Coal was first discovered near the, soon to be, town of Hagan, NM around 1901 by surveyors for the Pennsylvania Development Company and coal production actually started around 1903.  The town was named after a mining investor named William Hagan.  The town had a general store, post office and around 60 residents by the year 1905.  Because the coal was being hauled by wagon to the AT&SF railroad about 14 miles to the northwest, it soon became too costly to continue, and the mines had to shut down by 1910.  In 1919 some Louisiana  investors became interested in the property and re-started the mines; however, this time they brought in a railroad line connecting the mines to the AT&SF railroad near the San Felipe Pueblo.  The town soon grew to around 500 people.  Because of the coal powered power plant and water reservoir high on the cliff above the town, the residents had running water, electricity,  and toilets.  The Hagan Mercantile, shown below in 1924, was the largest adobe building in New Mexico at the time.

The town flourished until around 1930 when the coal seam soon became too narrow and deep to be mined profitably.  The Hagan coal mines closed for the second (and last) time in 1931.  A few residents hung around for 10 years or so, after which Hagan became a ghost town.

Aerial Views

Mines and Coal loading area

Hagan

Mercantile

Overhead

water riservoir

Housing

Water

Reservoir

Power

Plant

Mines

Rail Loading Area

Pictures from our trip

Mine Adits

Down

Up

Offices

MINES

Mercantile

School??