The Lincoln County Leader Archive

Prospectors discovered gold in White Oaks, New Mexico, in 1879, and the mining camp soon attracted over 2,000 people including several journalists who started papers there.  The territorial press aided the growth of the mining industry by announcing mineral discoveries and encouraging and prospectors to open mines in New Mexico.  Newspapers were often read back east, and miners and investors rushed to New Mexico as a result.  The Lincoln County Leader was published weekly between October 21, 1882, and December 2, 1893, in White Oaks.  The first issue endorsed the ticket of the Regular People’s Party, an early incarnation of the populist People’s Party, claiming that “Our creed is the universal brotherhood of men, and we shall preach the gospel of tolerance and liberality.”  Subsequently, in the November 4, 1882, issue the Leader stated in the heading that it was “Devoted to the best interests of Lincoln County and the development of its resources.” A subscription at the time cost $2.00 for one year, $1.00 for six months, $.50 for three months; a single copy cost 5 cents, and specimen copies were free. Readers would find regional, territorial, and local coverage within the Leader’s pages.

Launched by Lee H. Ruidisille, the Lincoln County Leader was the second stable paper at White Oaks, following the Golden Era which was founded in December 1880. Ruidisille sold the Leader to William Caffery in 1883.  Caffery published the paper until his death in 1893, and it was suspended shortly thereafter.  The town of White Oaks began to wane as the region’s gold deposits were quickly depleted.

The editors at the Lincoln County Leader published their newspaper almost exclusively in English; however, they did publish three issues with Spanish language content in October and November 1882.  The Spanish content was primarily political in nature, promoting the “Regular People’s Ticket.”