L A   C U E V A

Birds of the air will tell of murders past... Christopher Marlowe

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, Organ Mountains, New Mexico

+Roadtrip::Dripping Springs+

[Van Patten Camp]   [Boyd's Sanatorium]   [La Cueva]

explored by: Shady & Angeleyez (photos by Shady)

It had been a loooong day already, but I couldn't pass up checking out the last infamous place in a canyon filled with strange things- La Cueva. I decided to hike this one alone, as Angel's asthma was acting up after the massive hike and the poor girl needed a breather. I left her at the head of the trail to La Cueva, and made the rest of the way up alone. As I trudged along the steep, narrow trail, I marveled that someone would walk all the way out here to live alone in a cave. I couldn't help but think about the enigmatic man who used to call this place home...

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

The man they called "El Ermitano" ("The Hermit")- whose real name was Agostini-Justiniani- was born of noble Italian parents around 1800. He may have spent years studying for the priesthood, but when the time came for him to become a full-fledged priest, he refused his vows and spent many years wandering thousands of miles on foot across South America, Europe, Cuba, and Mexico. He accumulated a great amount of knowledge about botany and the healing powers of flora and fauna, and became a very skilled healer. At age 62 he found himself near Las Vegas after walking many miles with a wagon train; he made his way to a hill to the northwest called Cerro Tecolote, where he lived in solitude for awhile. To this day, that hill is still known as "Hermit's Peak." In 1867, he moved again, traveling on foot with another wagon train which led him to San Antonio Texas, Juarez Mexico, and eventually, New Mexico. He made friends with a family by the name of Barela in Mesilla; he would visit them often, and his miraculous healing powers became known far and wide. One day, he announced his plans to trek across the desert to the remote cave in the Organ Mountains now known as La Cueva ("The Cave"), with the intention of making it his home.

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

Despite his friend's misgivings, he followed through with his plan, and this cave became home to the mysterious hermit for the last few years of his life. Believers would make the trip to his cave to be healed from various ailments; he would often gather herbs and flowers from the lush desert landscape right outside his haven for the potions he concocted for his cures. He seemed quite content in the isolated home he shared with the cacti and the lizards... however, he did issue this strange warning to his friends in Mesilla, "I shall make a fire in front of my cave every Friday evening while I shall be alive. If the fire fails to appear, it will be because I have been killed." One Friday night in the spring of 1869, the light of the fire failed to appear at the mouth of the cave as it usually did. A posse went up the mountain to check on El Ermitano; they were shocked to discover him dead on the floor of La Cueva. His body was facedown on a large crucifix and he was wearing a  penitential "girdle of spikes"; a gleaming knife protruded from his back. Nobody ever figured out who killed the mysterious old hermit, or even why anyone would want him dead. His murder remains one of New Mexico's most infamous unsolved mysteries to this very day.

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

La Cueva, New Mexico

As I finally reached the summit of the mountainside, and faced the darkened entrance to the cave, I became aware of the solitude of my surroundings. I turned around to take in the spectacular view. Amazing. You could see forever... the whole entire valley was laid out in a patchwork of colors. As I turned back toward the dark mouth opening into the mountain, I couldn't help but think of the local ghost stories that claimed there is still phantom firelight spotted out in front of La Cueva on the occasional moonless night. Going inside the shadowy cave, I felt the hair raise up along my arms and the back of my neck. He lived in here, I thought. They found him murdered here. It was a very odd sensation- I distinctly felt that I was not alone. Yet, I was definitely miles from any other person as far as I knew. I took a few more minutes to look around and just absorb the silent isolation of the place. Then, I decided to get back down the trail before the sun started to go down. I didn't exactly wanna stick around up there all alone to see if there would be a fire and if so, who would be igniting it.

When we finally got back to the Shady Lady, we were dusty, sore, tired and thirsty. It had been a great day of exploration, though. This was quite an amazing place. Can't wait til the next one!

More info about the Organ Mountain's Recreational Areas

BACK TO BOYD'S SANATORIUM      MORE ROAD TRIPS

 

Do you have any background information or stories to tell about this abandoned site?

 

Want to purchase one of these, or any of my other photos...?

O W N   A   P I E C E   O F   L O S T   H I S T O R Y:


All of my pics are available for purchase as high-quality prints on Kodak glossy paper, in 5x7 or 8x10 size; framing is available. Click here to order!

 

 

Lost Destinations is a trademark of Brainchild Graphics. Copyright 2003 Brainchild Media. All rights reserved. All materials on this site are protected by US copyright law & may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without prior written permission. Disclaimer