New Mexico Culinary Treasures Trail Archives - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

The Mine Shaft Tavern – Madrid, New Mexico

Gil Garduno — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 06:01:16 +0000

“You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter, don’t you call me cause I can’t go. I owe my soul to the company store.” Those immortal lyrics, hauntingly performed by crooner Tennessee Ernie Ford describe with a poignant reality, the plight of the American miner even onto the 20th century. By payday, which came at month’s end, miners did indeed owe their souls to the company–for the company house in which they were living, for groceries to feed their families, for doctor bills and even for the tools they used to mine. They were paid in scrip which could only be spent at the company store, leaving them no choice…

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La Posta De Mesilla – Mesilla, New Mexico

Gil Garduno — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 06:27:47 +0000

If only walls could talk, you’d want the adobe brick walls at La Posta (The Inn) to recount their impressions of the veritable “who’s who” of Western history who once sought shelter within its fortified walls. You’d want those walls to reveal their thoughts of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid who hung out at La Posta on his road to notoriety. You’d want those walls to tell you about the steely presence of General Douglas MacArthur, who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific Theater during World War II. You’d want those walls to share their account of Generalissimo Pancho Villa, another sojourner who sought shelter at La Posta. Certainly no raconteur could provide the details known only to the walls…

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Buckhorn Saloon – Pinos Altos, New Mexico

Gil Garduno — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 06:28:48 +0000

In 1859, 49ers returning home from California discovered gold among the tall pines (Pinos Altos) north of Silver City. Word spread like wildfire. In short order, there were more than 700 men prospecting in the area. As with other boom towns, rampant lawlessness made prospectors lives exciting to say the least. Miners faced an anything goes attitude in the pursuit of gold punctuated by frequent raids by marauding Apaches. In the “Apache War” of 1861, Cochise joined his father-in-law Mangas Coloradas (an Apache war leader who towered at 6’7″) and some 400 Apache warriors to drive away miners from their traditional homeland. In its early days Pinos Altos saw a veritable who’s who of fame and infamy. In the…

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