Chino Mines Creek

New Mexico · United States · Execution site

An old woman is seen in the creek at Bayard, New Mexico, calling for her son. One version has a flood taking him. The other is older and much darker.

An elderly woman is reported in the creek at Bayard, New Mexico, crying and calling out for her child. Two explanations circulate, and they belong to different traditions.

The first is straightforward. A flood came through her home and carried her son away, and she has been looking for him ever since.

The second is a version of a story told across the Spanish speaking Americas. She was a beautiful Hispanic woman whose only difficulty was that she was poor. In the village she met a handsome man. They courted and married. Then he changed. He was always leaving town, staying away longer each time, and leaving her with the children.

Anyone who knows the legend of La Llorona knows how that ends, and knows that she is heard at water rather than seen.

The creek runs through mining country, and the two accounts have grown together over time. What people report there is the same in both: a woman's voice, calling a child who does not come.

FAQ

Where is Chino Mines Creek located?

Chino Mines Creek is in New Mexico, United States.