Sadie Orchard

OCT 23 1936 

Subject: SADIE ORCHARD, ONE OF FEW NEW MEXICO WOMEN STAGE DRIVERS
S-240 - Folk-ways 

Submitted By: Clay W. Vaden 	Original Copy, Not Rewritten 

Wordage: 470 	Date: August 10, 1936 

Approved: Ina Sizer Cassidy, State Director 	S-240 - Folk-ways 

Vaden, Clay W. 	8/10/36 cl-470 

SADIE ORCHARD, ONE OF FEW NEW MEXICO WOMEN STAGE DRIVERS 

There weren't many careers for women in the good old days, but Sadie Orchard 
carved out a rather unusual career for herself back in the eighties. 

Mrs. Orchard was one of New Mexico's few women stage drivers and today is 
owner of the Orchard Hotel in Hillsboro, New Mexico.

In a personal interview, Mrs. Orchard told the colorful story: 

"I came to Kingston, famous mining town in Black Range District in Sierra 
County, in 1886, "Mrs. Orchard said. 

"At that time Kingston was a mining town of about 5,000 population with a big 
silver boom going full sway. Dance halls and saloons did a rushing business 
almost day and night. Fortunes were made, and in some cases, lost over night." 

"Mr. Orchard and I drove the stage line for 14 years. We had two Concord 
coaches and an express wagon." 

DROVE HORSES 

"I drove four and six horses every day from Kingston to Lake Valley and 
sometimes as far as Mutt station." 

"In those days we did not have the roads we can justly boast of in New Mexico 
today, and my trips were surely trying - especially thru picturesque Box 
Canyon between Kingston and Hillsboro." 

"Many times I had for passengers some very famous people. Lillian Russel, 
stage star, as far as I know was never in Kingston, but members of her troupe 
were, and I had occasion to meet the actress. She was a 

{Begin page no. 2}

guest at one time on a ranch West of Hillsboro, The Horseshoe ranch, I 
believe." 

Having been told that Mrs. Orchard had some very rare old pictures of some of 
the pioneers of Kingston, I asked if I might see them, but was told that old 
timers had taken them all, one by one, leaving none for "Sadie" as old timers 
all over the state call her. 

GETTING OLDER 

Sadie, the daring stage driver of those good old days which Gene Rhodes 
delighted to write about so realistically, is getting older as the years slip 
by, but she is still the big-hearted, resourceful woman of frontier days who 
saw her job, tackled it broically and did it manfully with a twinkle in her 
eyes. 

"I'm a product of the 'Old West'," laughted Mrs. Orchard, "and you know in 
those days we didn't have much chance to practice the refinements and niceties 
of high society." 

However, the writer of this sketch knows scores of pioneers who can vouch for 
her charity to her fellowmen. 

The Santa Fe branch line cut-off to Nutt and Lake Valley replaced the stage 
coach line, but now the railroad to those points is to be abandoned. The 
famous Bridal Chamber mine with its millions of high grade ore has been shut 
down. Time marches on bringing many changes. 

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

Sierra

**********************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any 
format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or 
organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of 
the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the 
listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given 
permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.
**********************************************************************************