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While I have been planning on going around to the historical places in Socorro and the surrounding counties this week, that plan was thwarted by events in town and my son being sick. So, instead this week, I will be giving you some information about the cool historical places in my hometown of Deming.
First off, the museum in Deming is so cool. For such a small town, their museum is a two-story building that used to be an armory. It is full of cool historical artifacts, from military regalia to cool gemstones, and a collection of antique whiskey bottles that form a chessboard. One of their coolest items that always brought a laugh from us when we were younger is a Playboy magazine that is written entirely in Braille.
Since it’s spooky season, I have to mention the haunted buildings/ruins in town. While it is entirely torn down now, the Holy Cross Sanitorium used to be a cool spot to check out. The sanatorium was built in 1921 and opened in 1923. The building was mostly destroyed by fire in 1939. There used to be one building you could still go in, but the top story had collapsed, and it was pretty precarious. There are rumors that a satanic cult used to use the building for sacrifices, but that might just be satanic panic. It was originally the hospital buildings for Camp Cody, which was one of the main camps where Buffalo soldiers were enlisted.
The hospital was then taken over by the Sisters of the Holy Cross for tuberculosis patients. The 19 buildings had enough room for 400 patients, and there were tunnels in which to move the bodies. The graveyard nearby still stands and has its own spooky history. The urban legend follows that the large wooden cross in the cemetery was cut down by some high school students, causing mayhem. The legend says that all of these students died before graduation in various accidents. The whole area will give you a really heavy feeling. I believe it is now private property, and there isn’t much to see aside from the cemetery and maybe some collapsed tunnels. My high school friend who lived nearby said that at night, sometimes she would see the ghosts of the Buffalo soldiers walking around her yard, which was previously a part of the former military camp.
The other haunted building is Green Sands. This is an old factory in the desert. I am not able to find a lot of information on it online, but I do know my brothers used to go to parties there before it was bought by a new owner who absolutely does not want visitors. You shouldn’t even attempt to get in there because the man will either chase you with his pick-up, bring out a shotgun, or both. The rumor is that the factory is haunted by a little girl who was killed by a piece of machinery. I think it was mostly haunted by high school kids looking for a place to drink beer and party away from the eyes of their parents.
When you drive down the main street, Pine St., you’ll find a couple of big old mansions surrounding the McDonald’s. These mansions are rumored to be haunted and built over a Native American burial ground. I remember people who worked at McDonald’s talking about how spooky it was to close there at night.
The Adobe Deli is an old schoolhouse in Akela that is now a Bar & Grill. The place has a spooky vibe because of all the hunting trophies everywhere, and the owner collects a lot of old artifacts. I remember being there a lot as a kid, and my only concern was rattlesnakes. You might catch something spooky there, but more likely just get a decent steak and some of their French onion soup, which is delicious.
I hope you enjoyed hearing some of the fun urban legends from where I come from. New Mexico is full of neat places, full of history, and even some spooky lore.
