Madrid was a coal mining town with a unique history of being a progressive “company town.” The coal mine owners created a community philosophy for their employees based on the concept of participation. Each employee contributed a small amount of their paychecks to a community fund that developed a community center, parks, a baseball park with a semi pro baseball team.
When the coal played out, the population plummeted. Most of the homes were owned by the son of the mine operator who began renting out the homes to artists at a very fair rent. This kept the homes occupied and somewhat well maintained resulting a charming town on the Turquoise Hwy south of Santa Fe.
Madrid was the filming location for a number of scenes for the movie Wild Hogs starring: Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, John Travola, and William H. Macy. Since the film was released, Madrid is a popular stop for the so called, “shirt and tie bikers,” weekend motorcycle enthusiasts.
For photographers, Madrid is a wonderful mix of eclectic galleries housed in fascinating buildings, landscapes loaded with great views and unlimited detail features that can keep you snapping pictures for hours.
