Hi Joe ! I am from India & a big fan of your videos. Being a citizen of most populated country in the world, I am so fed up with crowd & chaos here that I can HAPPILY live ALONE in any thinly populated or even abandoned town of America which U usually show in ur videos. I hate modern machine life. I am 48 now & already searching a peaceful place in Hills or even desert for the rest of my life . Earning a lot of money & then one day, dying without living my dream life in tranquility with nature is something I am afraid of . Watching ur videos give me a unique peace of mind. Good Luck & Thanx for the stuff ..❤
To from India. That is why I enjoying watching these videos, it is a nice escape from the idiots and stupidity over here in the us. I drive all week and I need the escape .
Nope, Silver City is not dying. Quite the opposite. I live east of Albuquerque but if I decided to retire elsewhere, it would be down in the Silver City area.
Hurley was a company town. My grandfather worked for the railroad during WWII and raised his family in company housing. The Old Hurley Store was the company store back in the day, and until they could afford a truck after the war and shop in Silver City, that was where Grandma shopped. My father says rationing wasn't as strict for most Hurley families, since they were essential to the war effort. The manager of the company store knew how much my grandmother loved coffee and always found a way to make sure she got some.
My grandparents lived in Hurley. They worked for Kennecott and raised a family there. I haven’t been back to Hurley in 50 years and it saddens me to see how the town has aged. If you use google street view it looks like a third world country. The memories of visiting Grandma’s house when we were kids, I will always hold dear.
Being from Grant County, NM, born & raised this video doesn't do our community justice. Video shows only the areas that are abandoned. The restaraunt in Hurley is called The Patio... some of the best Mexican Cuisine around! The atmosphere inside is phenomenal like walking into an oasis. Live music is awesome! Also sold here is fresh Hatch Green & Red Chiles! It's a mining community and most if the people work for Freeport McMoran. Income is about $23 an hour and up. It's a family oriented community. There's a new park, new elementary school, a really nice swimming pool. Park is usually packed on weekends with families celebrating children's birthday parties. We aren't dying... we are bringing life back to Hurley. But it's fine that you depict our community this way... it keeps the outsiders from trying to move here and change our way of life.
I hear what you say. Some small communities may not want a larger community which will ruin what they have. A case in point was a quiet artist community on the CA central coast. Over the years outsiders discovered it. Now traffic is horrible and only wealthy people can afford to buy a house there.
I grew up in Alamogordo NM. I LOVE hatch green chilies and authentic mexican food. I get my hatch green chilies overnight shipped to me to nc! . I dont mean to be offensive to you or insult you but I moved away from NM yrs ago and I do not miss it. Theres nothing there! Elephant Butte lake used to be a place I would go spend a week back in the 70s when the lake was full. Now T or C and the mostly dried up lake are kind of like these towns Joe is showing us. The democrat government and now the invasion have slowly but surely killed that state and continue to keep me away.I think you are in denial. There are beautiful small towns in the usa and lots of land with lots of rivers and lakes to enjoy. Junky communities full of trash and dilapidated buildings do not make for great communities. You are in your own lil bubble I suppose. Once you get away from run down areas you understand that NM is an undesirable state. Of course the most important thing in a community is a good church with true exposited biblical teaching and that is hard to find in this apostate nation full of blasphemy and idolatry.
Lots of these "touring" channels are into abandonment and dereliction. It makes for dramatic and creepy footage, and foreigners are shocked and Putin loves it. Joe and Nic would have a heyday in my small city in Oregon and dozens of others here. The truth is, thousands of small towns and cities across the country are slowly dying as people migrate to larger population areas. That's where most of the best jobs, schools and medical care are. Truth be told: the only reason I'm still here is my meager SS still barely covers my rent.🫨
In my younger days I was a Professional Rodeo Cowboy, one of my favorite memories is all of the towns we traveled to by automobile across the country. East to west & North to South, best way to see America is through a windshield.
Stayed in my home town, owned a small pizzaria did alright for myself never thought I would move, then a fire in 2018 changed all of that. I was able to find work pretty easy basically anywhere SO I decided to move out west, since then Ive worked for a large travel center that has moved me all over the country Ive been all over now and drove it all. I loved the West Coast but its like drug zombies everywhere, but so beautiful. Midwest is cozy and safe and Washington State is the worst place I think Ive stayed. Need the East coast in my life!
@@JWsGarage I had a chance to move the Carolinas and went to Wisconsin, who knows where this year will bring me! Also Goodbye Carolina by the Marcus King band is a fantsic song, if ya havent.
I live here, 52 years now. Next time, try Jalisco's cafe :) There is a lot more to this town. Next time stop by the City of Rocks, Cat Walk, the Gila National Forest, Pinos Altos cabins :) It's beautiful! We also have a Blue's Festival in June every year that is awesome. Thanks for the video!
@@hughmiller9839 Yes, Silver Cafe's food was so good. I don't think they ever recovered after covid. Love their food though, and the green chile cheese fries at the Grinder Mill! Yum!
Oh, Wow! My Dad grew up in Hurley--my grandfather worked for Kennecott Copper, that operated the Santa Rita Open Pit Copper Mine in the '50s. He always told us silly stories (that were highly exaggerated and not exactly true) about growing up in a mining town! Even though I lived in New Mexico for 50 years, I only drove through Hurley once. The mining company actually owned all of the houses and employees paid rent. When the mine had layoffs, they didn't have to pay rent, so they didn't lose their homes when laid off and were ready to get back to work once the mine was operating again. Silver City is now marketing itself to retirees.
This happens to most of us. I have followed the Russo-Ukraine War so closely that I have a big time-dent in my life. Binging here may have some big rewards, though, esp. if you anticipate a move. I am definitely looking!
I love old towns like these. For everyone enjoying these videos like I am, I can tell you these roads and out-of-the-way places are even more interesting in person. Go take a trip on some two-lane highways in America. Getting off the damn interstate was the best thing my friends and I ever did. The thrift stores and cafes are authentic as hell, considering how Reality TV isn't even close.
@prototropo thank you so much for your comment. I grew up in this area and I absolutely love it and it is so beautiful if you take the time to look around most of the video highlighted, the negative aspects.
@@fionav3840 Oh, Fiona, it's great to meet other people who understand the small towns and lonely highways of the Southwest. I have seen so many tiny, cozy hamlets I love throughout New Mexico, West Texas, Southern Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Southern Utah that I stopped counting the ones I dreamed of living in. I grew up on the outskirts of Denver when it was still undeveloped and mostly ranches. We played in a cottonwood creek and went to school in an old army barracks in a tiny town called Fort Logan. I much prefer the sincerity of a dusty, shady, sometimes creaky little village of 800 to the shiny, sterile suburbs with houses that all look alike and green lawns looking like moat protecting each one. Towns like Ouray, San Luis and Manzanola in Colorado, or Galisteo, Ojo Caliente and Truth or Consequences in NM, Bisbee in AZ, Elko or Tuscarora in Nevada or any town around Big Bend in TX. I actually want to move out of the big city I'm in, but I'm having a hard time deciding where would be best!
The land that time forgot....except for the weed store, LOL. I love the solitude of towns like this. Self-sufficiency is a critical skill, which suits me just fine.
I lived in Hurley from 1957-1968. It was a pretty town then. It was a company town for Kennycott Copper Mine and was opened to the public. My dad owned a service station. Very sad to see how it has gone to seed.
Went to college in Silver City back in the late 90’s. It was a decent little town with a pretty tight knit student body. There was a bit of drug trafficking and gang related activity that we were mostly insulated from on campus. Back then, we had three movie theaters running in that town. The two downtown theaters plus one newer one on the eastern end of town that was a two-screen affair. While the new theater had the best seating and sound system, the old theaters had college student discounts, so you could see a movie for like $3. I worked off and on for a downtown business, and I took the woman that would eventually be my wife on our first date to a restaurant downtown that I can’t recall the name of, but it was aimed at the art-buying community that used to be there and was almost more than I could afford. Ah, good times.
I moved to New Mexico because its devoid of population_ i live in a remote mountain town and absolutely love it_ even have to cook all my meals at home bcuz theres hardly no places to eat out_ again, I love it_ no crime_ no thumping stereos_ its cold most of the time_ I love it_ no jobs = less people = less A-holes to deal with_ I love it
I really like the architecture and antiquated buildings in this town. It’s bigger than most you’ve gone through. It’s very colorful & charming. That salad looks so good!
Joe and Nic, I grew up in Bayard and Silver City and you guys drove right by were I used to live in Bayard. But in all your info you didn't mention that Santa Rita ( the reason Bayard) just north of Bayard mined Copper from the 1950s and took it by train to Hurley to be Smelted into copper bars to make all kinds of things out of copper.everything front Copper electric wire to maybe even U.S. Copper Pennys . There used to be Smelter Smoke stacks that you could see from Hwy 180. My grandfather helped build the smoke stacks No longer there. It was neat to see my old stomping grounds. Thank you for going through the mountain towns of NM .
German here. 🇩🇪 Thank you for the very interesting videos. I have now also moved from a very large city to a very small, quiet town. Best decision of my life. Tranquillity and nature. A pleasure... And no crazy people. Maybe just a bit stubborn. 😂
Ich finde diese Möglichkeit, in die US amerikanische Provinz Einblick zu bekommen, sehr interessant und bin echt dankbar dafür, ich verfolge Joe's Videos schon eine ganze Weile. Bin übrigens auch gerade von Berlin in die Provinz gezogen, ist tatsächlich besser so. Gruß aus der Lausitz.
Joe, you are in my neck of the woods. Hurley and Bayard in my day was home to miners who worked for Kennecott Copper. My Dad was a Supervisor. It's too bad the weather did not allow views of the Kneeling Nun on the mountain you were looking at. When the mines enlarged the mines at the foot of this mountain they were not allowed to touch the statue as she is considered sacred. I am from Silver City. My Dad is buried at Ft Bayard. Ft Bayard used to house house military men at its hospital. I really miss my old town. It has turned into an artist enclave. I am not impressed but such is life. I so enjoy your adventures and colorful descriptions 😂. Be good to NM. Joe roadside memorials are traditional in the area. I just saw your Big Ditch shot.. I hope you and Nic eat some of the great Mexican food!!!! Main Street is still booming. Lots of ranching people frequent Silver City. That is the original Gila Theater. I saw many a movie. I hope you went to a real Mexican restaurant and had real NM dinner. ❤
A real Mexican resturant is a treat. I go to Tucson (or in the vicinity: I'm in fake AZ) for real Mex. Even there you can run across junky Mexican food but they don't last too long. YOur lunch looks wonderful, but I live in the real world and nearly $50 for two is out of reach except for maybe twice a yr.
My dad's family was from Grant County. He grew up in Hurley and Silver City. His family went way back in Grant County. His great grandpa got killed in Central in a gambling dispute. The bar where he got killed was still there when I was there, and I went there a couple of times. But didn't gamble. I think that's called Santa Clara now. His grandpa had an apple orchard in the Mimbres. Not on the disputed land grant land. He used to trade a little with the Apaches. Another grandfather was an independent miner, and his grandmother was a business woman who started a dairy and a store way back when. That grandfather sold one of his claims to Kennecot for too cheap, since he was no good at business. Dad's dad, cousins and uncles worked for the mine, and lived in the company housing in Hurley. Dad and Mom moved back to Silver City after he retired from the Air Force. I worked for Kennecot, and so did Mom. On the other side of town, in Tyrone was the Phelps Dodge mine. I lived in Silver City for years, then moved to different parts of NM, but I'm very familiar with Silver City and the towns in the Arenas Valley, Pinos Altos and the whole area. I used to cut wood, fish and hunt turkeys around there. My husband and his family were also from Hurley. I still have lots of cousins in the area. Although you didn't get into the real feel of the place or the history, it was neat seeing your video, since I haven't been back in years.
My wife and i toured all over new mexico back in '92 when gas was far cheaper. I ll always remember the little town called magdalina and the lady on the mountain motel. Normally a quiet little town but a rodeo was going on that weekend and the town was bustling! We loved that state and its scenic beauty!😊 Sure beat the traffic and congestion of Tampa where we live!
Thank you for the video, Joe! "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" is a Sam Peckinpah movie from 1973. Bob Dylan acts in it, if you can believe it. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" was originally recorded for that one.
Hey, I wrote an almost identical response having not seen yours. Looks like at least two of us are hip and happening, right? Dylan was my main reason for seeing the movie, though I'm also a Billy the Kid "fan". Ain't it just like the night when you're trying your best to be so quiet?
What I find so freaky with all your videos is the lack of people on the street. Nobody walking to work, no kids on bikes or in the yard, no older folks sauntering and no one sitting on their porches or in the yard. So strange. I grew up in a small town in Vermont and remember to find dozens of folks walking downtown. It's changed a bit, but there's still far more people walking around today than in the vast majority of your videos. And, it doesn't seem to matter where you travel in the U.S. Love your videos and especially the commentary!!
Interesting mining region with a history that goes back a couple hundred years, Silver City lies about halfway between two HUGE open pit mines producing copper, silver and some gold.
Another great video. Thanks. What struck me about the first three towns was the complete absence of any standout architecture. No interesting old banks or schools, no big old houses. These places were a struggle from the get go and never really had a lot of money floating around.
Hurley was employee homes when Kennecott Mine company was there. They closed operations in 2002. The smelter and all mine buildings were torn down in 2005. Santa Clara used to be named Santa Rita. It was just a community of mine workers. In the communities prime Hurley was where the white mine workers lived, Santa Rita, Now Santa Clara, was Mexican. Bayard was housing for mine workers, never had any industry or mining. There are lots of small towns that are now vacant in the area. Left over from when a lot of mining was going on. Silver City was where all the business in the county happened. And all the higher paid mine employees lived there. Now the University students keep the revenue up along with the small businesses that are the towns only industry now. I lived in Silver City for 20 years. My wife was the city clerk in Silver City for 15 years.
Santa Clara was "Central", not "Santa Rita". The Santa Rita townsite was lost to the expansion of the open pit mine. Those that were born at Santa Rita are said to be "Born in Space". But yes, I remember the 'Moyers' name...
The weather on a particular day greatly influences how people perceive these places. If it were nice spring weather in Silver City rather than a bleak and chilly January day people would be enthusing about what a quaint and cheerful place it is.
Silver City, Grant County, New Mexico along with the Western New Mexico University was my childhood hometown. I lived 1960-63, while my father graduated from college after a career as an Army Officer. I loved it there, great memories of attending grade school, lots of friends, Baptist Church, Royal Ambassadors, Boy Scouts. Learned to ride a bicycle, horses, camping, fishing, hiking, looking at movies at the Gila movie theater, swimming in the university pool, attended live performances at the college, reading books in the university library. Just too many things, I learned about life, I would have to write a book to explain all the wonderous thing a young boy experienced there. Starts at time stamp 20:50 minutes in this video. Dylan Taylor, I know you have pulled some gigs of performing your music there.
My daughter lives in Carlsbad and we spent 5 days in Silver City during deer season. I thought it was a lovely town. Lots of history and of course the stunning mountains. The little town had everything any reasonable person could need. Also Montezuma quail!
The last one Silver City was very colorful. If you didn't know your way around you could always tell people the house with the green roof or the blue poles. lol How fun. Thanks for sharing and have a great day and safe travels.
Very good video. These wonderful little towns are a treasured memory for those that lived there. They didn’t “die” because they failed in any way. They were little villages of good and hard working people. But times change. Economic opportunity expands for a people who are good. So much of the population left for greener pastures. But I know that they hold their memories of these “dying towns” as very precious indeed. However Silver City is very much a live. It is a beautiful place. It may very well “rise again”
I moved from outside of Philadelphia to New mexico. It feels like a third world down here . But not ever town is like the ones you are showcasing. To me, it's where the desert meets the mountains. I find solitude in New mexico. There is a lot of public land and elbow room. The wildlife is about diverse as you can get. Plus, I get the sence parts of New mexico is still 40 years behind. As someone who is retired. Is cheep and warm with great Mexican food. With a ton of elbow room .It's hard to beat
Thanks for showing this. First three towns seem fairly good: quiet, ordinary; no millionaires. Poverty doesn't usually mean squalor, as I know well. The towns could use things, like paint & permaculture, a boost in aesthetics, food gardens. Fine places to start small-home communities, I bet. Good biking options for low car use. Yes, pretty good. BTW: in the southwest, those roadside commemoratives are for people killed in car or bike accidents. There are many of these, even in Tucson.
I lived just over the mountain there between Bayard and Hanover. We mined with the Groundhog mine in Vanadium. That mine closed in '82. We then went to the Casa Grande mine in Arizona. You missed the smelters in Hurley. They were taken down. They were a landmark that you were close to home when. Coming in from Deming.
If you ever cover northeast New Mexico mountain towns, try Raton. Just on the border of CO. Beautiful town sitting right at the base of the Rockies, overlooking the plains. Very 1950/60's oriented. I recommend taking a drive downtown after 9pm. The downtown is brightly lit by dozens of old park-esque streetlights, but abandoned. You'll feel like you're in a Twilight Zone episode.
The best things about New Mexico is the altitude and absence of people. If you just want to be left alone this is the place but you have to be prepared to travel long distances for everything.
As a resident of NM, I've been to Silver City a few times. Stayed at the hotel where the mural is located you showed when 1st showing the city. Enjoyed the Billy the Kid video too. I've only driven thru Fort Sumner. This is the 2nd video I've watched. Will check out more.
The one thing that is nice about New Mexico is it has never been the nation's hot spot or the nation's cold spot. Here in Arizona we have had that privilege, both on the same day. Snow ski on Mt. Humphrey in Flagstaff in the morning then go water skiing on Saguaro Lake in the afternoon.
Always think of New Mexico as 100°C scorching hot barren desert, not grey skies & pouring rain. Them communities certainly look cut off & remote though, I like that you're doing these really remote locations though. Got to wonder what they actually do for work & money as doesn't seem to be any industry or even farming 🤔
Lots of them are probably on some sort of disability or retirement which would explain the 65+ poverty rates being so much lower than the other demographics. That, or the basic side jobs like a gas station or a home boutique or something. Get those a lot in rural places.
Northern New Mexico has a lot of high elevation alpine green forests. If you hike up into the mountains you can find alpine lakes and you would swear you were in the Alps of Europe. In fact just about 50 miles north of Hurley NM is the Gila National Forest which is a 3 million acre pine forest. Not hot desert at all.
There's a huge copper mine nearby that provides some jobs. There's a Wal-Mart, a hospital and some hotels in nearby Silver City which has a population of about 9,000. Definitely a poor area.
Some of these ghost towns in or near the mountains used to have nearby mines (gold, silver, copper, ...). As already mentioned, I guess the large Santa Rita copper mine supports some of these small towns. In other parts of NM, there are oil/natural gas wells. Once you get to know your way around, New Mexico has a good deal of diverse scenery to enjoy and photograph.
Plenty of free parking. Please don't tell anyone about these "remote" towns. You can get anything you want in Silver City---as long as it's at Walmart.
If you ever make it to San Antonio NM, visit the Owl Bar and try the green chili cheese burger. Its a quintessential dive bar that makes a fantastic burger. Nothing beats visiting on a hot day and enjoying an ice cold beer and a burger. Fantastic!!
that is a great place! Bosque, I mean. We just visited there for the second time last year. Almost more photographers than birds, ha,ha. @@davidgraham9341
For the most part those towns look like whatever was brought in is still there. When its usefulness was over it was just tossed in the yards. Bayard has pretty street light posts. 50 years ago, I loved the Gila Cliff Dwellings near Silver City in January! I hope ya'll ventured up there. Thanks Joe and NIcole. It's been a pleasure to have you visit over morning coffee and do a little reminiscing..
I was traveling across country and went on a hike with my husband to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. We got sort of separated and as I was waiting for him, I saw puff after puff of what I thought was smoke. It was something I have never seen before or after. It was the release of spores from the evergreen trees, puff after puff. We went on to the top where there was a ranger. She had to leave because of an asthma attack brought on by those spores. First and last time I ever saw that happen. Beautiful place.
We were once visiting the Cliff Dwellings. I saw what I thought was smoke. It turned out to be the release of pollen from the pine trees. It was a once in a lifetime experience. The ranger was affected by the pollen and had an allergic reaction and had to leave. It's a beautiful area. Silver City is a nice town.
If you stay in the Silver City area visit the old military Fort Bayard, interesting old historic buildings a large grass areas with plakes all around giving a short history of the area. Also I may have been down there but Columbus,NM has a interesting history you may be interested, unfortunately I was there two weeks ago @ 6:00pm on Sunday so the tourists office was closed, very lonely road.
I love Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ever since I was a kid, my family and I would travel from Los Angeles to El Paso, and Marfa Texas to see both of my grandmothers. We would stop in Las Cruces to eat. Man! I loved it back then with all the Mountain Views of the Organ Mountains. Now I am 67 years old, and I see how much it has grown. Love the new house's they are building and pretty cheap for what you get. California is getting way too expensive to live. I am looking for a vacation home to retire and enjoy in during the summer season. Love it!
Heh - Silver City and Santa Clara have a Dollar General. Bayard, Santa Clara, and Silver City have Family Dollar stores. Hurley (being very small) is the only featured location in this video that has neither.
Thank you for this wonderful video. It brings back a lot of memories. Back in the day after I finished college, I worked for a public accounting firm in Phoenix that did the audits of the Chino Copper Mine in Santa Rita, NM. We would fly out of Phoenix in a twin-engine Cessna and land at the Grant County Airport in Hurley. Back then there was no airport building. The airport was just a concrete strip in the middle of a field. I've driven many of the roads shown in your video. There's a certain enchanting quality to southwestern New Mexico. Maybe one of these days when I retire, I'll move to Silver City.
Whenever you do Clayton NM make sure to visit Kenton OK it is home to the highest point in Oklahoma and it’s the only town in the entire state that runs on mountain time.
I love Kenton and all the history of that whole area. I lived in Clayton and Raton for a few years for work. There is a tour that Folsom museum puts on that starts is Folsom and ends in Kenton. Great tour.
Want to add that I appreciated your on-foot exploration of Silver City. Got a more personal sense of the place, and you could tell the locals cared about their town.
I moved back to NM recently and I love seeing your videos of this place. I will have to go to some of these ghost town to see them for myself, I find them interesting.
I like to ponder moving to a place like @20:27 . It would help me in my pondering if you could, along with the vital statistics, include the distance to the nearest 1, 2, 3 towns/centers/cities where you can buy all the stuff you can't get here. Building supplies, pharmacy, medical services, banks, autoparts, car sales, restaurants, Big W store, etc. I once lived in a town where we collected most of our supplies from three communities about an hour: north, south and east of home. Also two larger cities at two hours. One south, one northeast. After a while I only thought of my little town as a suburb of the other 5 communities.
This set of stops was especially interesting and new to me, I have never seen towns like these before. I sort of feel like when I'm forced to retire, only about eight years out, I'd kind of like to move there. This was a really interesting and fun video, thanks!
I love your "dying towns" videos. I would love to see some of "prosperous towns" in the middle of nowhere, with a 2,000 or less population. That would be quite a contrast!
Any place that has a national park or tourist destination or extreme scenery there is a recipe for thriving at that size and remoteness, like the person above said, Mariposa and other national park gateway towns are thriving but just because of the tourism
These are called ski towns. Unless you're one of the wealthy guests it's just poverty with a view. Really nice buildings with no blight but most of your salary goes to rent and cost of living. Why I no longer live in a ski town.
Mahalo Joe & Nick for showing me how much the United States of America is actually dying in more ways than one. Very sad. Even places like Buffalo New York, I never expected that place to be dying that caught me by surprise. Aloha ke akua!
These places are dying bc they don't have enough jobs or things to do. America overall is still growing like crazy. Most people can't afford to live in a town where there are no jobs and not much to do.
I worked as an EMS helicopter pilot in Truth or Consequences, NM, just east of Hurley & north of Las Cruces, along the I-25 freeway. It looks just like this video.
This one started out bleak but finished very nice. Silver city was colorful and had nice buildings. In spite of the rain you still made a very good video. Thanks again.
First of all, thank you, for featuring the land of enchantment! I love this area anyone that is interested in the history of Hurley should watch the movie “salt of the Earth” Which told the story of the minor strike in New Mexico from a pro union standpoint. The film was denounced is subversive, and Will Greer was blacklisted as a result. I must see near Hurley. Just a short ride south is the Faywood Hot Springs. They are absolutely amazing! Also, the most interesting and unique city of rocks is nearby. take the time to enjoy New Mexico. It truly is the land of enchantment!
While looking for a possible place to retire back in 1993 we gave Silver City a quick look. It was on many a retirees check list and since then the place has grown. We have ended up in the NW.
I grew up in the little town 5 miles away. These towns are essential to the area. There is a huge copper mine ran by Freeport McMoran. Most people who live in the county (Grant County, NM) work at that mine or for the rail road. A lot of people in those towns are not poor and some are. The small town isn't for me. I moved from there 14 years ago. Generation after generation, my family has worked at the mine. I wanted more after college. The town is not dying, it's always looked like that. Lol. 90% of people that live their own their homes already.
At 4:17 the house on the right across from the chino club was my grandmas old house we usto go across the street every day and swim every summer!!! How cool
Seems like every other Bruce Springsteen song has been about this decline for a long time. Between this kind of thing and the ghettos in big cities, it's all a little sad to see.
In Europe the towns have institutions / school, hospital, church, court, museum, library, cinema, municipaliti building ect./ without those institutions there are villages. In this series we see villages rather than towns.
I love these old towns.And I remember thirty forty fifty years ago when they were absolutely beautiful. I think a lot of the younger folks just don't want to hang around. Then again for a while property values went skyrocketing.
Thanks for another very interesting video. I can never get over that even in the smallest towns you visit they all still have a post office, over here in the U.K. they are closing them.
Great video! Love how the bank was converted to a dispensary in Hurley😂. Love the scenic views! Agree it is like the land time forgot. Love the mural on the garage next to the FD in Santa Clara. Silver City looks nice. Love the mural. Looking forward to your CA adventures!
I grew up in each one of the areas you showed family in each town you shared with us. I don’t really go back much. When I do it’s to visit what family remains and to go camping and hiking.
We just drove through Rincon and Hatch last month. I worked there in the produce in 1980-81. We were going to Silver City but decided to head back to Arizona early. Now I wish we would have gone up the mountain. Thanks.
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Hi Joe ! I am from India & a big fan of your videos. Being a citizen of most populated country in the world, I am so fed up with crowd & chaos here that I can HAPPILY live ALONE in any thinly populated or even abandoned town of America which U usually show in ur videos. I hate modern machine life. I am 48 now & already searching a peaceful place in Hills or even desert for the rest of my life . Earning a lot of money & then one day, dying without living my dream life in tranquility with nature is something I am afraid of . Watching ur videos give me a unique peace of mind. Good Luck & Thanx for the stuff ..❤
Thank you!
Lol but you know you can't leave now
So true , i like how you said that ....... a unique peace of mind.
That serenity won't last long for them - they're heading into California!
To from India. That is why I enjoying watching these videos, it is a nice escape from the idiots and stupidity over here in the us. I drive all week and I need the escape .
I never thought of Silver City as a dying town. There are some fantastic places to eat there and a thriving art scene.
As said, the population is lower than 30 years ago - but it's not dying.
Nope, Silver City is not dying. Quite the opposite. I live east of Albuquerque but if I decided to retire elsewhere, it would be down in the Silver City area.
Well he did start the tour in Hurley, which by comparison is one of the smallest towns in the immediate area.
@@IBM_MuseumTotally disagree... thriving population too bad they are all coming from California.
@@michellehernandez3676 question how do you know they are all from California? Did you ask them?
Hurley was a company town. My grandfather worked for the railroad during WWII and raised his family in company housing. The Old Hurley Store was the company store back in the day, and until they could afford a truck after the war and shop in Silver City, that was where Grandma shopped. My father says rationing wasn't as strict for most Hurley families, since they were essential to the war effort. The manager of the company store knew how much my grandmother loved coffee and always found a way to make sure she got some.
My grandparents lived in Hurley. They worked for Kennecott and raised a family there. I haven’t been back to Hurley in 50 years and it saddens me to see how the town has aged. If you use google street view it looks like a third world country. The memories of visiting Grandma’s house when we were kids, I will always hold dear.
Being from Grant County, NM, born & raised this video doesn't do our community justice. Video shows only the areas that are abandoned. The restaraunt in Hurley is called The Patio... some of the best Mexican Cuisine around! The atmosphere inside is phenomenal like walking into an oasis. Live music is awesome! Also sold here is fresh Hatch Green & Red Chiles! It's a mining community and most if the people work for Freeport McMoran. Income is about $23 an hour and up. It's a family oriented community. There's a new park, new elementary school, a really nice swimming pool. Park is usually packed on weekends with families celebrating children's birthday parties. We aren't dying... we are bringing life back to Hurley. But it's fine that you depict our community this way... it keeps the outsiders from trying to move here and change our way of life.
I agree! i grew up on C street in Hurley and he did our town no justice!
I hear what you say. Some small communities may not want a larger community which will ruin what they have.
A case in point was a quiet artist community on the CA central coast.
Over the years outsiders discovered it. Now traffic is horrible and only wealthy people can afford to buy a house there.
I grew up in Alamogordo NM. I LOVE hatch green chilies and authentic mexican food. I get my hatch green chilies overnight shipped to me to nc! . I dont mean to be offensive to you or insult you but I moved away from NM yrs ago and I do not miss it. Theres nothing there! Elephant Butte lake used to be a place I would go spend a week back in the 70s when the lake was full. Now T or C and the mostly dried up lake are kind of like these towns Joe is showing us. The democrat government and now the invasion have slowly but surely killed that state and continue to keep me away.I think you are in denial. There are beautiful small towns in the usa and lots of land with lots of rivers and lakes to enjoy. Junky communities full of trash and dilapidated buildings do not make for great communities. You are in your own lil bubble I suppose. Once you get away from run down areas you understand that NM is an undesirable state. Of course the most important thing in a community is a good church with true exposited biblical teaching and that is hard to find in this apostate nation full of blasphemy and idolatry.
@@gigiis526but you don't mean to be offensive or insulting. 🙄
Lots of these "touring" channels are into abandonment and dereliction. It makes for dramatic and creepy footage, and foreigners are shocked and Putin loves it. Joe and Nic would have a heyday in my small city in Oregon and dozens of others here. The truth is, thousands of small towns and cities across the country are slowly dying as people migrate to larger population areas. That's where most of the best jobs, schools and medical care are. Truth be told: the only reason I'm still here is my meager SS still barely covers my rent.🫨
In my younger days I was a Professional Rodeo Cowboy, one of my favorite memories is all of the towns we traveled to by automobile across the country. East to west & North to South, best way to see America is through a windshield.
Stayed in my home town, owned a small pizzaria did alright for myself never thought I would move, then a fire in 2018 changed all of that. I was able to find work pretty easy basically anywhere SO I decided to move out west, since then Ive worked for a large travel center that has moved me all over the country Ive been all over now and drove it all. I loved the West Coast but its like drug zombies everywhere, but so beautiful. Midwest is cozy and safe and Washington State is the worst place I think Ive stayed. Need the East coast in my life!
@@Belvedere1981What travel center was that? I'd like to get paid to travel. Any suggestions?
@@Belvedere1981 definitely something special about the eastern seaboard, loved the Carolinas in particular myself.
@@JWsGarage I had a chance to move the Carolinas and went to Wisconsin, who knows where this year will bring me! Also Goodbye Carolina by the Marcus King band is a fantsic song, if ya havent.
True that JW
I live here, 52 years now. Next time, try Jalisco's cafe :) There is a lot more to this town. Next time stop by the City of Rocks, Cat Walk, the Gila National Forest, Pinos Altos cabins :) It's beautiful! We also have a Blue's Festival in June every year that is awesome. Thanks for the video!
I lived in Silver for roughly a year. I remember Jaliscos being so good! I also loved the burgers at Silver Cafe, but I think they closed down though
@@hughmiller9839 Yes, Silver Cafe's food was so good. I don't think they ever recovered after covid. Love their food though, and the green chile cheese fries at the Grinder Mill! Yum!
I think we need to keep these sites a secret. We like it just like it is. ❤️
I'd suggest they keep driving to Texas. 🤠
Colts '91? 🧐
My Army Buddy passed away 2 years ago. His funeral was held in the Infant Jesus Catholic Church in Hurley. Rest easy Soldier 😢
I thank him for his service
@@jettgjr31 Thank you. He was a great guy that loved his country and family.
Who cares
Just lost my last Military friend. Boy it is hard! So sorry for your loss.
Sorry you lost your buddy. Was good of you to mention him
Oh, Wow! My Dad grew up in Hurley--my grandfather worked for Kennecott Copper, that operated the Santa Rita Open Pit Copper Mine in the '50s. He always told us silly stories (that were highly exaggerated and not exactly true) about growing up in a mining town! Even though I lived in New Mexico for 50 years, I only drove through Hurley once. The mining company actually owned all of the houses and employees paid rent. When the mine had layoffs, they didn't have to pay rent, so they didn't lose their homes when laid off and were ready to get back to work once the mine was operating again. Silver City is now marketing itself to retirees.
I found this channel the other day and now my life sucks cause Ive been binge watching these instead of getting enough sleep.
Thanks! :)
lol
This happens to most of us. I have followed the Russo-Ukraine War so closely that I have a big time-dent in my life. Binging here may have some big rewards, though, esp. if you anticipate a move. I am definitely looking!
I love old towns like these. For everyone enjoying these videos like I am, I can tell you these roads and out-of-the-way places are even more interesting in person. Go take a trip on some two-lane highways in America. Getting off the damn interstate was the best thing my friends and I ever did. The thrift stores and cafes are authentic as hell, considering how Reality TV isn't even close.
@prototropo thank you so much for your comment. I grew up in this area and I absolutely love it and it is so beautiful if you take the time to look around most of the video highlighted, the negative aspects.
@@fionav3840 Oh, Fiona, it's great to meet other people who understand the small towns and lonely highways of the Southwest. I have seen so many tiny, cozy hamlets I love throughout New Mexico, West Texas, Southern Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Southern Utah that I stopped counting the ones I dreamed of living in. I grew up on the outskirts of Denver when it was still undeveloped and mostly ranches. We played in a cottonwood creek and went to school in an old army barracks in a tiny town called Fort Logan. I much prefer the sincerity of a dusty, shady, sometimes creaky little village of 800 to the shiny, sterile suburbs with houses that all look alike and green lawns looking like moat protecting each one.
Towns like Ouray, San Luis and Manzanola in Colorado, or Galisteo, Ojo Caliente and Truth or Consequences in NM, Bisbee in AZ, Elko or Tuscarora in Nevada or any town around Big Bend in TX. I actually want to move out of the big city I'm in, but I'm having a hard time deciding where would be best!
Silver City is a vibrant arts community!! The downtown area is full of wonderful art galleries🍦🖼️🖌️💥
Yea, Silver City is a destination. Such a wonderful town.
Finally! You mentioned that it's a college town! WNMU! Largest collection of Mimbres Pottery in the world!
The land that time forgot....except for the weed store, LOL. I love the solitude of towns like this. Self-sufficiency is a critical skill, which suits me just fine.
THANKS, JOE!😁👍 For your HARD WORK to bring us areas we've never been to nor know about. YOU are our traveling guru! GOD BLESS YOU DEAR SOUL! 🙏🏻😁👍
I lived in Hurley from 1957-1968. It was a pretty town then. It was a company town for Kennycott Copper Mine and was opened to the public. My dad owned a service station. Very sad to see how it has gone to seed.
I lived in that town 40 years. My husband worked on the Sants Fe Railroad. My kids grew up there.
Which town? He mentioned more than one
Related to April?
You failed to mention the most outstanding thing about Silver City. The drive from El Paso takes you through the Gila National Forest. Breathtaking.
That's exactly what I was going to say. Which is the first Federally recognized National Forest which is famous for the ancient cave dwellings
Went to college in Silver City back in the late 90’s. It was a decent little town with a pretty tight knit student body. There was a bit of drug trafficking and gang related activity that we were mostly insulated from on campus. Back then, we had three movie theaters running in that town. The two downtown theaters plus one newer one on the eastern end of town that was a two-screen affair.
While the new theater had the best seating and sound system, the old theaters had college student discounts, so you could see a movie for like $3.
I worked off and on for a downtown business, and I took the woman that would eventually be my wife on our first date to a restaurant downtown that I can’t recall the name of, but it was aimed at the art-buying community that used to be there and was almost more than I could afford.
Ah, good times.
I moved to New Mexico because its devoid of population_ i live in a remote mountain town and absolutely love it_ even have to cook all my meals at home bcuz theres hardly no places to eat out_ again, I love it_ no crime_ no thumping stereos_ its cold most of the time_ I love it_ no jobs = less people = less A-holes to deal with_ I love it
I really like the architecture and antiquated buildings in this town. It’s bigger than most you’ve gone through. It’s very colorful & charming. That salad looks so good!
New Mexico is awesome!❤❤❤
My Mother lives in Hurley and loves it there. Great video.
Joe and Nic, I grew up in Bayard and Silver City and you guys drove right by were I used to live in Bayard. But in all your info you didn't mention that Santa Rita ( the reason Bayard) just north of Bayard mined Copper from the 1950s and took it by train to Hurley to be Smelted into copper bars to make all kinds of things out of copper.everything front Copper electric wire to maybe even U.S. Copper Pennys . There used to be Smelter Smoke stacks that you could see from Hwy 180. My grandfather helped build the smoke stacks No longer there. It was neat to see my old stomping grounds. Thank you for going through the mountain towns of NM .
German here. 🇩🇪 Thank you for the very interesting videos. I have now also moved from a very large city to a very small, quiet town.
Best decision of my life.
Tranquillity and nature.
A pleasure...
And no crazy people.
Maybe just a bit stubborn. 😂
Ich finde diese Möglichkeit, in die US amerikanische Provinz Einblick zu bekommen, sehr interessant und bin echt dankbar dafür, ich verfolge Joe's Videos schon eine ganze Weile. Bin übrigens auch gerade von Berlin in die Provinz gezogen, ist tatsächlich besser so. Gruß aus der Lausitz.
hello ! from Port Angeles Wa.
Die falsche Seite hat den Krieg gewonnen. Es ist absolut klar und eindeutig.
in germany yes. even in small town in germany you have high speed train to any big city. but not in this rural area in usa
Well said
Every now and then I have to thank you for your interesting videos. Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹
Thank you for watching!
Thank you for my first chuckle of the day..."this door is purple, don't you think"😀😀 Enjoy all your postings...interesting and informative.
Thank you!
Watch out for the Purple People Eaters.
And then he made a correlation between having a University in town and high property crime! I didn't know whether to chuckle or scratch my head?
Sorry but it looks Lavender to me.
😊😊
Joe, you are in my neck of the woods. Hurley and Bayard in my day was home to miners who worked for Kennecott Copper. My Dad was a Supervisor. It's too bad the weather did not allow views of the Kneeling Nun on the mountain you were looking at. When the mines enlarged the mines at the foot of this mountain they were not allowed to touch the statue as she is considered sacred. I am from Silver City. My Dad is buried at Ft Bayard. Ft Bayard used to house house military men at its hospital. I really miss my old town. It has turned into an artist enclave. I am not impressed but such is life. I so enjoy your adventures and colorful descriptions 😂. Be good to NM. Joe roadside memorials are traditional in the area. I just saw your Big Ditch shot.. I hope you and Nic eat some of the great Mexican food!!!! Main Street is still booming. Lots of ranching people frequent Silver City. That is the original Gila Theater. I saw many a movie. I hope you went to a real Mexican restaurant and had real NM dinner. ❤
A real Mexican resturant is a treat. I go to Tucson (or in the vicinity: I'm in fake AZ) for real Mex. Even there you can run across junky Mexican food but they don't last too long. YOur lunch looks wonderful, but I live in the real world and nearly $50 for two is out of reach except for maybe twice a yr.
Nothing is more depressing than a artist enclave. Its the death nell of any society
Plus 9 out of 10 are lazy and their art sucks
Im in New Mexico.....where can i find Good mexican food ?? Lol.
@@Bizarreparade 100! it's ruined parts of this town for sure!
My dad's family was from Grant County. He grew up in Hurley and Silver City. His family went way back in Grant County. His great grandpa got killed in Central in a gambling dispute. The bar where he got killed was still there when I was there, and I went there a couple of times. But didn't gamble. I think that's called Santa Clara now. His grandpa had an apple orchard in the Mimbres. Not on the disputed land grant land. He used to trade a little with the Apaches. Another grandfather was an independent miner, and his grandmother was a business woman who started a dairy and a store way back when. That grandfather sold one of his claims to Kennecot for too cheap, since he was no good at business. Dad's dad, cousins and uncles worked for the mine, and lived in the company housing in Hurley. Dad and Mom moved back to Silver City after he retired from the Air Force. I worked for Kennecot, and so did Mom. On the other side of town, in Tyrone was the Phelps Dodge mine. I lived in Silver City for years, then moved to different parts of NM, but I'm very familiar with Silver City and the towns in the Arenas Valley, Pinos Altos and the whole area. I used to cut wood, fish and hunt turkeys around there. My husband and his family were also from Hurley. I still have lots of cousins in the area. Although you didn't get into the real feel of the place or the history, it was neat seeing your video, since I haven't been back in years.
My wife and i toured all over new mexico back in '92 when gas was far cheaper. I ll always remember the little town called magdalina and the lady on the mountain motel. Normally a quiet little town but a rodeo was going on that weekend and the town was bustling! We loved that state and its scenic beauty!😊 Sure beat the traffic and congestion of Tampa where we live!
Magdalena...
THEY HAVE THE BEST RESTAURANT THERE. we stopped on the way to the very fine array.
@@thereseshine7506 we ate there too. It was the only one in town at the time. It was great and sure beat going all the way to Siccora!😁
@geralderdek282 We moved to Alamogordo, NM, in October from St. Petersburg, FL. We love it here. Thank you for your videos of NM.
Magdalena is a neat little town, my in-laws retired there.
Thank you for the video, Joe! "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" is a Sam Peckinpah movie from 1973. Bob Dylan acts in it, if you can believe it. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" was originally recorded for that one.
Hey, I wrote an almost identical response having not seen yours. Looks like at least two of us are hip and happening, right? Dylan was my main reason for seeing the movie, though I'm also a Billy the Kid "fan". Ain't it just like the night when you're trying your best to be so quiet?
@@DanEvans-yb6wk
Lyrics
Mama take this badge from me
I can't use it anymore
It's getting dark too dark to see
Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, eh yeah
Ooh, oh, oh yeah
Oh yeah
Mama put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore
That cold black cloud is comin' down
Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, oh yeah
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, eh, eh yeah
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Hey, hey, hey, yeah (knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door)
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Ooh, yeah (knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door)
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
(Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door)
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
(Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door)
Whoa-whoa, yeah
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, oh yeah
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on heaven's door, wow oh yeah
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bob Dylan
Knockin' On Heaven's Door lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
One of my favorite songs of all times.
I live in NM, Alamogordo about 33,000. I love it and the area. Friendly people. I've lived in smaller towns and larger cities. Grew up in Los Angeles, Bay Area, Lake Tahoe, Rural Iowa, Rural Oregon, Rural Montana. I made 7 trips to NM before deciding to retire here, love it. I chose a slightly larger place for several reasons, health care, large and good hospital half, mile from home, close in shopping, and house pricing. 1500 sq ft bought in late 2018 97,300 in a nice neighborhood, quiet, friendly people. NM is awesome!
Love these small, old towns and the things you show us!
What I find so freaky with all your videos is the lack of people on the street. Nobody walking to work, no kids on bikes or in the yard, no older folks sauntering and no one sitting on their porches or in the yard. So strange. I grew up in a small town in Vermont and remember to find dozens of folks walking downtown. It's changed a bit, but there's still far more people walking around today than in the vast majority of your videos. And, it doesn't seem to matter where you travel in the U.S. Love your videos and especially the commentary!!
Cold and rainy .
Had good friends live in Silver City. Great place. The Gila mountains are amazing
There are no such thing as the Gila mountains.
Interesting mining region with a history that goes back a couple hundred years, Silver City lies about halfway between two HUGE open pit mines producing copper, silver and some gold.
Silver city is beautiful. Went there to visit the cliff dwellings and ended up staying a week longer than i planned
I live north of silver city . Beautiful area
Another great video. Thanks. What struck me about the first three towns was the complete absence of any standout architecture. No interesting old banks or schools, no big old houses. These places were a struggle from the get go and never really had a lot of money floating around.
Money isn't everything. Our state is rich in culture and history.
That the "Mining District" - Most of the employment is from the open pit copper mine.
Hurley was employee homes when Kennecott Mine company was there. They closed operations in 2002. The smelter and all mine buildings were torn down in 2005.
Santa Clara used to be named Santa Rita. It was just a community of mine workers.
In the communities prime Hurley was where the white mine workers lived, Santa Rita, Now Santa Clara, was Mexican.
Bayard was housing for mine workers, never had any industry or mining.
There are lots of small towns that are now vacant in the area. Left over from when a lot of mining was going on.
Silver City was where all the business in the county happened. And all the higher paid mine employees lived there. Now the University students keep the revenue up along with the small businesses that are the towns only industry now.
I lived in Silver City for 20 years. My wife was the city clerk in Silver City for 15 years.
Santa Clara was "Central", not "Santa Rita". The Santa Rita townsite was lost to the expansion of the open pit mine. Those that were born at Santa Rita are said to be "Born in Space".
But yes, I remember the 'Moyers' name...
Central, not Santa Rita
The weather on a particular day greatly influences how people perceive these places. If it were nice spring weather in Silver City rather than a bleak and chilly January day people would be enthusing about what a quaint and cheerful place it is.
Yes. Winter in NM is wonderful & what you see is what you get. Mild grey days; no snow to shovel, no icy roads for days, no blizzards. Enjoy !
That pickup at 16:33 is out of this world!
Thanks for pointing that out
Silver City, Grant County, New Mexico along with the Western New Mexico University was my childhood hometown. I lived 1960-63, while my father graduated from college after a career as an Army Officer. I loved it there, great memories of attending grade school, lots of friends, Baptist Church, Royal Ambassadors, Boy Scouts. Learned to ride a bicycle, horses, camping, fishing, hiking, looking at movies at the Gila movie theater, swimming in the university pool, attended live performances at the college, reading books in the university library. Just too many things, I learned about life, I would have to write a book to explain all the wonderous thing a young boy experienced there. Starts at time stamp 20:50 minutes in this video. Dylan Taylor, I know you have pulled some gigs of performing your music there.
My daughter lives in Carlsbad and we spent 5 days in Silver City during deer season. I thought it was a lovely town. Lots of history and of course the stunning mountains. The little town had everything any reasonable person could need. Also Montezuma quail!
I like the fact that you introduce the local food in your videos. You may keep doing it. Anyway, it is an interesting video. See you in California.
As a Canadian and a Photographer, I would love to live here and own a house. Calgary homes are so expensive even for junk like these houses. Alas...
The last one Silver City was very colorful. If you didn't know your way around you could always tell people the house with the green roof or the blue poles. lol How fun. Thanks for sharing and have a great day and safe travels.
Very good video. These wonderful little towns are a treasured memory for those that lived there. They didn’t “die” because they failed in any way. They were little villages of good and hard working people. But times change. Economic opportunity expands for a people who are good. So much of the population left for greener pastures. But I know that they hold their memories of these “dying towns” as very precious indeed.
However Silver City is very much a live. It is a beautiful place. It may very well “rise again”
I've been in NM for over 30 years , believe me it doesn't look like much but it will grow on you if you stay awhile. Very friendly folks out here.
Thanks for the tour! I'm a Canadian who has spent a few winters in NM and I love the place.
In New Mexico, the roadside memorials are called Descansos. They are respected, and even the State Highway Department has procedures to handle them.
Yes it's traditional
Too bad that they are usually the result of drunk driving.
I moved from outside of Philadelphia to New mexico. It feels like a third world down here . But not ever town is like the ones you are showcasing. To me, it's where the desert meets the mountains. I find solitude in New mexico. There is a lot of public land and elbow room. The wildlife is about diverse as you can get. Plus, I get the sence parts of New mexico is still 40 years behind. As someone who is retired. Is cheep and warm with great Mexican food. With a ton of elbow room .It's hard to beat
Thanks for showing this. First three towns seem fairly good: quiet, ordinary; no millionaires. Poverty doesn't usually mean squalor, as I know well. The towns could use things, like paint & permaculture, a boost in aesthetics, food gardens. Fine places to start small-home communities, I bet. Good biking options for low car use. Yes, pretty good. BTW: in the southwest, those roadside commemoratives are for people killed in car or bike accidents. There are many of these, even in Tucson.
I lived just over the mountain there between Bayard and Hanover. We mined with the Groundhog mine in Vanadium. That mine closed in '82. We then went to the Casa Grande mine in Arizona. You missed the smelters in Hurley. They were taken down. They were a landmark that you were close to home when. Coming in from Deming.
If you ever cover northeast New Mexico mountain towns, try Raton. Just on the border of CO. Beautiful town sitting right at the base of the Rockies, overlooking the plains. Very 1950/60's oriented. I recommend taking a drive downtown after 9pm. The downtown is brightly lit by dozens of old park-esque streetlights, but abandoned. You'll feel like you're in a Twilight Zone episode.
The best things about New Mexico is the altitude and absence of people.
If you just want to be left alone this is the place but you have to be prepared to travel long distances for everything.
Well said & thanks for sharing... see them in Tucson & now realize why they're such poor drivers in "Traffic"
If I lived out there I'd have a horse and a Winchester ... with cattle out back and chickens in the yard.
@@MarlinWilliams-ts5ul Not without water, you wouldn’t.
As a resident of NM, I've been to Silver City a few times. Stayed at the hotel where the mural is located you showed when 1st showing the city. Enjoyed the Billy the Kid video too. I've only driven thru Fort Sumner. This is the 2nd video I've watched. Will check out more.
The one thing that is nice about New Mexico is it has never been the nation's hot spot or the nation's cold spot. Here in Arizona we have had that privilege, both on the same day. Snow ski on Mt. Humphrey in Flagstaff in the morning then go water skiing on Saguaro Lake in the afternoon.
Always think of New Mexico as 100°C scorching hot barren desert, not grey skies & pouring rain.
Them communities certainly look cut off & remote though, I like that you're doing these really remote locations though.
Got to wonder what they actually do for work & money as doesn't seem to be any industry or even farming 🤔
Lots of them are probably on some sort of disability or retirement which would explain the 65+ poverty rates being so much lower than the other demographics. That, or the basic side jobs like a gas station or a home boutique or something. Get those a lot in rural places.
Northern New Mexico has a lot of high elevation alpine green forests. If you hike up into the mountains you can find alpine lakes and you would swear you were in the Alps of Europe. In fact just about 50 miles north of Hurley NM is the Gila National Forest which is a 3 million acre pine forest. Not hot desert at all.
There's a huge copper mine nearby that provides some jobs. There's a Wal-Mart, a hospital and some hotels in nearby Silver City which has a population of about 9,000. Definitely a poor area.
Some of these ghost towns in or near the mountains used to have nearby mines (gold, silver, copper, ...). As already mentioned, I guess the large Santa Rita copper mine supports some of these small towns. In other parts of NM, there are oil/natural gas wells.
Once you get to know your way around, New Mexico has a good deal of diverse scenery to enjoy and photograph.
Plenty of free parking. Please don't tell anyone about these "remote" towns. You can get anything you want in Silver City---as long as it's at Walmart.
If you ever make it to San Antonio NM, visit the Owl Bar and try the green chili cheese burger. Its a quintessential dive bar that makes a fantastic burger. Nothing beats visiting on a hot day and enjoying an ice cold beer and a burger. Fantastic!!
on my list
Great place to visit after a hard day of bird watching at nearby Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
that is a great place! Bosque, I mean. We just visited there for the second time last year. Almost more photographers than birds, ha,ha.
@@davidgraham9341
For the most part those towns look like whatever was brought in is still there. When its usefulness was over it was just tossed in the yards. Bayard has pretty street light posts. 50 years ago, I loved the Gila Cliff Dwellings near Silver City in January! I hope ya'll ventured up there. Thanks Joe and NIcole. It's been a pleasure to have you visit over morning coffee and do a little reminiscing..
Awesome!
I was traveling across country and went on a hike with my husband to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. We got sort of separated and as I was waiting for him, I saw puff after puff of what I thought was smoke. It was something I have never seen before or after. It was the release of spores from the evergreen trees, puff after puff. We went on to the top where there was a ranger. She had to leave because of an asthma attack brought on by those spores. First and last time I ever saw that happen. Beautiful place.
We were once visiting the Cliff Dwellings. I saw what I thought was smoke. It turned out to be the release of pollen from the pine trees. It was a once in a lifetime experience. The ranger was affected by the pollen and had an allergic reaction and had to leave. It's a beautiful area. Silver City is a nice town.
A good friend recently retired to Silver City and likes it a lot.
If you stay in the Silver City area visit the old military Fort Bayard, interesting old historic buildings a large grass areas with plakes all around giving a short history of the area. Also I may have been down there but Columbus,NM has a interesting history you may be interested, unfortunately I was there two weeks ago @ 6:00pm on Sunday so the tourists office was closed, very lonely road.
Enjoy these. Relaxing. Watch a lot. Soothing voice. Appreciate you. Thanks.
I hope you drove through Emory Pass from Silver City to I-25. You would go through Kingston and Hillsboro. It is a thrilling drive.
I love Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ever since I was a kid, my family and I would travel from Los Angeles to El Paso, and Marfa Texas to see both of my grandmothers. We would stop in Las Cruces to eat. Man! I loved it back then with all the Mountain Views of the Organ Mountains. Now I am 67 years old, and I see how much it has grown. Love the new house's they are building and pretty cheap for what you get. California is getting way too expensive to live. I am looking for a vacation home to retire and enjoy in during the summer season. Love it!
There were no Dollar Generals. I really enjoy all of your videos. Thank you so much for sharing.
Heh - Silver City and Santa Clara have a Dollar General. Bayard, Santa Clara, and Silver City have Family Dollar stores. Hurley (being very small) is the only featured location in this video that has neither.
There are, they just weren't shown 😅
Thank you for this wonderful video. It brings back a lot of memories. Back in the day after I finished college, I worked for a public accounting firm in Phoenix that did the audits of the Chino Copper Mine in Santa Rita, NM. We would fly out of Phoenix in a twin-engine Cessna and land at the Grant County Airport in Hurley. Back then there was no airport building. The airport was just a concrete strip in the middle of a field. I've driven many of the roads shown in your video. There's a certain enchanting quality to southwestern New Mexico. Maybe one of these days when I retire, I'll move to Silver City.
Whenever you do Clayton NM make sure to visit Kenton OK it is home to the highest point in Oklahoma and it’s the only town in the entire state that runs on mountain time.
I love Kenton and all the history of that whole area. I lived in Clayton and Raton for a few years for work. There is a tour that Folsom museum puts on that starts is Folsom and ends in Kenton. Great tour.
I've got it penciled in for later this year. :)
That area of far NE NM, far SE Colo, and the end of the Okla. panhandle I call the "forgotten corner".@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip
Want to add that I appreciated your on-foot exploration of Silver City. Got a more personal sense of the place, and you could tell the locals cared about their town.
I moved back to NM recently and I love seeing your videos of this place. I will have to go to some of these ghost town to see them for myself, I find them interesting.
I doubt if the residents would appreciate you calling them ghost towns.😄
I like to ponder moving to a place like @20:27 . It would help me in my pondering if you could, along with the vital statistics, include the distance to the nearest 1, 2, 3 towns/centers/cities where you can buy all the stuff you can't get here. Building supplies, pharmacy, medical services, banks, autoparts, car sales, restaurants, Big W store, etc. I once lived in a town where we collected most of our supplies from three communities about an hour: north, south and east of home. Also two larger cities at two hours. One south, one northeast. After a while I only thought of my little town as a suburb of the other 5 communities.
This set of stops was especially interesting and new to me, I have never seen towns like these before. I sort of feel like when I'm forced to retire, only about eight years out, I'd kind of like to move there. This was a really interesting and fun video, thanks!
Thank you for showing us the good and bad of America. The haves and the have nots. Keep doing what you do, very interesting. 👍
I love your "dying towns" videos. I would love to see some of "prosperous towns" in the middle of nowhere, with a 2,000 or less population. That would be quite a contrast!
Mariposa, California next to Yosemite park. Small and historic, but totally alive.
Any place that has a national park or tourist destination or extreme scenery there is a recipe for thriving at that size and remoteness, like the person above said, Mariposa and other national park gateway towns are thriving but just because of the tourism
These are called ski towns. Unless you're one of the wealthy guests it's just poverty with a view. Really nice buildings with no blight but most of your salary goes to rent and cost of living. Why I no longer live in a ski town.
@@RRaucinaMariposa is a beautiful town. It means butterfly in Spanish.
@@williamd1891I read an article recently about suicide rates being very high in ski towns.
I love watching your videos! That mountain backdrop is beautiful! It looks so lovely and peaceful there! 🏞️⛰️🌵
Mahalo Joe & Nick for showing me how much the United States of America is actually dying in more ways than one. Very sad. Even places like Buffalo New York, I never expected that place to be dying that caught me by surprise. Aloha ke akua!
Houston is certainly not dying. Getting bigger and bigger. These people need to go back home . I've been here 51 years and the growth is amazing.
These places are dying bc they don't have enough jobs or things to do. America overall is still growing like crazy. Most people can't afford to live in a town where there are no jobs and not much to do.
I worked as an EMS helicopter pilot in Truth or Consequences, NM, just east of Hurley & north of Las Cruces, along the I-25 freeway. It looks just like this video.
I watched Oppenheimer yesterday and now I'm interested in New Mexico.
I like your videos of honest detailed reviews of different places and restaurants. Good job.
Excellent timing. I was thinking about moving to Silver City. Thanks!
Thank you for the wonderful tour of New Mexico...❤
By trying to look into the future i do know one thing for sure: you'll never run out of places to visit. Keep up your interesting work 😊
This one started out bleak but finished very nice. Silver city was colorful and had nice buildings. In spite of the rain you still made a very good video. Thanks again.
Thanks U2 ! Safe travels. Cheers from Australia.
Thank you!!! 👍
First of all, thank you, for featuring the land of enchantment! I love this area anyone that is interested in the history of Hurley should watch the movie “salt of the Earth” Which told the story of the minor strike in New Mexico from a pro union standpoint. The film was denounced is subversive, and Will Greer was blacklisted as a result. I must see near Hurley. Just a short ride south is the Faywood Hot Springs. They are absolutely amazing! Also, the most interesting and unique city of rocks is nearby. take the time to enjoy New Mexico. It truly is the land of enchantment!
Silverrain is falling down in Silvertown, thanks again for video uploading Joe&Nic
While looking for a possible place to retire back in 1993 we gave Silver City a quick look. It was on many a retirees check list and since then the place has grown. We have ended up in the NW.
Poverty in the mountains. My dad always said "You can't eat scenery!"
I am pretty sure that they have plenty to eat.
But it does feed your soul. Is this why people are so fat in the cities?
However...it generally takes a "bite outta crime"
I grew up in the little town 5 miles away. These towns are essential to the area. There is a huge copper mine ran by Freeport McMoran. Most people who live in the county (Grant County, NM) work at that mine or for the rail road. A lot of people in those towns are not poor and some are. The small town isn't for me. I moved from there 14 years ago. Generation after generation, my family has worked at the mine. I wanted more after college. The town is not dying, it's always looked like that. Lol. 90% of people that live their own their homes already.
You actually can. I lived in a tipi for almost a decade with my wife and we ate almost exclusively what I hunted from the scenery.
At 4:17 the house on the right across from the chino club was my grandmas old house we usto go across the street every day and swim every summer!!! How cool
Terribly depressing! Nothing could compare to prepare a person for the desolation in the small towns. How does anyone make a living.😮
I like the looks of this town, those hills in the distance look inviting for a hiking experience.
Has rural america died but nobody noticed?
It looks like it! 😢
Seems like every other Bruce Springsteen song has been about this decline for a long time. Between this kind of thing and the ghettos in big cities, it's all a little sad to see.
Thanks for inspiring my depression. What a mess except for Silver City
Thank you again Joe for the wonderful show! Loved Silver city and two theatres! See you in California!
In Europe the towns have institutions / school, hospital, church, court, museum, library, cinema, municipaliti building ect./ without those institutions there are villages. In this series we see villages rather than towns.
Silver City has all that.
I love these old towns.And I remember thirty forty fifty years ago when they were absolutely beautiful. I think a lot of the younger folks just don't want to hang around. Then again for a while property values went skyrocketing.
What a contrast between beginning towns and the last town. Thank you!
Thanks for another very interesting video. I can never get over that even in the smallest towns you visit they all still have a post office, over here in the U.K. they are closing them.
Great video! Love how the bank was converted to a dispensary in Hurley😂. Love the scenic views! Agree it is like the land time forgot. Love the mural on the garage next to the FD in Santa Clara. Silver City looks nice. Love the mural. Looking forward to your CA adventures!
I grew up in each one of the areas you showed family in each town you shared with us. I don’t really go back much. When I do it’s to visit what family remains and to go camping and hiking.
Hope everyone is well 😊❤
We just drove through Rincon and Hatch last month. I worked there in the produce in 1980-81. We were going to Silver City but decided to head back to Arizona early. Now I wish we would have gone up the mountain. Thanks.
Mining towns, I lived in Hurley in '92. Nearest grocery 13 or more miles away in Silver.