Alma, New Mexico, ghost town

Alma

Southwest region of New MexicoAlma was once the headquarters for Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch." They worked at one time at the nearby WS ranch. Alma is located north of Glenwood and south of Reserve. Katherine McCarty, mother of Billy the Kid, moved here in March 1873 after she married William Antrum who owned a blacksmith shop in town where Billy hung out.

The "Alma massacre" involved a raid on United States settlers' homes around Alma on April 28, 1880. During the event Chiricahua Apache tribal members were led by Victorio, and several settlers were killed, including James Cooney. The event was ended by the arrival of U.S. Army troops from Fort Bayard.

Alma is Spanish for "soul," so it's fitting that the cemetery is a major feature of this southwestern New Mexico community. The well-kept grounds sit atop a hill overlooking the town, and the road up is marked with a beautiful hand-crafted sign.

Each gravestone undoubtedly marks the resting place of a thousand and one stories. If the inscriptions on the stones themselves could be considered a table of contents, here are a few of the chapters:

W.P. Allred
B. 1841, D. 1916
No pains, no griefs, no anxious fear,
Can reach our loved one sleeping here.

Elsworth H. Tipton
B. 1926, D. 1932, 5 yrs. 7 mos. 22 days
Our little treasure
Budded on Earth
to Bloom in Heaven

Alice Evelyn Burns
B. 1935, D. 1990, Beloved Mom
Loving Memories of you
the laughter we shared
the talks and walks,
you always cared.

Phil S. Dunning
B. 1889, D. 1912
He was a bricklayer.