Madrid, known initially as "Coal Gulch," sits on 30-square miles of hard and soft anthracite coal (very pure coal, with the highest carbon content and few impurities). Cerrillos Coal Company began mining around 1835. They built the entire town. The yield from the narrow valley was substantial enough to justify building a 6.5-mile railroad spur connecting the community to Santa Fe. The town produced 250,000 tons of coal a year at its peak, with a population larger than Albuquerque. | New Mexico N