Lordsburg

Lordsburg became a county seat by subtraction. On February 25, 1919, the legislature carved Hidalgo County from the southern part of Grant County, effective at the start of 1920, partly to spare Lordsburg and the towns south of it the long trip to the courthouse in Silver City. Sources split on the name: some say it honors Miguel Hidalgo, the priest of Mexican independence, others the town where the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. The county historian says the railroad's Delbert Lord set the town exactly halfway between El Paso and Tucson.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Lordsburg Population 3,195 - Elevation 4,245 Lordsburg was founded in 1880 on the route of the Southern Pacific Railroad, near that used by the Butterfield Overland Mail Co., 1858-1861. It eventually absorbed most of the population of Shakespeare, a now-deserted mining town three miles south.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Lordsburg-Hidalgo Library — 1.9 mi
• Lordsburg — 1.9 mi
• Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument — 2.4 mi
• Lordsburg — 2.5 mi