D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
February 2010
The Lost History of Pinos Altos
Why almost everything you think you know about the gold-mining boomtown is wrong.
By Erica and Jim Parson
Much has been written about the founding and early history of Pinos Altos, the small town north of Silver City where gold was discovered in 1860. Much of what has been written is — to be perfectly blunt — wrong.
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1. Summit of Pinos Altos Mountain 2. Pinos Altos town-site 3. Arrastra site 4. Arroyo Rico 5. Junction of Rich Gulch and Bear Creek — site of Eureka/Burchville 6. Rich Gulch 7. Junction of Little Cherry and Bear Creeks |
Serious errors are to be found in the accepted histories of many towns in this area, including Silver City. Often the result is a caricatured, dime-novel representation — of which the history of Pinos Altos is a prime example. Pinos Altos should be recognized today as much more than a quaint old mining town where tourists can wile away a few pleasant hours on a Saturday afternoon, soaking up the culture and art of the Southwest.
Why does the history of Pinos Altos exist in its current, error-riddled form? Broadly speaking, there are three main reasons.
First, it appears to be standard practice to create a new work on local history by quoting, paraphrasing, commenting on and discussing the works of previous authors, often with the incorporation of very little or no new material. Often there is little or no evidence of any fresh research having been carried out by the author. In short, to quote English author and historian Philip Guedella, "History repeats itself. Historians repeat each other."
Second, many modern-day writers develop the habit of over-reliance on those items written most closely in time to the occurrence of a particular event. They succumb to the belief that age alone validates the information and automatically confers on it a veneer of credibility, reliability and authenticity.
Coupled with this is the tendency to depend heavily on the memoirs of "old-timers." This is not to suggest that all such memoirs are completely unreliable. There are some very good examples, in particular two that relate to Grant County and make mention of Pinos Altos. These are the memoirs of H.B. Ailman and of O.W. Williams, who, more accurately, were diarists — recording events as they happened as opposed to collating a set of memories, often many years later.
Each of these three types of resources, although not completely devoid of value, has serious flaws. When compared to official and public documents, marked discrepancies arise. Very often the oldest works — those that form the bases for the work of more modern writers — fail to provide any referenced sources for the information they contain. The memoirs of old-timers are frequently found to be inconsistent with records and documents of the time to which they relate.
For example, "New Mexico Mines and Minerals: Being An Epitome Of The Early Mining History And Resources Of New Mexican Mines In The Various Districts," written by Fayette Alexander Jones and published in 1904, is cited on numerous occasions by numerous authors. It is regarded as being an authoritative and standard text on New Mexico's mining history. Jones' technical information is not questioned; he was twice the president of the New Mexico School of Mines at Socorro. But his histories of the various mining districts contain many factual errors, which could easily have been identified and rectified by thorough research on the part of more modern writers.
Sadly, these errors have been perpetuated — in particular those concerning how the first gold was discovered at Pinos Altos, when it was discovered, and how Pinos Altos was first named Birchville. Jones does list several people by name as sources for his information, but no specific person is credited in relation to Pinos Altos. The "myth" of Pinos Altos was already well established by the time that Jones' work was published.
The work of R.S. Allen ("A Summary of the History of Pinos Altos, Grant County, New Mexico") was first published in the Silver City Enterprise in 1899 and later reproduced in the New Mexico Historical Review (NMHR) in 1948 under the title of "Pinos Altos, New Mexico." It too includes what has come to be regarded as a standard section on the early history of Pinos Altos, as has Dorothy Watson's 1960 booklet "The Story of Pinos Altos." In fact, Watson's paragraphs on the very early history of the town repeat almost verbatim Allen's words. When Allen's article was reproduced in the NMHR in 1948, George B. Anderson's 1907 History of New Mexico: Its Resources and People was used as a supplemental reference. Again, Anderson's section on the history of Pinos Altos closely follows that of Jones' 1904 publication.
Our research has revealed that, to a large extent, the histories of Pinos Altos as narrated by these authors had their origins in an article written by General James H. Carleton. Carleton was commander of the 1st California Volunteer Infantry, the "California Column," which arrived in New Mexico Territory in 1862. In 1867 he visited Pinos Altos in the company of Charles P. Clever (Territorial Delegate to Congress), Robert B. Mitchell (Governor of the Territory of New Mexico) and Captain John Pratt (Marshal of New Mexico). Carleton's article was published in the Santa Fe Gazette in the summer of 1867, and was also included in a report published by Clever in Washington, DC, the following year.
When examined in chronological order, it can be seen how the current history of Pinos Altos is the result of an amalgamation of these three earliest works. Jones in particular reiterates information from both Carleton's and Allen's articles. For example, Jones reports that Thomas Mastin was killed in the Sept. 27, 1861, Apache raid on Pinos Altos, a "fact" first reported by Carleton. He also repeats the assertion that Pinos Altos was originally named Birchville, a "fact" first put into print by Allen, as was the "fact" that the first gold was discovered when Henry Birch paused to drink from Bear Creek, again, repeated by Jones. Carleton makes no reference to Pinos Altos having originally been called Birchville. All three writers agree on the "fact" that the discovery of gold occurred on May 18, 1860.
As regards the unreliability of the memoirs of old-timers, a prime example is the memoirs of Henry Clay (Hank) Smith written in 1909 and 1910. Smith's memoirs were collated and published in 1979 under the title "Sun Rising On The West, The Saga of Henry Clay and Elizabeth Smith." Hank Smith was a resident of Pinos Altos in 1860. Comparison of Smith's accounts of many events, and in particular his role in them, with public records and documents of the time leads one to the inevitable conclusion that he had a penchant for placing himself at front and center of those events. Much of his "memoirs" consist of error-filled accounts of events and gross exaggerations of his role in them. Hank Smith, it seems, had played a leading role in very many of the major events of southwestern New Mexico's history, including the first discovery of gold on Bear Creek.
Although there are some differences between the various accounts of the history of Pinos Altos, most writers are in agreement on the major points. There are countless magazine and newspaper articles, numerous books written by historians, and a whole slew of books on ghost towns that tell us that:
The first discovery of gold was made May 18, 1860, by Snively, Birch and Hicks.
Birch discovered the placer gold as he drank from Bear Creek; he is said to have seen gold glistening on the bed of the stream.
News of the discovery leaked out and spread quickly, resulting in a massive influx of gold hunters and leading to the establishment of a fast-growing settlement.
This settlement was christened Birchville in honor of the discoverer of the gold — Henry Birch.
The town was virtually abandoned shortly after the commencement of the Civil War, and subsequent to it being attacked by a large band of Apaches on Sept. 27, 1861.
It was during this period of abandonment that Birchville was renamed Pinos Altos, its original name, by the few remaining Hispanic citizens.
Thomas Mastin had been the first to discover a gold-bearing quartz lode in the area in December 1860.
Mastin, a leading citizen of the settlement, was mortally wounded or died (depending on which account you read) during the Apache attack.
In our opening we stated outright that much of the accepted history of Pinos Altos — namely, those points listed above — is wrong. What evidence do we have to support this?
Our main evidence is provided by three letters published in the Mesilla Times in 1860 and 1861, and by the 1897 edition of the Compiled Laws of New Mexico. The first of the letters is written by no less than Jacob Snively himself, its contents witnessed by Burch and Hicks, and dated "Pino Alto Mines, Sept. 17, 1860." It is addressed to the Editor of the Mesilla Times, and was published in the Oct. 25, 1860, edition of that newspaper:
"MR EDITOR: As the Pino Alto Mines are becoming of some importance, and as the discovery of those Mines is attributed to individuals who were not present, it now becomes necessary to inform the public who were the real discoverers: About the 20th day of April last, I was encamped near the Santa Rita del Cobre Mines with a small party, prospecting in the vicinity for Gold. Having found nothing sufficient to encourage us to continue longer I concluded to prospect the Gila and its tributaries in the Apache Country. About this time Mr. Henry Burch came to my camp, who immediately concluded to accompany me to that country. A few days after we started, Mr. Burch and James W. Hicks being my companions, after examining the mountains, and prospecting the gulches for several days unsuccessfully, we encamped on a creek which afterwards I named Bear Creek. Here we found indications of Gold, in the appearance of the country. We began to prospect. The first pan of dirt I dug and Mr. B washed it out. The result proved to be about eight cents. This was on the 3d day of May last. We prospected throughout that day, and every trial showed flattering prospects. Believing it was unsafe to continue longer in the neighborhood of hostile Indians with a small party, we concluded to return to the Copper Mines. We supplied ourselves with provisions, and augmented our company to eight in number, and then retraced our steps to the Mines. We then prospected Bear Creek and its tributaries, more thoroughly. In every attempt we found Gold; and also discovered the mining district to be of considerable extent — sufficient to engage five hundred or a thousand men. We let the intelligence of our discoveries spread. About the above stated number are now engaged in the Mines. Discoveries in quartz, both gold and silver, are daily being made. I have no doubt that the Mines will last, at least for twenty years or more.
J. Snively
We, the undersigned, certify that the above is true.
Henry Burch
Jas. W. Hicks"