National Register of Historic Places

Shakespeare Ghost Town

Lordsburg, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
Listed
July 15, 1973
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73001141

About this property

Shakespeare is a ghost town in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States. It is currently part of a privately owned ranch, sometimes open to tourists. The entire community was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Founded as a rest stop called Mexican Springs along a stagecoach route, it was renamed Grant after the Civil War, after General U. S. Grant. When silver was discovered nearby it became a mining town called Ralston City, named after financier William Chapman Ralston. It was finally renamed Shakespeare, and was abandoned when the mines closed in 1929. On November 9, 1881, Old West outlaws "Russian Bill" Tattenbaum and Sandy King, both cattle rustlers and former members of the Clanton faction of Charleston, Arizona Territory, were lynched in Shakespeare, and their bodies were left hanging for several days as a reminder to others that lawlessness would not be tolerated. The two had been captured by gunman "Dangerous Dan" Tucker, who at the time was the Shakespeare town marshal. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hidalgo County, New Mexico

Location

Lordsburg, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
32.32944, -108.73490

Categories

INDUSTRY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Shakespeare Ghost Town

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Lordsburg High School
Industrial
2 mi
Hidalgo County Courthouse
Civil War
2 mi
Lordsburg-Hidalgo County Library
Industrial
2 mi
Chihuahua Hill Historic District
Listed
40.3 mi
Silver City Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
40.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Shakespeare Ghost Town listed on the National Register?

Shakespeare Ghost Town was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Shakespeare Ghost Town?

Shakespeare Ghost Town is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Shakespeare Ghost Town?

The period of significance for Shakespeare Ghost Town is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Shakespeare Ghost Town?

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