 In the 1870s Sergeant James C. Cooney of Fort Bayard found a rich strand of gold in the Gila Mountains near the future site of Mogollon, New Mexico.His find led to the development of several different mines in the area, as well as the settlement of the towns of Mogollon, Alma, and Glenwood.Several settlers from Cooney were killed, including James Cooney, during an event called the Alma Massacre.