Hillsboro

The town lost the county seat after a long fight. Dan Dugan and Dave Stitzel found gold in Percha Creek in April 1877, and that December the camp drew its name from a hat. Sierra County's courthouse was dedicated in November 1892. In 1936 voters chose to move the seat to Hot Springs; the result was challenged, with Sadie Orchard among its opponents, until the state supreme court refused the case in 1938. The commissioners sold the Hillsboro courthouse for $440, and only its ruins and the jail built behind it remain.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Hillsboro Historic Distric Hillsboro was founded in the 1870's after gold and silver was discovered in the surrounding Black Range. The town developed into an important mining and ranching center, and served as the Sierra County seat from 1884 to 1939. It was the site of several renowned trails, and is said to have the last operating stage line in the United States. It became a historic district in 1986.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• City of Rocks State Park — 33 mi
  Pinnacles of volcanic tuff up to forty feet high standing in the grassland between Deming and Silver City, worn out of an eruption 34.9 million years ago.

More markers nearby

• Sadie Orchard (1860-1943) — steps away
• Percha Creek — 2.2 mi
• Caballo Mountains — 15 mi
• Truth or Consequences — 21 mi