Miners examining ore taken from the "Our Georgie Mine."
This mine's name was changed prior to 1900 to the Tom Payne Mine and was the last
producing mine in the district, closing in 1957. The trail or road seen in the
background (upper left) connected this valley, Hungry Gulch, to the new town of
Bonanza.
The name of the old Spanish site of "Los Cerrillos" at the north end of the
district was changed to "Bonanza" in 1879. Bonanza is the Spanish mining term for
rich ore and was incorporated before the start of the Cerrillos mining rush in
1879 into American English as meaning a rich place or something good. The change
of the name of the Alamo Creek area from "Los Cerrillos" to "Bonanza" in 1879
led to the selection of the name "Cerrillos Station" for the rail road stop at
the southern end of the district.
The hand cranked windlass was used to hoist a half-barrel sized buckets of ore.
It is basically like a old well crank except that it was fitted for two men to
crank. The bucket was overfilled for the photo.
reverse) HENRY BROWN, PHOTOGRAPHER Stereoscopic Views of New
Mexico a Specialty. West Side Plaza - Up Stairs, Santa Fe, N.M.
(front) Along the Line of the A.T.&S.Fe R.R., in New Mexico.
Photographed & Published at Santa Fe, N.M., by Henry Brown.
This website is maintained by the Cerrillos
Hills Park Coalition
and is dedicated to the creation, enhancement and stewardship
of an historical, recreational, and cultural open space in
the
Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA
