Did you know that American ghost towns are rapidly disappearing from the map? As a child, do you remember watching the westerns and dreaming of living in the era of the pioneer of the old west? I don't think that dream has changed for the younger generations.
Mr. and Mrs. Edmunds, visionaries both, are working hard to make sure future generations have the opportunity to experience the old west. They've spent their retirement, literally, rebuilding Chloride.
My pictures can't do Chloride, or the Edmunds justice. Please visit their website, The Pioneer Store Museum, for better pictures and more information.
J.M.House visited Chloride in 2012. She (or he, as the case may be) documents Chloride's history in a blog post City of Dust, A Resurrection: Chloride, New Mexico. By the way, the blog City of Dust, is a wonderfully researched and written resource for you lovers of history.
Store fronts: the Monte Christo gift shop and Galley (left) and the Pioneer Store Museum (right)
Inside the Pioneer Store Museum, the Edmunds give us a real taste of life in the Wild West
When the Edmunds purchased the building it was inhabited by bats,rats and other vermin. They literally had to scrape the guano off of everything. You can see the damage, caused by the guano, on the front of this safe.
as opposed to the nearly pristine interior.
A complete, authentic postal service counter, from back in the day.
The sorting case is just a tiny bit smaller than when I delivered the mail
Mrs. Edmunds is a wealth of information. We could have easily spent days listening to the stories she has put together through records found in the store. Among them, purchase and credits found in this antique billing system.
Native artifacts are also on display.
What used to be the local bank is now the cafe.
The cafe is lovely inside.
These lamps, found throughout Chlorides' restored buildings, were made by Mr. Edmunds' father, from the bottom of bottles.
Mr. and Mrs. Edmund have built a small RV park with full hook ups and the pull through sites will accommodate any size RV.
There also guest cabins, available for those traveling without the comfort of an RV. The Pye Cabin is a restored miners' cabin with all the comforts of home.
The Edmunds' daughter tells the story of the Edmunds' discovery of Chloride.
(blogger won't let me embed the video. Grrrrrr!!!)\
The Edmunds do, on occasion, have volunteer opportunities. Currently, a couple is finishing up their commitment with a few months left. They liked it so well they stayed for a year! Contact information is listed on the website.
Chloride is a special place and the Edmunds are very special people. Their passion for Chloride and preserving American history is apparent. Mrs. Edmunds was so generous with her time and more than willing to spend as much time as we wanted, sharing what she has discovered about the town and it's earlier residents.
Although the town is a bit of a drive it's worth every second. Next time I visit I'll be bringing the moho so I can spend even more time there. The immediate area surrounding Chloride is very pretty and it's barely a mile from the Gila National Forest.
Thanks, Alan and Joann, I really enjoyed our sight seeing adventure!
