population of Santa Rita was about 500 in 1884. By 1915 it was 2,500, and by 1920 had reached 6,000. It remained at 6,000 until significant layoffs at the mine started in the 1950s. Notable people Ralph Kiner (1922–2014), National Baseball Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. Kiner number 4 is retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the New York Mets honored Ralph Kiner broadcaster career by depicting a microphone along with his name and displayed on the left-field wall. William Harrell Nellis (1916–1944), was a United States fighter pilot who flew 70 World War II combat missions. The Nellis Air Force Base was named after him Harrison Schmitt (b 1935), geologist, Apollo 17 astronaut and moonwalker, U.S. Senator 1977-1983 See also List of ghost towns in New Mexico References Further reading Julyan, Robert Hixson (1998) "Santa Rita" The place names of New Mexico (2nd ed.) University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, p. 326, Pearce, T. M. (1965) "Santa Rita" New Mexico place names; a geographical dictionary University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, p. 149, OCLC 420847 External links Sinclair, John L. (2003) "Santa Rita — the town that vanished into thin air" SouthernNewMexico.com "Santarita" Ghost Towns and History of the American West Ghost towns in New Mexico History of Grant County, New Mexico Geography of Grant County, New Mexico