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PERCHA CITY OR KINGSTON

You might think that something as simple as a town’s name would be well documented.  But that is not always the case and often the origin of the town’s name is wrapped in mythology.  In the case of Kingston, Willard Steinsick (see below) asserted that the town was originally founded as Percha City and then renamed.  Other sources (“A Sketch of Kingston and Its Surroundings.pdf” edited by Charles Greene in 1883) clearly distinguish between the sites of Kingston and Percha City. (p. 4 & p. 11).

The legal complexity of mining is exemplified by this map of the claims in the Kingston area, end on end, surrounded, and adjacent - difficult to tell apart, especially on the ground.  More information about mining in the area is available on the Kingston Mining District page and links from that portal.

RELIGION

Society is a combination of cultural elements - even in mining towns.  The “History of New Mexico Spanish and English Missions of the Methodist Church from 1850 to 1910” by Thomas Harwood is a decent source of information about the activities of that religious order in the area.  Another source, “The English Work of the MEC in Hillsboro, Lake Valley, & Kingston” by Rev. Willard Steinsick, 2008, is also good, it starts with:

    “In the late 1800’s the mining camps in the Black

    Range of southern New Mexico were wild places

    where you might run into the likes of Butch Cassidy,

    Sundance Kid and Black Jack Ketchem, known

    visitors to Kingston.  On Virtue Street in Kingston,

    rather than a church, you would find the brothel. 

    The nearby communities of Hillsboro and Lake

    Valley were hardly more civilized.”

The “Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Arizona Gazetteer and Business Directory 1884-1885” described Kingston as (p. 321):

Steinsick (p. 26) reports that “One legendary story is that Sarah Jane Orchard, known as Sadie to her patrons, who ran a brothel in Kingston, sent her girls out to the saloons to collect money, raising $1,500 to build the first church in Kingston.  ‘The structure went up and the opening services were held.  Sadie and her “soiled doves” attended but were promptly snubbed by proper citizens.  She never again entered the church.’ It seems likely that this was the Methodist Episcopal Church, but the evidence is inconclusive.”  (Editor: Note the discrepancies in the purported cost of the church and source(s) of construction finances -- from reports of the same church).

A photograph of Kingston from this period is shown above.

In 1891 (p.206) Charles V. Owen was pastor in Kingston having replaced Chase who was suffering from personal financial problems.  Shortly after his appointment, “some complaints soon arose against Charles Owen, which led to an investigation.  Upon closer examination they discovered that Charles Owen lacked the proper credentials to be a pastor, and may not have ever been a member of the Methodist Church.  He was quickly dismissed.” (Steinsick p. 27)  Chase returned as pastor for a short period but then moved to Las Cruces.

In 1892 (p. 219) Rev. Charles L. Bovard reported that there had been four conversions to the church in a revival in Kingston.

At this time Hillsboro was County Seat and the new pastor in the area, Rev. Henry Carlson served both the Kingston and Hillsboro Communities.  In 1893, the school at Kingston which had been using the stone church moved into its own building (Steinsick, p. 28) and the church was “reseated” and rededicated.

In 1890, The Sherman Silver Purchase Act had been enacted, it required the United States to buy silver with notes that could be redeemed for either silver or gold.  Effectively the price of over produced silver was supported by US notes (and gold).  In 1893 a financial crisis in the railroad industry led to a run on banks as holders of US notes demanded gold - soon they were joined by investors from around the world.  The Act was repealed in 1893 to prevent the exhaustion of the gold reserves and the price of silver plummeted.  As did the economies of the silver mining communities of the west, like Kingston and Lake Valley.

There followed a period of “supply pastors” like F. M. Day and J. E. Kirkpatrick.  In a church report of 1896 it was noted that ‘when (Kirkpatrick) took charge of this work he found but little of the spirit of Methodism there.’ (Kingston) ‘A sort of go-as-you-please spirt prevailed.’  A sure sign of the general decline in the community was the significant number of “removals” (from church roosters) which were occurring at this time.  Kirkpatrick who was ill returned to his home in Michigan. (Steinsick p. 29)

In 1897 J. A. Mussell, from Oklahoma, was appointed to Las Cruces, Kingston, and Hillsboro. (Harwood, p. 301)  He continued through at least 1900 in that capacity (Harwood, p. 411).  During this period the Epworth League was active in both Kingston and Hillsboro.  But “by 1899, however, ...empty houses and deserted streets and idle machinery...(in Kingston and Hillsboro were reported) in the midst of such an economic downturn the charge was left to be supplied.” (Steinsick, p. 30)

In 1900 (Harwood, p. 320) Superintendent A. P. Morrison reported that “Hillsboro and Kingston work was left to be supplied.  Immediately after the Conference I appointed Rev. Henry Van Valkenburg, a local preacher, and told him he was going to the hardest field in the Conference...”

In 1901 church reports stated that “At Kingston, almost the whole church and town are gone; one member in the town remains.  The property is kept in good condition for the board of church extension, but it seems no longer possible to keep up regular services period.  What can be done remains to be seen, but the outlook is not encouraging.” (Steinsick, pp. 28-29)

By 1904 the Methodist Church was sending someone “up for a day or two every quarter” and that by 1905 “the inhabitants of Kingston, Hillsboro, and Lake Valley combined would now ‘only make a small village’.  (Steinsick, p. 30)

THE POST OFFICE

The Kingston post office closed in 1957 only three years after the post office in Lake Valley closed.