Top 10 True Western Towns of 2009
By: 01/01/2009
3. SILVER CITY, NM
Owner John Fleming and Apache Medicine Man Geronimo met in the north parlor, circa 1885. In its 125th year, in 2008, that brick Stine-Fleming House was further preserved via a roofing grant.
John P. Risque built a circa 1870 home, orienting its adobe walls and windows for solar gain. In 2008, the current owner, Paula Geisler, shared the home’s eco-friendly qualities in a documentary distributed nationally on public TV.
The childhood home of Billy the Kid (known locally as Kid Antrim) is no more, but you can visit the grave of his Irish mother in the cemetery off Highway 180, leading into Silver City.
To think that, only 40 years ago, Silver City’s downtown was filled with boarded up buildings. The town’s 10,545 hardy citizens transformed it into a national historic district. And today, the downtown is one of two New Mexico Arts & Cultural Districts, which means that state tax credits for approved preservation projects have been increased to $50,000 from a ceiling of $25,000, says Silver City Museum Director Susan Berry.
Looking toward the future, the town’s 1886 Water Works Building is on its way to becoming a heritage tourism center, thanks to a federal Preserve America grant, which only recognized two New Mexico towns (Las Vegas was the other one), says Tom Drake of the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.
In May 2008, the town was given yet another special recognition: the Excellence in Economic Development Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation-led Strategies to Enhance Economic Development. Yes, that’s a mouthful. But what it means is that the state’s oldest Main Street project, Silver City’s, finally got the national recognition it deserves.
“Creating a climate of opportunity for new and existing businesses has been a successful strategy,” says Frank Milan, the Main Street manager. “The importance of historic properties and initiatives taken by private citizens and public entities can not be underestimated.”
We agree. Silver City is a shining beacon of what can be possible when citizens and government work together to preserve a town’s history, even when it may seem like history has been forever boarded up.
Comments (2)
The city should make the downtown historic district more western all year long, that is what the tourists want to come and enjoy, just like Jackson Hole area. Wood sidewalks, old storefronts renewed, take down the horrible siding on all those old building and make it historic and western as much as possible. Pull all the businesses together and make a true western downtown. You don't have to all sell western items, just make the buildings western. You have a GREAT start with the Train Depot and surrounding areas!! Keep up the PLAN!! or MAKE A PLAN!! Cheyenne could be a truly great small city and as the State Capital SHOULD have a GREAT DOWNTOWN!!
Sir:
My Son is coming home from Iraq in, about one year. BUT in early July he is coming on leave to look your area over for a possible place to live, get married and raise a family. We will be in WYOMING in the 1st few days of July. Have you got any info that might help him
He has been Special Forces and, I suppose Police work is what he wants.
I am in California but I am not a
"Californian". 707-259-0949 or
wes.mac@comcast.net or P O Box 294.
Yountville, California 94599. WES MAC
Mc Girr
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