Histories

For more than a quarter of a century, our people looked to Congress for financial assistance in storing the flood waters of the Rio Grande ; and whilst we have not altogether abandoned hope of some day receiving some form of national aid for the development of our arid lands, with an energy characteristic of the West, we have demonstrated that, with or without Federal assistance, we are quite capable of financing and carrying out a great irrigation undertaking, so long as our right to appropriate the flood waters of our streams is not threatened by Congress.

The normal flow of the Rio Grande has been used, more or less, for irrigation in New Mexico since the Spaniards first founded colonies in that part of "New Spain" over 300 years ago; but the system of irrigation practiced is but a primitive one at best, and is carried on chiefly by means of ''community ditches." No attempt was made to impound the flood waters of the Rio Grande by building great storage dams until 1893, when, despairing of Federal aid, a public company was incorporated under the laws of the territory for the purpose of building a storage dam at Elephant Butte, in Sierra County, and irrigating the valley and mesa lands below as far as Fort Quitman, Texas. All the requirements of the territorial and federal statutes were complied with in order to establish the reservoir rights essential to the undertaking; and the land-owners in the Valley, almost without exception, entered into formal contracts conveying to the Company part of their lands and transferring to the Company their rights in the existing "community ditches," thus creating a valuable property basis for the necessary bond issue.

Contributed 26 Aug 2025 by Norma Hass, extracted from 1902 Statehood for New Mexico: Agruments on Behalf by Nathan E. Boyd, M.D., page 6.

Hillsboro

Stitzel slipped away, taking his rocks to the assayer. His partner would only have laughed at him. He was prepared for a delay for even though prospectors were first in line at the office, several days were necessary to run an assay. The pieces of ore must first be crushed into pea-gravel size and ground to powder. A measured amount was then roasted, a "button" of metal melted out and weighed, the comparison to the ore sample given in terms of value per ton. Dugan was impatient to be on his way after hearing what his partner had doen. When he got the value news he was impatient to go back. The finished assay ran $160.

The men immediately returned to the float site and established a claim. This first one was called the Opportunity, a second one christened Ready Pay. Both were successful, the first five tons of ore bringing the partners $400. Soon others were flocking in and a name for the new camp was needed. Each man wanted to name the place after his home town. When no agreement was reached, a hatful of names was shuffled and Hillsborough drawn. In usage it was shortened to Hillsboro.

Contributed 26 Aug 2025 by Norma Hass, extracted from 1970 Ghost Towns of the Southwest by Lambert Florin, pages 100-101, where more text and photos can be found.

Kingston

The first survey on the townsite was commenced August 21st by Parker & Taylor, and was of the Home Ticket mining claim, owned by A. Barnaby. Next was the Lula claim, belonging to Fraser & Holt, and then the Grand View mill-site, below Water street, owned by Pressly Johnson. The Copper Queen claim, adjoining the Home Ticket, was also platted, and later the Hornet, across the creek, put on the market by Barnaby and Webster, and a number of residence lots were sold from it.

Meantime the Iron King mill-site, above the town was purchased by Messrs. Boss, Ritchie and others and a company was organized. The site was surveyed and platted and some sales made, but there has been as yet but little building upon it. As a residence locality it cannot be excelled; it offers some of the prettiest building sites to be found anywhere.

The Kingston Town Company was organized October 1st, 1882, by T. F. Chapman, James A. Lockhart, Robert Hopper, Col. J. C. Logan, Frank Adams, C. H. Phelps, Thomas Kelly, Ellis Miller, H. G. Clark and J. C. Roberts. The properly purchased constitutes the eastern portion of the town and includes the Galveston, Old Iowa, Eureka, Mexican Central, Kentucky, Last Chance and other mill-site locations. To put the property in form, fractious were purchased from surrounding mining claims, the whole making about five hundred lots, 25 by 100 feet being the standard size. The first officers of the company were T. F. Chapman, president; G. W. Hartmann, secretary; J. A. Lockhart, treasurer; and Messrs. Chapman, Lockhart, Miller, Roberts and Hopper, directors. About one hundred lots have been sold. Several proprietary interests have changed hands so that the present owners are Messrs. Chapman, Lockhart, Hopper, Maxwell and Clark, and W. W. Maxwell is the present secretary. Extensive improvements are in progress: the streets are being cleared and fencing the blocks is being done under contract. The location is a very desirable one and covers the water privileges and sites where the mills, smelters and other manufactories of the district will necessarily be located — some of them in the near future. Its surface is enough diversified to insure good drainage and furnishes desirable business and residence locations.

Contributed 26 Aug 2025 by Norma Hass, extracted from 1970 A Sketch of Kingston and Its Surroundings: Percha District by Charles W. Greene, pages 9-10.

Newspapers

Black Range [1882-1887], Robinson and Chloride, NM
Desert Journal [1995-present], Truth or Consequences, NM
The Herald [1933-present], Truth or Consequences, NM
Hillsboro News [1931-1941, became The News], Hillsboro, NM
Hot Springs Health City News [1939-1939], Hot Springs [T or C], NM
Hot Springs Herald [1916-1965], Hot Springs [T or C], NM
Hot Springs Maverick [1920-1928], Hot Springs [T or C], NM
Hot Springs News [1940-1941], Hot Springs High School, NM
Kingston Clipper [1884-1884, became Sierra County Advocate], Kingston, NM
Kingston Weekly Shaft [1887-1893, moved to Rincon], Kingston, NM
Lake Valley Herald [1882-1882, merged with Deming Tribune], Lake Valley, NM
Lake Valley New Era [1883-1885, mines and minerals], Lake Valley, NM
New Health [1942-1942], Hot Springs [T or C], NM
Sierra County Advocate [1884-1960], Kingston and Hot Springs [T or C], NM
Sierra County Record [1925-1930], Hillsboro, NM
Sierra County Sentinnel [1967-present], Truth or Consequences, NM
Sierra Free Press [1911-1922, became Hot Springs Herald], Hot Springs [T or C], NM

Pictures