Historical Marker

Magdalena (1)

Named for Magdalena Peak, Magdalena is located in a mineral-rich area which became a center for silver and zinc mining in the 1860s. In 1884, a railroad spur was built from the smelter in Socorro, and Magdalena became an important railhead for cattle, sheep, and ore. In protohistoric times the Navajo and Apache people moved into the area. The Alamo Navajo Reservation, a noncontiguous section of the much larger Navajo Nation, is nearby.