Dawson Cemetery, New Mexico

This cemetery is nearly all that remains of the former mining town of Dawson, a community established shortly after the Civil War that was struck by a pair of mining accidents in 1913 and 1923. The town's population peaked at around nine thousand residents in the early 20th century and declined steadily until 1950 when the mine closed.

Dawson was a company-owned coal mining town in the early 20th century with small campus for workers who produced coal that were shipped along the railroad to Tucumcari. in 1906, the mine was bought by Phelps Dodge Company which saw increased development that included the construction of a theater, hotel, modern homes, hospital, baseball park, golf course, bowling alley. The town even had its own newspaper while the coal miners organized a successful baseball team. The high school basketball and football teams were famous for winning many awards.

On Oct 22, 1913, a huge explosion in the mine killed 263 miners, plus two researchers. Ten years later, the mine had another explosion that killed 120 miners. With declining production, the Phelps Dodge Company sold the townsite and demolished the buildings, using the materials to support other mining communities. The cemetery is nearly all that remains of the town and remains a significant historic site for memorials to the victims of some of the worst mining accidents in American history.

Dawson, New Mexico. Accessed November 27th, 2022. https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/ghost-towns/dawson/.

White, Juliet. Step Inside The Creepy, Abandoned Town Of Dawson In New Mexico, Only in Your State. October 7th, 2021. Accessed November 27th, 2022. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-mexico/abandoned-town-to-avoid-nm/.