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Kingston New Mexico Townsite - Ghost town

Photos courtesy of Mike Sinnwell May 2009

As of January 2017 the Museum at the school house is now open first and third Saturdays from 11 am to 3 pm. Per Barb Lovell

Interesting sign invites you into town. The town was founded around 1882. Assay office, bank and lodge are still there. As you drive through and you look close in the woods and along the stream you can see the remnants of a large town. Supposedly near 7,000 people once lived here. Some say it was once the largest silver mining town in new Mexico. Jack Sheddon discovered a rich lode of silver ore in 1882. Kingston quickly became a boom town with a bank, 22 saloons, 14 groceries, 3 hotels, 3 newspapers, a brewery, gambling halls and much more. They even had a bell installed that announced the arrival of the mail, (and served as a fire bell)

There are some rumors about a Ghost named Sam that still hangs around. Apparently he was a one armed handyman at the Black Range Lodge over 100 years ago. Pretty special place you might want to spend the night or a weekend there. They also claim that the women that first arrived at Kingston were there to entertain the male population. Wonder what they did? With a church to saloon ratio of 1 to 22 you can only guess. Sadie Orchard, a native of London, operated a brothel in Kingston (on Virtue Street) and later in Hillsboro.