The Ghost Town of Steins, New Mexico

On our way home from Texas, we pulled off the highway to have a look at the ghost town of Steins.

Steins is a ghost town in Stein's Pass of Hidalgo County, New Mexico.  It was a stop on the Birch Stage Railroad Line that was established in 1857.  It was properly founded 1880.  Steins is named after United States Army Major Enoch Steen (whose name was sometimes spelled as Steins), who was killed by members of an Apache tribe in 1873.  The town prospered when mineral deposits of gold, silver and copper where discovered.  Further success for Stein occurred when the Southern Pacific Railroad established a rail line in 1878, and a local rock quarry was opened.

Steins had no natural water source and had to have its water brought in by train.  A post office opened in 1888 and by 1902 Stein had a population of 35.  They had a mercantile store, two saloons and a school house.  In 1905 there were 100 residents and by 1919 the railroad town grew to 1,000.  There was a hotel, 2 bordellos, a dance hall, 2 additional saloons and a hotel. 

Prosperity for Steins was short lived.  In 1925 the rock quarry closed, putting dozens of men out of work.  At the end of World War II, the Southern Pacific Railroad discontinued its stop in Steins, giving notice it would no longer be delivering water and the station would be closed.  This spelled certain death for Steins. The railroad offered free transportation to wherever they might like to go and the vast majority left town, leaving their possessions behind.  Over time the town was completely abandoned.  The post office was discontinued in 1944.  In 1964 a fire destroyed many of the historic deserted buildings.

Steins sat empty for 12 years.  In 1976 a man by the name of Warren Garrison purchased the land and had plans to renovate Steins.  For 13 years he worked to save the town.  He drew in 300 visitors a week.  In 1988 he sold it to Larry and Linda Link who continued offering ghost town tours.  Steins was once again awakened, in a sense, and looked after.  However, in 2011, Larry Link was murdered and the tours ceased. Links murder has never been solved.  Some say it was a local, some say a drug cartel and others say a break in gone wrong.  Larry Link was shot 5 times and the murder weapon or murderer was never found.  

Once again, Steins sits quietly in the desert, withering away into history.  You can't go walking around the town, as it is fenced off.  Someone still lives on the property...a care taker I suppose.  But you can stop by and have a look.  There are adobe ruins, the railroad tracks, the store, some old structures and a cemetery near by.  It is a cool place to see, but it would be more exciting if we could have gone in to see it.

If you are on the highway between New Mexico and Arizona, stop by Steins and have a look into at the Old West.