The rock-ribbed hills surrounding Cerrillos, New Mexico, are honeycombed with mineshafts and it is these mines that have shaped the history of the town and of the district over which it presides. The Pueblo Indians for untold ages took out turquoise; the Spaniards in their turn found gold, silver and lead; and finally, the Anglo-Americans exploited all of these in addition to copper, zinc and coal. Mining gave life to Cerrillos and to neighboring towns such as Bonanza City, Carbonateville, Waldo and Madrid. And when the boom passed and the mines closed, that life ebbed away. Scattered over the hills and in the valleys everywhere are skeletal remains of mining activity: deserted buildings, black and foreboding entrances to shafts, broken tools and equipment, fallen timbers from the windlasses, gallows and hoist houses, tailing dumps and slag heaps. These offer silent testimony to the once prosperous past of the Cerrillos mining district and are an appeal for all students of history.

The Nomad: Lew Zane believed he was delivering justice—not vengeance—when he tracked down and killed the men who murdered his parents. But taking the law into his own hands has taken its toll on his soul. Ridding himself of his land and property, Lew plans to leave Arkansas for good and put the past behind him. The Kidnappers: They are the patriarchs of the most respected and wealthiest families in the territory—and the fathers of the men Lew Zane executed. They’ve abducted Seneca Jones, the woman Lew loves, hoping to lure him into a death trap. The Outlaw: Lew’s enemies have underestimated him. He has nothing left to lose, and no fear of the consequences of his actions—which will brand him as a wanted man for the rest of his life.

The people, geological features, and historic events that have made New Mexico what it is today are commemorated in over 350 historic markers along the state's roads. This guide is designed to fill in the gaps and answer the questions those markers provoke.

A biography and a complete bibliography of New Mexico's leading independent historian.