J. Y. Thornton

Redfield, Georgia B. 

5-27-38. 1320 words. 

J. Y. THORNTON 

Served in New Mexico Indian War Five Years 

Pioneer Hotel Man and Cattle Man 

Organized First Roswell Knights of Pythias Lodge. 

J. Y. Thornton came to New Mexico as a soldier in the United States Army in 
1870. He served five years - until 1875-with the Fifteenth Infantry stationed 
at Fort Stanton which was established in 1855 for the purpose of protection of 
the early settlers from Indian hostilities. The old fort was abandoned in 
1861, was reoccupied in 1863, and the old adobe buildings were replaced by 
stone and brick constructions in 1858 - two years before Mr. Thornton was 
detailed for duty at the post. 

Mr. Thornton's valiant services during those dangerous times of Indian 
uprisings and Massacres, proved him to be a soldier whose bravery in 
performance of his duties entitled him to the praise and public recognition 
given him in later years by General Pershing, who visited Mr. Thornton at his 
home in Roswell, February 23, 1916, and by Captain D. H. Clark U. S. A. 
Commandant of Cadets at the University of Florida in 1903, who during that 
year wrote Mr. Thornton in praise of his valor and loyalty to duty while a 
soldier during the Indian War. A part of the letter which was dated September 
20, 1903 is given below: 

"I remember well the Geronimo Campaign in which you served. I was 
Quartermaster, and Major Mock was Post Commander at Fort Stanton. 

A courier came in about eleven o'clock reported an uprising and massacre by 
Geronimo's band of Indians at Aqua Chiquita. It was by my orders you went out 
after the dead and wounded. 

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After the drive of 180 miles, without a change of team, you returned in thirty-
six hours, thereby making one of the most remarkable drives on record. 

You deserve every honor of your valor and bravery in making that hazardous 
drive through the heart of a hostile Indian country, in going to the 
assistance of your dead and wounded comrades." 

After Mr. Thornton received his discharge from the army on October 9, 1875, on 
which his conduct and character was marked "good" during his five years of 
service in the army, he engaged for five years in the cattle business at Fort 
Stanton with George Curry, who afterwards was Governor of the Territory of New 
Mexico, during part of which time Mr. Thornton served under him as oil 
inspector for the Territory. 

In 1880 Mr. Thornton moved to Lincoln, New Mexico, where he and George Curry 
owned the hotel north of the jail in which William Bonney - Known as "Billy, 
the Kid," New Mexico desperado - was confined, awaiting his hanging which was 
to take place on May 13, 1880 for the killing of Sheriff Jim Brady. 

One of Billy the Kid's guards - Ollinger - was eating dinner at Mr. Thornton's 
hotel when he heard the "Kid's" shot that killed Bell, the other guard. On 
running from the dining room Ollinger, at a call from Billy the Kid looked up 
and received a volley of shots from his own gun that he had left leaning 
against the wall at the jail. With both guards killed within two or three 
minutes' time Billy the Kid ordered his shackles sawed off by the jailer, 
mounted a horse and made his sensational escape. 

Mr. Thornton owned the pioneer livery stable at Lincoln and organized the 
first produce establishment at that place, in which he handled hay and feed. 

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General [Lee?] Wallace spent some time in Lincoln during Mr. Thornton's 
residence at that place. They were friends, as all men were, who were on the 
side of peace, law, and order and were united with a common cause of bringing 
to a close the days of horror of the Lincoln County War and of bringing Billy 
the Kid to justice. 

Mr. Thornton, with a posse of nine men under leader John Hurley one day, 
entered a cave near White Oaks seeking the young killer and desperado. The Kid 
was concealed behind rocks at the fartherest end and was not discovered, but 
he could have shot each one as they entered the cave if he had desired. He 
afterwards said they all had once been his friends and he couldn't shoot them 
down unless they had him cornered and forced him to do so. 

While living at Lincoln Mr. Thornton and a Mr. White of Las Cruces came to 
Roswell and organized the First Knights of Pythias Lodge. 

While in Roswell they stopped at the Pauly Hotel owned by Mr. and Mrs. J. P. 
Church. Mr. Church had remodeled the building from the original O'Neal 
[House?] which had been conducted by a Mrs. O'Neal, a widow, who by advice of 
Judge Granville A. Richardson, came from White Oaks for the purpose of opening 
Roswell's first "real hotel." 

At the time of this visit of Mr. Thornton's and Mr. White's Roswell had been 
incorporated as a village in 1891, there were about fifteen or eighteen 
residence houses, Chaves County had been created from parts of Lincoln County 
in 1889, and Roswell had been made County Seat, a courthouse and jail had been 
built, 

{Begin page no. 4}

the Main street of the town, laid out in blocks in 1885, had been graded by a 
twenty horse grading and ditching machine, from the Hondo River as far north 
as North Spring River. Besides the new Pauly Hotel, there was a church of 
adobe built in 1887, and a new three room brick school house erected in 1889 
had replaced the one room adobe built in 1885, which had become to small. 

There was a weekly newspaper, the "Pecos Valley Register" established by James 
A Erwin and Louis O. Fullen in 1888. Besides the pioneer store on North Main 
Street, Jaffa Prager Company in 1886 had opened a drygoods and grocery store 
and Mr. Whiteman in 1889 opened a grocery store on South Main street. There 
was also a grist mill established by George Blashek in 1881 and a blacksmith 
shop opened for business by Rufus H. Dunnahoo in 1881. The first Bank of 
Roswell had been established by E. A. Cahoon in [1890?]. Roswell Lodge No. 18 
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons had been instituted in 1889 and was chartered 
in 1890, and on the coming of Mr. Thornton and Mr. White the Knights of 
Pythias Lodge was organized by them in 1891 or 1892. 

Being favorably [?] the growing town, Mr. Thornton with his family moved to 
Roswell in 1895, where he in 1897 built the home at what is now 209 North 
Pennsylvania Avenue. He lived there continuously until his death in 1919, and 
his wife lives there at the present time. 

Mr. Thornton was born and educated in Danville, Pennsylvania which was his 
home until moving to New Mexico in 1870.

{Begin page no. 5}

His father, Captain Isiah Paul Thornton, was also a soldier having been made a 
Captain during the Mexican War. 

After moving from Fort Stanton to Lincoln Mr. Thornton was married, at that 
place on February 15, 1886, to Miss Nellie Leahy of Monroe, Wisconsin. She had 
come to New Mexico with a friend in 1884 for the benefit of her health, after 
having had pneumonia. 

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton had four daughters Mabel and Eva, both of whom died 
during the same month of September with scarlet fever, and Kitty - now Mrs. 
Raynes V. West of Long Beach, California - and [Dola?], now Mrs. Orville B. 
Brookshier of Roswell, New Mexico. 

Mr. Thornton was a charter member of Elks Lodge and of Knights of Pythias. 
During his long residence in Roswell he was was active in important business 
developments and improvements for the upbuilding of the City. His death 
occurred at Roswell on August 19, 1919, his funeral at South Park being 
attended by many old friends of Fort Stanton and Lincoln as well as Comrades 
who lived at Roswell, and enjoyed with him peaceful days he had helped bring 
to New Mexico. He served five years as a soldier and guard to protect the 
pioneer from Indian hostilities during the first years of settlement in New 
Mexico. 

Source of Information 

Mrs. J. Y. Thornton (wife) and [?] and letters in her possession. 

Credit: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project 
Collection.

Lincoln, Chaves

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