Silver City Museum: The Silver City Museum is housed in the H. B. Ailman house which was constructed in 1881. Ailman was a prominent businessman and prospector during the mining boom years in Silver City. The Ailman House itself could be considered a museum artifact as it is one of the most prominent houses that remain from the early years in the mining boom in town. The museum opened in 1967 and is operated by the city. It offers visitors an opportunity to learn about the diverse culture and history of Silver City. The museum also has an excellent gift shop including a large selection of local history and area interests books. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Palace Hotel: The Palace Hotel is one of the historic hotels in downtown Silver City. This building dates back to 1882 when it was built as a bank during the mining boom in the area. It was later converted to a hotel but closed in the 1950s. With the renewed interest in reviving the historic buildings in Silver City, the hotel was remodeled and reopened in the 1980s and remains open today. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Tucked away in the high desert terrain of southwestern New Mexico is the town of Silver City. The town sits at about 6,000 feet in elevation at the foothills of the Pinos Altos Range of the Gila Mountains and the massive Gila Wilderness.
Silver City was founded in the 1870s when silver, gold, copper and other mining operations were discovered and created the boom town in the late 1800s. in addition to mining, ranching later became prominent in and around Silver City.
Today, one will find miners, ranchers, artists, university students and staff and others who make up the unique culture of the 10,000 or so residents of Silver City. Children, millennials, baby boomers, retirees and old timers call the area home.
The abundant outdoor activities, the pleasant climate, lower cost of living, and the lack of city stress has Silver City highly rated by several “Best Quality of Life” publications. The area has become a tourist destination in recent years due to the diverse cultural opportunities and the number of outdoor activities in and around the townsite.
Historic downtown Silver City is where we enjoyed visiting and browsing when we visit the area. Numerous art galleries, studios, multiple theaters, restaurants, and hotels make the Historic Downtown District of Silver City inviting and appealing to visitors. The town also boasts more than 50 murals in the downtown area depicting the culture and lifestyle in this southwestern New Mexico town.
The Silver City Museum is downtown in a house built by businessman and mining prospector H. B. Ailman is 1881. The museum is a treasure when learning about the history and development of Silver City. Western New Mexico University, WNMU, founded in 1883, sits just a few blocks from the historic downtown area. The WNMU museum on campus is home to the largest collection of Mimbres pottery in the world.
Notable attractions within a short drive of Silver City are the Gila National Forest and the Gila Wilderness, Gila Cliff Walk, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, City of Rocks State Park, Fort Bayard, and the Mining District of Grant County. The third largest open pit copper pit in the world is located in nearby Tyrone, New Mexico and remains active today.
I lived in Los Alamos for 30 years. We traveled much of the state, especially in the north but I knew very little about southwestern New Mexico until we began our RV travels about eight years ago. I had only passed through the area on I-10 and never traveled any of the back roads of the region. I still have only “scratched the surface” of traveling the area but I love it more after every visit. We will be in the area around the first part of February and I can’t wait to visit some new sites and revisit some favorites.
The photos in this Post From the Road were all taken in the Historic Downtown District of Silver City.
Mural: A painted mural on Bullard Street depicts the historic Spanish culture which is an important part of Silver City and the history of the area. The mural is painted on the side of a building in a small park in downtown. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Visitor Center: The Murray Ryan Visitor Center in Silver City shows off two stone and masonry murals on the exterior walls at the entrance to the center. There are over 50 murals scattered throughout the downtown area of Silver City. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Little Toad Creek: The Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery was getting a colorful paint job on the window trims on the exterior of the building when we visited Silver City. Also seen are the colorful store fronts of several other businesses on Bullard Street which is the ‘main street’ of downtown Silver City. Many of the buildings in the Historic Downtown District date back to the late 1800s. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
A Space: A Space Studio, Art, Gallery is a combination of studio space and art gallery. The gallery contains many eclectic items as well as traditional wall art as well as custom made furniture. The colorful exterior of A Space easily attracts interested visitors and many areas of the interior are painted and decorated in similar colors. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com