Haunted Hotels and Ghostly Getaways of New Mexico
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About this ebook
Donna Blake Birchell
New Mexico native Donna Blake Birchell is the author of Wicked Women of New Mexico and New Mexico Wine: An Enchanting History, as well as six others. She developed a passion for history through the inspiration of her history-buff parents. While doing research for her other books, Donna discovered a lack of combined written history about her home state, the Land of Enchantment, and thought the oversight should be corrected.
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Haunted Hotels and Ghostly Getaways of New Mexico - Donna Blake Birchell
indicated.
INTRODUCTION
Anyone who has ever stepped foot onto New Mexico soil will attest to the sheer beauty that gives our forty-seventh state the moniker Land of Enchantment.
You already know of the magnificent sunrises and sunsets that paint the azure skies, the snowcapped mountain ranges, vast caves, expansive deserts, rolling plains and lush waterways that make this piece of the United States such a unique landscape. I am proud to call New Mexico my home and want to share my little piece of heaven with you.
For those of you who are still unaware, you are cordially invited to tag along for the experience of a lifetime as we explore the many regions that comprise New Mexico, this time in pursuit of its historic yet haunted hotels. I challenge you to visit these outstanding hotels, not only to drink in the rich historical value of each but also to possibly meet some of the featured permanent residents
for yourself by spending the night.
As a onetime skeptic, the idea of ghosts was something I scoffed at, stemming probably from being told all during my childhood, there’s no such things as ghosts.
It wasn’t until my own brief encounters that my mind was opened to the idea that maybe that saying was a bit wrong. It was with this enlightened mind that this project was born and gave me the curiosity to discover the possibilities of other worlds and dimensions. Please use this book as a guide to the rich history surrounding each of the establishments and its hometown by patronizing these beautiful properties.
Each story of the past lives most of these spirits experienced is heartbreaking; this may be the reason they have decided to continue residing in this world. Disbelief and shock as to their circumstances has garnered a refusal in them not to leave familiar grounds. Although our current world is much different than the one they experienced, they are still, in some cases, searching for loved ones and protecting their former homes.
I cannot promise that you will have an encounter or experience with any of the ghosts mentioned, but I can promise that you will have a wonderful time visiting their abodes.
INFLUENCE OF CULTURES
Ghosts, spirits and apparitions have always played a significant role in the folklore and legends that tie together the four great cultures that now reside peacefully in New Mexico.
The Native Americans have passed down stories for generations about their inhabitants of the spirit world. The White Painted Woman is credited with creation of the Apache peoples; the Changing Woman is said to have created the Navajo. Native American culture is full of spirits and folklore that is interwoven through their tribes.
As the Spanish/Hispanic influence grew larger in the Southwest, Christianity became more prevalent in the New Mexico Territory, overtaking the native ways mainly through force at first. The Spaniards’ influence is seen throughout the state in the form of mission churches, chapels and cathedrals. The Spanish were also the driving force behind the beginning of the oldest wine industry in the United States. Mysteries and miracles relate to many of New Mexico’s oldest churches.
Although insignificant compared to other cultures in the state, the African American community began to move west in large part to escape slavery. Many African Americans also migrated as part of the U.S. cavalry commonly known as the buffalo soldiers—a name given to them by the natives because of the resemblance between the hair of the soldiers and the hide of a buffalo (bison). The main function of the formation of the buffalo soldiers was to rid the West of the native peoples who were rebelling against the U.S. government. It is said that some of these soldiers brought the beliefs of voodoo with them as they made their journey west.
The Anglos’ push west included eastern traditions originating in Europe, rounding out the fabric of the New Mexico Territory. Many of the new settlers were of Irish, Italian or German descent—cultures known for their healthy connection with the spirit world through fables, legends and religious beliefs. Early literary tomes of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries include stories of the spirit world in the West.
Each culture lent a hand in weaving together the diversity we enjoy in New Mexico today.
STRUGGLE TO STATEHOOD
New Mexico was under Spanish colonial rule from 1598, when Don Juan de Oñate developed the first settlement near present-day Socorro. Santa Fe was established as the capital city in 1610, making the City Different, as Santa Fe is known today, the oldest capital in the United States. In 1680, the native people revolted against the Spaniards, driving most of them deeper south into what is now the El Paso, Texas region, closer to the country of Mexico. In 1692, Diego de Vargas recolonized the northern area of what was to become the New Mexico Territory. These historical facts make New Mexico one of the earliest settled regions of the country.
Violence reigned supreme as the Land of Enchantment set out to establish itself as part of the United States. As a part of Mexico for many years, there were those in the U.S. government who questioned if the territory could, or would, be loyal to a new nation. Therefore, statehood was delayed. It would not be until January 6, 1912, that New Mexico officially and proudly became the forty-seventh state of the union.
NEW MEXICO TODAY
Surprisingly enough, to this day there are many residents of the United States who have no clue that New Mexico is part of the country. New Mexico Magazine runs a tongue-in-cheek monthly column titled One of Our Fifty Is Missing, which gives true instances of how the world perceives and, at times, is completely oblivious to New Mexico’s existence. It is time to change this perception, and it is my hope that this book will help bring much-deserved attention to a beautiful state that offers so much to those who visit.
New Mexico is home to the International Balloon Fiesta, Zozobra, Route 66, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Billy the Kid, horse racing, state parks and monuments, casinos, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and, of course, world-famous green chile.
Many of the hotels in this book have been visited by mediums, ghost hunters and psychics who have each offered their own opinions as to the validity of the ghost claims. It is not the author’s intention to verify any of these claims, but to tell, without prejudice, the tried and true colorful stories that each hotel has to offer.
It is the wish of the property owners for anyone wanting to conduct their own personal investigation to not disturb other guests, not bring Ouija boards, and please, always respect the policies of the hotel properties by contacting the owners or managers ahead of time with your intentions.
So, grab your cameras, suitcases and open minds and follow along as we explore the fascinating haunted hotels and ghostly getaways of New Mexico.
1
ALBUQUERQUE
HISTORIC ALBUQUERQUE
Officially founded in 1706 as a Spanish presidio, Albuquerque was originally a settlement formed on the banks of the Rio Grande by the ancient Tewa people, who inhabited early pueblos and have been recorded in the area for at least twelve thousand years. Evidence of these peoples has been found in the form of projectile points, adobe structures and petroglyphs, as well as other artifacts housed in the many museums in the modern city.
The Spanish conquistadors made an appearance in 1540 with the expedition of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado as they explored what is now New Mexico for gold and other riches. They found well-structured Puebloan farming communities. Within a few months of discovering these communities, the Spaniards forced the residents out and commandeered the structures and supplies for themselves, causing deep strife with the native people. Coronado would leave in 1542; following a fifty-six-year gap, in 1598, the next Spanish explorer, Don Juan de Oñate, showed up on their land to create more havoc.
Tired of being enslaved by the Spaniards, the Puebloan people rioted against their oppressors in the Revolt of 1680. Many Spaniards were killed as the Tewa people attempted to wipe out all evidence of the Spanish culture at their pueblo structures and surrounding lands. The Spaniards fled south to the Mesilla Valley, where they stayed for many decades until they finally braved the northern lands again.
Albuquerque started humbly and grew due to the railroad. It is through the railroad that many of its first residents came to the once desolate region. Railroad workers, businessmen and ladies of the night soon flocked to the tiny town in search of work. The red-light district flourished, which gave fits to the residents who fought hard to wipe this type of influence out of the town. Prohibition in the 1920s would do their job for them, and the district faded into history. The town expanded rapidly as construction began to radiate out from the Old Town area, where a few famous lawmen and outlaws could be still seen strolling the streets.
Early Albuquerque started out without a good zoning plan, so you will notice mansions across the street from hovels and a business in the middle of the residential area. This lent charm to the Albuquerque we know today.
ALBUQUERQUE TODAY
As New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque is continually growing and expanding its boundaries. New subdivisions are being built almost daily as the consumer base strengthens. Home to huge industries and mom-and-pop businesses, Albuquerque has everything a person could want within the small subcommunities contained within the larger shell.
Old Town is a history buff ’s dream: a ten-block grouping of historical buildings erected around a central plaza. Included among these buildings is the oldest, San Felipe de Neri Church, which was built in 1793. Surrounding the church are adobe structures that were at one time private residences— now art galleries, restaurants and shops.