Historical Marker

Madrid National Historic District

Madrid is located in the Ortiz Mountains, one of the United State’s oldest mining regions. Its unique coal deposits are both bituminous and anthracite. Established about 1892 at the site of Coal Gulch, Madrid grew as a company-owned mining town. Its Christmas lighting displays drew national attention during the 1930s. When the mines closed in 1954, Madrid nearly became a ghost town.