New Mexico

Ghost Towns: Alma, Cerrillos, Chloride, Clairmont, Elizabethtown, Golden, Lake Valley, Loma Parda, Madrid, Mogollón, Shakespeare, Steins, Winston
Movie Sets: Bonanza Creek Ranch, Cerrillos, Madrid, Cook Ranch & the Silverado Set, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Eaves Movie Ranch, White Sands National Monument, Zia Pueblo

Winston

Originally called Fairview, the town was settled in 1880-81 by miners who found the area more agreeable than nearby Chloride. By 1884, it had 3,100 people, a school, a newspaper, horseraces and a bar, and featured literary readings, plays and songfests at Cloudman Hall (named for the local butcher, William Cloudman).

Miner, businessman and future state legislator Frank H. Winston moved to town in 1882. He eventually owned Fairview Cattle Co., Frank Winston Co. general merchandise and the Fairview Garage. He was a kind man, extending credit to customers during bad financial times. After his death in 1929 (he is buried in a cemetery in Chloride), the town was renamed in his honor.

Winston declined as silver prices dropped. By 1940, the population was about 400, and was 250 by 1946. Today, only a few families remain. Some old buildings still stand, including the school (built in 1890), Frank Winston's home, his carriage house and store. A flood in the 1950s wiped out many others. A community center was built by area residents in 1987 and there is a general store, a bar and a chapel.

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