Chloride, NM

Chloride was founded around 1880 after silver was discovered here.  Within a few years, there were eight saloons, three mercantiles, two butcher shops, a hotel, boarding houses, an assay office, livery stables, a candy store, a drug store, a law office, a Chinese laundry and a millinery store to service the 3,000 residents.  Like other silver-based mining towns, it started to decline when the U. S. changed to the gold standard.  By 1900, it was a quiet, little village at the end of an out-of-the-way road.  Several of the original buildings still exist.   

The Pioneer Store, which operated from 1881 to 1923, is now a museum.  When the store closed in 1923, everything was left as it was for 70 plus years to accumulate dust, cobwebs, and bat guano.  A few years ago, the Edmunds, who retired to this sleepy hamlet 26 years ago, persuaded the then current owners to sell them the property and they have lovingly scrubbed and cleaned the building and its contents in order to recreate the store as it was when the doors closed.

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