postcard listed for sale on eBay of a room at the Val Verde.

Silver Creek Inn in Mogollon (1885): according to their website, “the history of Mogollon lives on at the Silver Creek Inn. This rare two-story adobe structure was built by Frank Lauderbaugh, circa 1885. The 5,000 square foot building was first known as the Mogollon House. Henry Johnson, the proprietor, rented upstairs rooms and sold food and merchandise on the Main Street floor. World War II steel and manpower shortage was the beginning of the end for Mogollon as a thriving mining town. The old man stayed through the war and watched the town’s inhabitants evaporate. In 1948 he left the old store to the ghosts and spent his remaining years in California. The old building, with its leaking roof and archaic mud walls melting into Silver Creek, somehow survived until 1980 when Stan King arrived to renovate and restore the old adobe to its present condition.”

Amador Hotel in Las Cruces (1870s): the Amador Hotel was built in the 1870s, shortly before the coming of the railroad. “The coming of the railroad to Las Cruces in the late 1800s brought even more prosperity to the up-and-coming town. In April 1881, the first train arrived and by 1900, the town population had tripled to nearly 3,000 residents.” The Amador is currently under renovation.

The Lodge in Cloudcroft (1899): according to this website, “one hundred years ago, the railroad was completed between Alamogordo, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. The railroad’s owners were intrigued by the majestic mountains to the East of Alamogordo and soon sent a survey party to the summit. They discovered untouched wilderness — a wonderland of wildlife, plants, and trees. They were also impressed with the way the clouds blanketed the ground because at 9,000 feet above sea-level, Cloudcroft was literally in the clouds. The name Cloudcroft is a term related to an English description of a clearing covered in clouds. Soon after, an excursion train was established to the top of the mountain and the village of Cloudcroft was born. For the first half of Cloudcroft’s existence, the train was the only means of travel to the village (except possibly by pack mule). In the mid-1940s, the first highway to the village was opened — taking away much of the train’s logging and excursion business. The train discontinued service to the village in 1948.” The Lodge was, “originally built in 1899 to serve the long-defunct Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway as a destination for vacationers seeking the natural air-conditioning of Cloudcroft’s 9,000-foot setting.” It is still an active hotel welcoming visitors today.

The Palace in Silver City (1882): according to Wikipedia, “the valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as an Apache campsite. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the area became known for its copper mining. The town’s violent crime rate was substantial during the 1870s. The communities of Silver City and Pinos Altos developed as 19th century miners recovered easily extracted copper, gold and silver from ore deposits of the area. Standard-gauge Santa Fe Railroad reached Silver City in 1886.” The Palace is in a hotel that dates back to 1882. “It once was the Meredith and Ailman bank building — built by the original owner of the Silver City Museum’s home and his partner — and the second floor became the Palace Hotel in March 1900, first owned by Max Shutz.”

Bear Mountain Lodge in Silver City (1928): according to this New Mexico Magazine article, “homestead, ranch house, school for ‘mentally peculiar’ children, hotel, and now guest accommodations, Bear Mountain Lodge sits on 178 acres abutting the secluded Gila National Forest near Silver City.” The website of the lodge states that, “

Hotel Hidalgo in Lordsburg (1928): according to this website, the Hidalgo was constructed in 1928 by Trost & Trost. “Lordsburg was founded in 1880 on the route of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Local lore is that Billy the Kid washed dishes in Lordsburg hotel kitchens such as the Stratford Hotel, and La Fonda, the historic ‘inn at the end of the Santa Fe Trail’ during his teenage years.”

Lundeen Inn of the Arts in Las Cruces (1865): according to this website, “the coming of the railroad in the late 1800s brought even more prosperity to the up-and-coming town. In April 1881, the first train arrived in Las Cruces, and by 1900, the town population had tripled to nearly 3,000 residents.” Built slightly before the railroad, this inn has “seven artist-themed rooms showcasing notable New Mexico and Native American artists.”

Various Hotels in Roswell: The AT&SF arrived in Roswell in 1892. Below are some old hotels in Roswell (all of which I believe to have been demolished?)

Heritage Inn in Artesia (1905): according to the city’s website, “in 1894, the railroad came through the lower Pecos Valley to link Roswell to Eddy (today’s Carlsbad). The siding half-way between the two towns was named ‘Miller.'” In 1899, Miller was re-named Stegman and then in 1903, to Artesia. The Heritage Inn was opened in 1905, “the year that Artesia formally became a town and the year that electricity was first turned.”

Trinity Hotel in Carlsbad (1892): this hotel was actually built as a bank, but was converted into a hotel in 2007. It is one of the sites on this list that you can stay in today! According to Wikipedia, “the development of southeastern New Mexico in the late 19th century was fueled by the arrival of colonies of immigrants from England, Switzerland, France, and Italy. Most of the early construction in Carlsbad was completed with locally manufactured bricks. The former First National Bank building at the corner of Canal and Fox streets is one of the few remaining buildings constructed with local brick. The re-discovery of Carlsbad Caverns (then known as ‘Bat Cave’) by local cowboys in 1901 and the subsequent establishment of Carlsbad Caverns National Park on May 14, 1930, gained the town of Carlsbad substantial recognition.” The Hotel La Caverna was designed by Trost & Trost and constructed in Carlsbad in 1928, but has since been demolished.

Commercial Hotel in Lovington (1918): according to this flickr post, “built in 1918, this old hotel today houses one portion of the Lea County Museum.”

The Automobile

The New Mexico Museum of Art continues, “the arrival of the Model T Ford in 1908 changed the face of America forever. As automobiles became accessible Americans began to travel further, and as travel increased, the public called for a standardized National Highway System. By 1926 a bill was signed in Washington D. C. and Route 66 became a reality. The 2,400-mile ‘Mother Road’ connected small towns across the Midwest and West with the big cities of Los Angeles and Chicago. With road improvements and the advent of Interstate 40 and Interstate 25 later on, the ease of travel inaugurated a dramatic increase in tourism, with both small and large cities in New Mexico developing their unique tourist attractions.” It was during this time that the Territorial Revival, Pueblo Revival and Art Deco styles were developed.

El Fidel (1920s): according to this website, “Albuquerque’s El Fidel Hotel was erected at the corner of Copper and Fifth in Albuquerque, New Mexico, designed by W. Miles Brittelle as an associate of Trost & Trost. The circa 1920s building stands today, however it has a large addition (1934) and has been remodeled (2014) so none of the Trost design is evident.”

Old Santa Fe Inn (1930s): on their website they write, “its history is quite fascinating, too, beginning at the start of the 1930s. By this point in Santa Fe’s history, the city had started to evolve into a popular holiday destination. Its climate had generated a ton of interest among ordinary Americans, who had begun traveling across the country en masse via… personal automobiles. A robust local tourism industry emerged that created dozens of exciting hotels and resorts. The Galisteo Inn was one of those facilities, hosting all kinds of motorists that had made the long trek along historic Route 66.” The hotel is included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Hotels of America list, along with the La Fonda and La Posada, both also in Santa Fe.

The Murray Hotel in Silver City (1938): after it was opened, the Murray “immediately became known as the standard for Art Deco luxury and elegance in Southwest New Mexico”

El Rancho in Gallup (1937): opened in 1937 along Route 66, “R.E. “Griff” Griffith, brother of legendary movie director D.W. Griffith, built the property after his brother introduced him to Gallup in the early 1930s”

Casas de Suenos in Albuquerque (1938): according to their website, it was, “built in 1938 by famed New Mexican artist and photographer, Joseph Roy (J.R.) Willis.”

Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque (1939): opened in 1939 as a Hilton Hotel, nearby to Central Avenue/Route 66, it went through a major renovation in the early 1980s and was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was renovated again in 2005 and is now part of Hilton’s Curio Collection

Hotel Luna Mystica in Taos (2017): the accommodations at this hotel are all vintage trailers. According to this NPR article, “airstreams bring back memories of the golden days of camping. The iconic trailers have the unmistakable curved aluminum exterior, giving them the nickname ‘the silver bullet.’ Airstreams both old and new are making a comeback — a resurgence fueled by demand for the sleek retro style.”

6 comments

  4. M. B. Goldenberg ran a mercantile business on the south east corner of Main and Third Streets in Tucumcari . In November 1926 Goldenberg announced that he was quitting business. It was this building that was remodeled into a new fifty-room hotel with all the latest conveniences – which became the Hotel Randle. It later became the Conchas Hotel and burned on April 26, 1970. The location is now an office of the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division.

    The Vorenberg Hotel was on the north east corner of Main and Second Streets. The Spanish arches of the Vorenberg remain today. The old Goldenberg Store and the Vorenberg Hotel were not the same building.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=570235191584445&set=gm.3459338561016227&idorvanity=2420152261601534

    Reply

Leave a Reply