Elizabethtown
New Mexico's first incorporated town
State: New Mexico
County: Colfax County
Founded: 1866
Peak Population: 7,000
Elizabethtown ('E-Town') was New Mexico's first incorporated town, growing to 7,000 after gold was discovered in 1866. At peak, it had the territory's first Masonic lodge and the only sizable gold mining industry. Now just a few ruins mark where New Mexico's first real town stood.
Quick Facts
- New Mexico's first incorporated town
- Had territory's first Masonic lodge
- Only significant gold mining town in New Mexico Territory
- Population dropped from 7,000 to near zero in decades
Location
Address: Colfax County, New Mexico
Coordinates: 36.6233, -105.2694