Magdalena, New Mexico

The name came about because early Spanish soldiers saw the face of a woman on the west face of Magdalena Peak. It reminded a priest who was traveling with them of a similar peak in Spain, so he named this one "La Sierra de Magdalena." Magdalena Gap is the name that fell on the natural pass just to the south of the peak, and Magdalena is the name that fell on the town that eventually grew up here.

Magdalena was founded to service several silver and small gold strikes in the mountains around the town. It was that ore that got the railroad to build a line to Magdalena from Socorro. It was the cattle and sheep that were driven east from the Plains of San Augustin and other herds driven over the Magdalena Livestock Driveway from Springerville, Arizona, that kept the railroad spur alive, because the mines went boom and bust in just a few years. In 1919, some 21,677 cattle and 150,000 sheep were loaded onto the train at Magdalena.

The mining ghost town of Kelly is 2.5 miles south of Magdalena and that still draws a lot of visitors to the area. The annual Old Timers Reunion and Rodeo is also a big tourist draw. And these days, Magdalena seems to have a large and active artisan group: there were studios and galleries all over town. The Lady Magdalen Art Walk is an annual festival that has contributed significantly to Magdalena's arts and culture community. The Magdalena Hall Hotel and the Bank West Building have recently been remodeled and refurbed.