History of the St. James Hotel, Cimarron, NM (2025)

29/11/2025

A New Mexico Mystery: The death of Daniel Miller

A while back, a friend reached out to me to help solve the mystery of Daniel Miller. My friend was part of a team mapping the remnants of old railroad tracks around the Cimarron and Ute Park area. While exploring Old Baldy, an abandoned mining town on Mt. Baldy west of Cimarron, the group stumbled upon the town's unofficial burial grounds. It was here that they discovered a grave with an unusual inscription. The grave belonged to Daniel Miller, and his marker, a brass plate fixed to a tree, read: "Daniel Miller, Killed About 2 AM, June 17, 1920." This was certainly an odd detail to include on a grave marker.
While investigating, the only record I located was the 1910 census, which lists Mr. Miller living as a miner in a rooming house at Ute Creek. He was born in June 1861, was a naturalized citizen, and immigrated to the US in 1875. Beyond this, there’s no further information available.
This raises many questions: What really happened to Daniel Miller? Why specify his time of death on the grave marker? What were the circumstances surrounding his death? Despite searching newspapers and other records, I've found nothing about his demise. Does anyone have any insights or theories regarding this New Mexico mystery? If so, please share your thoughts.

23/11/2025

St. James Saloon – Shootings of 1872 / Charles Morris

The final 1872 shooting in the St. James Saloon (that was documented) took place in July and was that of Charles Morris. There is little information about Morris, except that he hailed from Colorado by way of Tennessee and was known as a ladies’ man. He arrived in Cimarron accompanied by Chunk Colbert’s wife—a risky move.

Chunk Colbert, a notorious gunman who frequented The Clifton House (a gambling spot south of Raton, New Mexico), had a reputation for killing several men in the area and making sure everyone knew it. Eventually, Colbert came to the St. James Saloon in search of Morris. Morris was at the bar when Colbert approached. Strong words were exchanged, and both went for their guns. Morris was on the losing end.

Morris was laid to rest in the Cimarron Cemetery, two graves south of John Black, next to Pomeroy Laughlin. His wooden marker once read: Charles Morris, Native of Tennessee, Died in Cimarron July 23, 1872, Aged 32 years. Unfortunately, the marker has long since deteriorated and his grave is now unmarked. Picture of his unmarked grave is below.
Note: Chunk Colbert was later killed by Clay Allison at The Clifton House over a horse race.

19/11/2025

St. James Saloon – Shootings of 1872 / John Black

As legend has it, John Black was only 18 years old when he came to Cimarron. At this young age he was claiming to have killed 14 men. A large tale for someone so young. His bragging caught the ear of one Clay Allison…shootist. Allison who was not prone to boasting, called the young man out in Henry Lambert’s saloon. Both went for their guns and Clay beat John Black to the draw inflicting a fatal wound. A jury later exonerated Allison of all charges.

John Black is buried in the Cimarron Cemetery close to Pomeroy Laughlin who was also shot and killed in the St. James Saloon a few weeks earlier. His epitaph read; IN MEMORY OF JOHN BLACK, DIED MAY 21, 1872, AGED 18 YEARS, MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE. Today the wooden grave marker is still standing somehow but it is decaying and too weathered and to read any longer.

Below is a picture of the John Black’s wooden marker at 150 years old from a few years ago (2021) where someone lacquered a paper on the front of it with John Blacks original epitaph. This paper is worn and almost gone now. The next pic is from 2016. Also too weathered to read at 140 years old. The last one I took in 1990. Then the wooden marker was still legible and in decent shape for 120 years old.

16/11/2025

Something strange??

Several followers pointed out an orb in my last post's photo, visible above the small metal cross on Pomeroy Laughlin’s grave. I hadn’t noticed it before; this picture from 2021 is the only one with such an anomaly out of dozens taken that day (I went back and looked). Paranormal groups following this page—do you have any idea what it could be? Lens flare or dust, perhaps? Estancia Valley Paranormal Society ; MadCO Paranormal ; Red Dirt Paranormal of Texas

14/11/2025

St. James Saloon – Shootings of 1872

The summer of 1872 in Cimarron, New Mexico was not a peaceful one. There were 3 shootings resulting in 3 deaths in the St. James Saloon alone. The first was a gambler named Pomeroy Laughlin from Ohio who was in town working the private gambling rooms at the St. James Saloon. He was playing with Wall Henderson, a miner from Elizabethtown. Henderson had killed some men who had jumped his claim. The killing changed him…made him mean, especially when drunk. In this condition he was always looking for a fight.

There are no details on what caused the fight between Laughlin and Henderson, but you can imagine what happened was the typical gambling argument. “You cheated”— “Take that back.” Whatever the catalyst both men went for their guns. When the smoke cleared Wall Henderson was standing and Pomeroy Laughlin lay on the floor dead with a large caliber slug in his chest.
Laughlin was buried in the Cimarron Cemetery with a wooden headboard that stated, “In memory of Pomeroy Laughlin, Native of Ohio, Died in Cimarron May 11, 1872, Age 38 years.” The original headboard has decomposed over the last 150 years and is marked today with a small metal cross pictured below.

08/11/2025

Civil War Echoes in the Desert

For those of you who did not know there were several Civil War battles fought in New Mexico. The largest Civil War battle in New Mexico was the Battle of Valverde, fought on February 20–21, 1862, near Fort Craig along the Rio Grande. It involved over 5,500 troops and marked a significant Confederate victory in the New Mexico Campaign.

But the most western battle fought was the Battle of Picacho Pass, fought on April 15, 1862, near Picacho Peak in what was then New Mexico Territory (now Arizona). This was the westernmost fatal engagement of the American Civil War. It was a small but symbolically important skirmish between Union and Confederate forces vying for control of the Southwest. The Union lost 3 soldiers and the South had 2 soldiers wounded. The Union would eventually force the Confederates back to Texas which would end the southwest campaign.

01/11/2025

The lost pauper’s cemetery of Cimarron, New Mexico; A New Mexico Mystery

In my book 'The History of the St. James Hotel, Cimarron, New Mexico,' I recount how Cruz Vega, accused of killing Reverend Tolby during the Colfax County War, was denied burial in the Cimarron Cemetery after his lynching by Clay Allison and his men. Instead, Vega's cousin, Pancho Griego, buried him in a "Pauper’s Cemetery" outside Cimarron's city limits. Now, 150 years later, the location of this cemetery has been forgotten. So where is it? Does anyone have any clues as to where this lost cemetery may be?

25/10/2025

St. James Hotel Ghost Stories
It's that season again when everyone shares their favorite St. James ghost stories, especially with Halloween approaching! Whether you've heard a tale from a guest, an employee, or just local lore about the old inn, feel free to join in. If you're curious about any of the hotel's paranormal happenings, don't hesitate to ask.
Here are a couple of stories from the book Ghosts of the St. James Hotel, Cimarron, New Mexico. Permission by author.
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"In the Jesse James room, there used to be an old clock on the fireplace mantle. This clock needed two keys to wind it, but these keys were missing. One morning the clock chimes started to ring unexpectedly. Upon investigation, the clock was not wound, and there was no reason it would have chimed. This happened several more times in the months that followed."
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"We had reserved Mary’s Room, which rumor had was extremely haunted. It’s on the second floor, the furthest room back on the left side of the hallway. As you enter Room #17, the bed sets with the headboard against the wall on the right and the bathroom on the left. Past the bed is a sitting area and window.
I woke up a couple of hours after we’d gone to bed that first night and needed to use the bathroom. But when I glanced down at the foot of the bed, a little lady stood there, smiling at me. I decided I didn’t have to go that bad and tried to go back to sleep.
I couldn't, so I looked down there again. The little lady smiled at me again. My husband was snoring beside me, and I shook him awake. I said, “I have to go to the bathroom, and there’s someone at the foot of the bed.” (I didn’t mention whether the person was male or female.) He glanced down there and said, “Oh, it’s just Mary.”
Yep, Mary was still there. I said, “I’m not going to the bathroom with her standing there unless you stay awake!” He agreed to do so, and I edged past the foot of the bed, took care of business, and rushed back into bed. Mary had vanished, and my husband was fast asleep."

LET'S HEAR YOUR STORIES!!

21/10/2025

The St. James Cornice
One of the most unique and enduring parts of the St. James architecture is its cornice. [Definition: A cornice is a decorative architectural feature that forms the uppermost part of a building’s exterior wall or structure]. This cornice is made of tin, like most in that era.
The St. James cornice is an original part of the building and was most likely added during the 1880-82 remodel of the hotel. Below is an older picture (1980’s) of the St. James, but it shows the cornice well because of the visible overhang and the multicolored elements.

16/10/2025

Reverend Tolby Part 3: The Tolby assassination “The why”

Reverend Franklin J. Tolby was murdered in 1875 during the height of the Colfax County War in New Mexico—a violent conflict rooted in land disputes between settlers and the new Maxwell Land Grant Company. Tolby, a Methodist pastor, had publicly sided with the local farmers and settlers against powerful interests tied to the Santa Fe Ring, a group of influential land speculators, lawyers and politicians who controlled the NM territorial government and its Governor Samual B. Axtell. Gov. Axtell was later removed from office for corruption.

Tolby also wrote articles for the Cimarron News & Press and the New York Sun newspapers criticizing the Ring in public. This caused the Ring to strengthen the power in the area and silence any trouble makers. As tensions mounted, Tolby’s outspoken journalism placed him further in the crosshairs of those who sought to suppress dissent, and his assassination in Cimarron Canyon was widely seen as politically motivated. One account suggests that individuals connected to the Santa Fe Ring paid to have him killed. Tolby's death sparked outrage and intensified the conflict, leading to further violence, including the lynching of Cruz Vega, a local constable suspected of involvement, by a mob reportedly led by gunfighter Clay Allison. Tolby's murder became a catalyst for the broader Colfax County War, symbolizing the deep corruption and lawlessness of the era.

Below is picture of Reverend Franklin. J. Tolby.

11/10/2025

Reverend Tolby Part 2: The Tolby assassination

Reverend F. J. Tolby’s body was found by two cowboys on September 15, 1875, in Cimarron Canyon west of Cimarron. Tolby had been shot in the back twice the day before. Curiously, it did not seem to be a robbery as all his personal property was at the murder scene and not taken by the killer. His horse, money, gold watch, saddle, etc. Unfortunately, it had rained hard the night before removing crucial evidence like footprints. Tolby had clearly been executed. The two cowboys recognized Tolby and realized that this was likely caused by Tolby’s unbridled outspokenness of the Santa Fe Ring and the new Maxwell Land Grant owners.

The reverend, his wife and their two children were loved by the communities he served, including Cimarron, Elizabethtown and outlying areas. Tolby was laid to rest in the Cimarron Cemetery by the Masonic order in which he belonged.

The pic below is of Reverend Tolby’s first grave marker. This was found by then owner Ed Sitzberger in the rear courtyard of the St. James Hotel in the 1990’s. It was being used as a path stone turned upside-down, so all you could see was plain white marble. It was not until he dug up the stones and turned them over that he realized it was a gravestone. The gravestone is now on display in the Old Aztec Mill Museum in Cimarron, NM. The current large black marble monolith marker for Tolby’s grave replaced the original gravestone years later.

07/10/2025

I was asked who would have the most famous grave in the Cimarron Cemetery. Most likely it would be the grave of Reverend F. J. Tolby.
Reverend Franklin J. Tolby was a Methodist minister sent to New Mexico in 1874, serving congregations in Cimarron and Elizabethtown. He became a vocal supporter of local settlers in their conflict against the Maxwell Land Grant Company, which sought to evict them from disputed lands. On September 14, 1875, Tolby was found murdered in Cimarron Canyon—a death that shocked the community and escalated tensions, ultimately sparking the Colfax County War. His killing became a catalyst for a broader uprising against corruption and land injustice in the region.
There is much more to this story, and I will do a few more parts to this.

History of the St. James Hotel, Cimarron, NM

29/11/2025

23/11/2025

19/11/2025

16/11/2025

14/11/2025

08/11/2025

01/11/2025

25/10/2025

21/10/2025

16/10/2025

11/10/2025

07/10/2025

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