Mining History of New Mexico

                                                                                Abandoned Mine, Alma, CO

"The ultimate goal of the science of mineralogy is to know as much as can be learned about mineral species and their relationships, both to each other and to the environments in which they form.  The Mineral Kingdom, Desautels, 1968, p. 168

"Science is said to be the one human endeavor above all others that we should rely on for making predictions.  After all, prediction is a central business of science..."  The Search for Solutions, Horance Judson, 198o, Introduction. 

"Learning about rocks brings together chemistry, physics, geology, math, jewelry crafts, astronomy, history of our country regarding mining towns, ghost towns, people, etc."  Source??

"If rocks are the pages in the book of geologic history, the minerals are the characters in which the book is printed and only with an understanding of them and their structures does the document become readable."  Dana’s Manual of Mineralogy, l7th edition, 1949, p389.
 

Overview of early mining history in New Mexico

The Chino Mine/Santa Rita Open Pit

NM Mining History -- A series by Jerry Simmons

Cerrillos Hills Turquoise  --  Mark Balzek

Orogrande Turquoise -- Virgil Leuth

The Bridal Chamber  -- By James Winchell

Valle Grande Obsidian  --  by Pete Modreski

Zinc Mining in New Mexico  --  by Mark C. Blazek