Mining Towns, Kingston, New Mexico

Kingston
Kingston New Mexico was founded when a rich lode of silver ore was discovered at the Solitaire Mine in 1882. It quickly became the largest town in the territory, and was also one of the wildest in the Wild West. The town soon offered all of the trappings of civilization and culture. Numerous hotels played host to the likes of Mark Twain, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Black Jack Ketchum. Stage lines served all major routes, and the town supported twenty-three saloons, some of which advertised fresh oysters 24 hours a day! The town also had 14 grocery and general stores; a brewery; three newspapers; and an Opera House where the Lillian Russell Troupe once performed. Albert Bacon Fall and Ed Doheny of the Teapot Dome Scandal got their start in Kingston.

The Percha Bank
The old Percha Bank is the only fully intact building left from Kingston’s wild mining days. Housed in the 1884 Percha Bank building, the Percha Bank Museum boasts of the area’s rich heritage and past. Its home, the Percha Bank is noted for once being the biggest bank in the biggest city in the New Mexico Territory. The town was once seven times bigger than Albuquerque, with a population of 7000 towering over Albuquerque's 1000 during the town’s silver mining boom.

Despite the fall of the town of Kingston from its great place in the hierarchy, it is still rich in history. The Percha Bank Museum aims to preserve and present the available information of the area's legacy and heritage through various displays.

Date: 08.21.2012
Temp: 87°
Elevation:6,224 ft
Latitude: 32.916616
Longitude: -107.709334

Historic Photos:
hillsborohistory

Kingston History:
sierracountynewmexico.info

The Percha Bank: 
119B Main Street,
Kingston, NM 88042
505-895-5032