 |
Grant County was created from Doņa Ana County, New Mexico. An act of Territorial Legislature on January 1868 changed the name from San Vicente de La Cienega to Grant County in honor of General Ulysses S. Grant. The original county seat was Pinos Altos, but today it's Silver City. Silver City sprang to life in the summer of 1870 as a tent city shortly after John Bullard opened a silver mine. As optimism grew, townspeople began to build permanent houses using bricks made from local clay. The fruits of this labor are still standing in Silver City's five historic districts. Once the silver was depleted, copper took its place as a major area industry. In recent years, tourism has also become an important economic contributor.
|
