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Catherine
Wanek and Pete Fust, owners 119 Main Street; Kingston, NM 88042 Phone: (505) 895-5652 Fax: (505) 895-3326  |
| "The beauty of the Black Range cannot be described by man, for at times, especially after a rainy season, with its forests, flowers, and wild animals, it is a perfect paradise." | ||
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"Uncle Jimmy" McKenna, Black Range Tales |
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| · The
Historic Black Range Lodge · · Special Events · Rooms · Rates · Meals · How to Contact Us · · The Gila National Forest and Wilderness · Miners and Outlaws · · Kingston · The Apaches · The Mogollon Indians · · Geology and Climate · Map |
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             | The Historic Black Range Lodge Step into the old west when you enter the Lodge's spacious lobby. Its massive stone walls and log-beamed ceilings - built from the tumble-down ruins of Pretty Sam's Casino and the Monarch Saloon - were completed in 1940. The original construction of multi-layered bricks dates back to the 1880s, when the Lodge housed miners and cavalry. Furnished for comfort, the Lodge invites you to relive Kingston's wild and wooly past, with modern conveniences. Guest bedrooms open into a large common room, where you can curl up with a book or watch a movie on the VCR. Nestled in the foothills of the Gila National Forest, the Lodge provides easy access to its 3 million acres of wild, natural beauty. A short walk in the clean mountain air takes you across Percha Creek and under the tall Ponderosa pines. A breathtaking drive over Emory Pass leads you into the Heart of the Gila.  As you drive, keep a sharp lookout and you may be rewarded with the sight of curious deer at the roadside or a herd of javelina (wild pigs) crossing into the bush.Ask about hiking, biking, birding, boating, swimming, fishing, rockhounding, galleries, wineries, home-grown produce, local festivals... Special Events A group may book the entire Lodge for reunions, retreats, weddings and workshops. We can sleep up to 25 - and larger groups by special arrangement. The second floor common room makes a flexible meeting space, and downstairs the lobby and game room invite mingling. Cook your own meals in our spacious kitchen, or we'll arrange for catering. Rooms All seven guest rooms have an individual charm. Choose a queen-size bed or a private balcony. Our three suites accommodate families of up to six.
NEW!
$119 plus tax. Add'l Person per night - adult $15, child $10, infants free ·
Children are welcome
at the Lodge Meals Breakfast is served buffet-style from 8-ll am, featuring cereal, fruit, juice, whole-grain breads, and eggs from local free-range chickens. For other meals, visitors may keep food fresh in the guest fridge, and prepare it in the user-friendly kitchen. Or cafes in nearby Hillsboro offer fine BBQ, Mexican and American menus. How to Contact Us Catherine Wanek and Pete Fust The Black Range Lodge 119 Main Street Kingston, NM 88042 Phone: (505) 895-5652 Fax: (505) 895-3326 The Gila National Forest and Wilderness One of the largest wild areas in the Southwest, the Gila (HE-la) National Forest stretches from high desert to alpine forests.  Its unique habitat has been protected since 1899, and the Gila became the world's first designated Wilderness Area in 1924.In 1937, the Black Range Highway (NM 152) opened these rugged mountains to auto traffic, looping over prairies, through pinon and juniper woods, and up into forests of ponderosa pine, fir and aspen. The Forest Service maintains nearly 400 miles of hiking trails, including the Continental Divide Trail which bisects NM 152 at Emory Pass, and will eventually stretch from Mexico to Canada. Teeming with wildlife, this scenic canyon country is home to deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, pronghorn antelope, fox and javelina, as well as a multitude of bird species - from hummingbirds to bald eagles. Miners and Outlaws It took the fever caused by shiny metal to wrest this land from the Apaches in the 1800s.  Gold, silver and copper were discovered, and plenty, in these hills, creating many a millionaire before the best ore was finally played out. Ghost towns like Kingston, Hillsboro, Lake Valley, Tyrone, Pinos Altos, Shakespeare, Mogollon, Winston and Chloride all knew the glory days of the rich strikes. The recession of 1893, followed by the demonetization of silver, caused most boom towns to bust by the turn of the century. Artifacts from pioneer days can be seen in museums in Kingston, Hillsboro, and Silver City.Along with miners came merchants, madames, gamblers and gangs. Billy the Kid grew up in Silver City. As a wild young man he rode far and wide over this country. Later, as an outlaw, he escaped and hid in his old forest haunts. Kingston A rollicking silver-mining boomtown, in its heyday Kingston was called the "Gem of the Black Range." In the 1880s Kingston boasted the largest population in New Mexico Territory: home to 7000 miners, merchants and madames. California oil magnate Edward Doheny had humble beginnings as a miner in Kingston, as did his partner Albert Bacon Fall who was later implicated in the Teapot Dome Scandal. Today, this lovely wooded valley is a quiet community of 30-some residents. A few historic buildings remain, notably the assay office, the Victorio Hotel, and the Percha Bank - now a private museum. The old village bell in front of the Volunteer Fire Department was cast in St. Louis, and was originally used to announce Indian raids until the final Apache surrender in 1886. Before silver was discovered here in 1882, Kingston had been the haunt of the great Apache leaders Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, Victorio, and Geronimo - the last tribe of Indians to surrender their land in North America. The Apaches The Apache were peaceful hunter/gatherers when encountered in 1541 by Coronado's first expedition. Their territory included southern New Mexico, western Arizona and northern Mexico. Acquiring horses from the Spanish, they used them to defend their home against encroaching settlements. Taught to blend into the landscape and endure hardship, small bands of braves outfought and outfoxed the regimented cavalry. Finally outnumbered, they retreated to their strongholds in the Black Range. Broken promises, uneasy truces, and bloody battles describe the ultimate defeat of the proud Apaches who would not tolerate reservation life. When Geronimo and Naiche finally surrendered in 1886, the last of their tribe was imprisoned and relocated to Florida. The Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences contains Apache artifacts, plus a collection of Mogollon (Mimbres) Indian pottery. The Mogollon Indians A prehistoric culture, the Mogollon lived in small pueblos throughout the Gila region, and east to the Rio Grande. Contemporaries of the Anasazi of northern New Mexico, they flourished from before the time of Christ for over 1000 years. The Gila Cliff Dwellings is the best preserved of the hundreds of these town sites across the region. South-facing caves were enhanced by stone walls, quarried locally, housing generations of Indians. Diligent farmers of corn, beans and squash, they were excellent weavers and skilled potters. Mimbres Classic, a black-on-white pottery with geometric and pictographic designs, surpasses other prehistoric pottery in beauty and vitality. The Mogollon Indians left the area about 1300 AD, with contemporary theories of drought or intertribal warring suggested as possible reasons. You can see fine collections of their pottery at museums in Silver City and Truth or Consequences. Geology and Climate Eons ago, a tropical sea covered southwest New Mexico, leaving fossilized shells behind as vestiges of its ocean life. Ancient volcanic upheavals created rugged mountain ranges, depositing the valuable gold, silver and other minerals found there.  The numerous Hot Springs in the region are evidence of continuing geothermal activity, and the City of Rocks stands today like a natural Stonehenge - the result of an unusual volcanic eruption.Four gentle seasons grace the Gila high country. Its cool mountain air entices travelers up in the summer months. July and August will often bring afternoon rains. Fall means crisp days, the apple harvest, and spectacular colors among the aspens. In winter, the snow along the top of the range invites cross-country skiers. Sunny and warm, most spring days are ideal for outdoor activities. |
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