Victor's Meanderings

It is hard to put an exact label on Hillsboro. It has been the home of Spaniards, Indians, cowboys, ranchers, miners, prostitutes, madams, artists, writers, retirees, military, teachers, children, lawyers, and outlaws. Most are now gone but a few remain. Some tourists visit as they travel the Geronomo Scenic Byway through the area. Whatever you want to call it now, ghost town, artist colony, retirement village, it is a town that continues to hang on with quiet charm and grace. It is 160 miles south of Albuquerque and was founded in 1877, following the discovery of gold. Later, huge amounts of silver and copper were discovered, mined, and milled. What was once a large volcano, now four miles wide, was the source of much of the gold. The community was the county seat of Sierra County from 1884 until 1936 when Hot Springs (now called Truth or Consequences) became the county seat. By 1880, the town had 4 companies of soldiers and 400 miners, but by 1907 the population soon grew