Los Cerrillos, New Mexico |
Settled: 1879
Status: Active Town
Current Population: 229
Peak Population: 3,000 +
Elevation: 5,725 Feet
Primary Mineral: Gold, Lead
Before the arrival of the Spanish, the mineral rich area around Cerrillos produced turquoise, which was broadly traded across the American Southwest and into Mexico. An early settlement of Los Cerrillos harbored Spanish refugees from the 1680 Revolt, but the present community was not founded until the lead strike of 1879.
From a sign in town