Dear Friends:

Over the past few years, the Hillsboro Historical Society (HHS) has worked tirelessly for the return of the famous Mountain Pride Stagecoach to its original home in Hillsboro. From the 1880s until 1915, this stagecoach carried passengers and freight between the mining towns of Lake Valley and Hillsboro.  During that time, the coach was owned by the infamous Sadie Orchard and her husband J.W. Orchard.

During 2024 the HHS constructed a new Coach House behind the Black Range Museum to safely house and preserve the Mountain Pride Stagecoach. In July 2025, the State of New Mexico approved the return of the Mountain Pride to the Black Range Museum in Hillsboro. The stagecoach will be moved back to Hillsboro in October 2025, and a gala event to celebrate the return of the Mountain Pride and completion of the overall project will be scheduled in Spring 2026.

To accomplish all of this, HHS is kicking off this fundraiser to cover the costs to move the Mountain Pride back to Hillsboro, and to improve the museum grounds to allow full visitor access to the Coach House and provide a beautiful outdoor courtyard for educational displays, community programs and gatherings. This Stage Stop Project will make the Black Range Museum a first class venue for future generations, and the costs will depend solely on donations from our generous partners and community members, like you.

If you are able, please help us accomplish these goals by contributing to our ongoing fundraiser. All donations of whatever size are appreciated. Online or offline donations can be easily made by visiting our fundraiser website at: Stage Stop Project   Feel free to share with friends and social media. 

Thank you so much!  -Hillsboro Historical Society