Montague Mine (abandoned)

The former Montague Mine is located approximately 50 miles northwest of Brimstone in the shadow of the Sierra Grande volcano. Rich in volcanic basalt, the now defunct mine was established at the start of the railway expansion into New Mexico to provide ballast for railway beds. Once the main railway arteries were established the economic demand for basalt declined and the mine was shuttered. Originally owned and operated by Aberdeen Private Mining Holdings, Inc., ownership shares of the mine have changed hands several times over the decades as commodity prices for various minerals have waxed and waned. Currently, legal ownership of the Montague Mine is in doubt and is being contested in the courtrooms of Washington and London.