Tonque is an ancient abandoned Native American pueblo, whose ruins reside on the San Felipe Reservation. The property is near the historic Hispanic village of Placitas and the ghost town Hagen, an abandoned mining community.
In the 1970s and 80s, my husband and I often visited the area. Once we drove his 1933 Chrysler out to the Pueblo and ended up spending the night under the stars. We woke in the morning surrounded by currious cows.
The history of the Pueblo and the surrounding area always interested me. Years ago, we had permission from the Diamond Tail Ranch foreman to bring university students and school children on field trips. We dug dry clay, formed pinch pots, and burnished them for pit firing.
There were many petroglyphs etched into the canyon walls.
Tonque Brick and Tile Company
In 1912, during Hagan’s coal mining development, a brick factory was constructed at the southwestern corner of the pueblo ruins. The company made use of the rich clay deposits for thirty years producing bricks and tiles.
A brick from the Tonque Brick & Tile Company