Organ - New Mexico Ghost Town

ORGAN

NAME: Organ
COUNTY: Dona Ana
ROADS: 2WD
GRID #(see map): 8
CLIMATE: Mild winter, warm summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT:Spring, winter, fall

COMMENTS: Semi-ghost
REMAINS:Many original buildings

Organ is one of the few towns that has had two lives. The mining camp of Organ became a town in February of 1885 although there had been mining activity since the late 1840s. The town's greatest population was around eighteen hundred at the turn of the century. At that time, Organ had seven saloons, a Catholic church, a two-teacher schoolhouse, two smelters, two general stores and a tunnel jail that was originally a powder magazine. New Organ is a modern day community on U.S. 70 with many of its residents presently employed at the White Sands Missile Base. The few remaining landmarks of Old Organ have been engulfed by the present town. Courtesy Henry Chenoweth.

Organ is one of the few towns that has had two lives. The mining camp of Organ became a town in February of 1885 although there had been mining activity since the late 1840s. The town's greatest population was around eighteen hundred at the turn of the century. At that time, Organ had seven saloons, a Catholic church, a two-teacher schoolhouse, two smelters, two general stores and a tunnel jail that was originally a powder magazine. New Organ is a modern day community on U.S. 70 with many of its residents presently employed at the White Sands Missile Base. The few remaining landmarks of Old Organ have been engulfed by the present town. Courtesy Henry Chenoweth.

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