Then & Now: Modoc, New Mexico

Position mouse cursor over image to see historic 1904 photo. Move mouse cursor off image to see my 1982 photo.

This photograph was my first deliberate attempt to reproduce a historic photo. By that time I took it in 1982, there were so few remains at the townsite that I couldn't find the exact spot the historic photo was taken from; the only manmade feature identifiable in both photos is the ore dump upon which the mill building once stood. The Modoc Mine operated intermittently between 1879 and 1905, producing lead, silver and copper.

The Modoc townsite is located about 10 miles east of Las Cruces, at the base of the Organ Mountains. At the time of my visit, the site was open to the public and accessible by a short hike from the La Cueva climbing area. But since my last visit was more than 20 years ago, I cannot vouch for the current condition or accessibility of the site.

Modoc has passed into memory, but the mountains remain unchanged. The Organ Mountains are one of southern New Mexico's premiere rock climbing areas. The pyramidal peak on the left is The Wedge (elevation 8300 feet), which I climbed with Daryle Chapline on a separate trip in 1982.