Although WB left England reportedly not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps, he became a shopkeeper in Kingston, NM. He ran a confectioners/stationery store in the silver mining town beginning in at least 1885. He was also the postmaster in Kingston and pursued a number of other ventures while he was there.

In 1887, he purchased a drug store from Fred “Doc” Furnald in Kingston, NM which began operating as Dawson’s Drug Store. He continued to sell other goods in the store. David R. Henderson also operated as a watchmaker and jeweler out of Dawson’s Drug Store.

In December 1887, WB advertised for various holiday items available at his store.

WB was also somewhat involved in politics in the small mining town. He was part of the Republican county convention, the board of elections and was also named as a possibility for Sheriff. In addition, it looks as though he took out some sort of liquor license AND started a newspaper (although there’s a report in a news story that he’s too busy to write leaders for his paper!)

In addition to all of these ventures, WB also owned some land and held some interests in the claims and mines in the area, including the Republican Reef claim. That claim was owned by WB and Thomas Cochrene. It was a lead carbonate contact deposit “located between lime and granite” from which “ten tons of good ore” is noted to have been mined in 1892.

In May of 1892, WB leaves on a business trip for Florida. This trip will lead to the family leaving Kingston later that year. He leaves his business in the hands of his friend. Lawrence Nowers.

Nowers was mentioned (although incorrectly identified as Mowers) on my late cousin, Claes’ website. As he told the story: “On board the ship [when WB and his brother Samuel came over from England] the brothers met a man called Mowers who also was going out west and became friends.  Mr. Mowers and William finally became  partners in the drugstore in Kingston, New Mexico.” Nowers continued to be the pharmacist at Dawson’s Drug Store for a couple of years after WB left Kingston. In 1894, Nowers moved to Hillsboro, NM. In 1901, Nowers went to Topeka, KS where his brother lived (Lawrence may have also been in Missouri for a bit), but wrote to friends in New Mexico that he longed to return. By 1908, Nowers was living in Pirtleville, AZ where he lived and worked in the drugstore/pharmacy business for another 10 years until his death. He was buried in 1918 in Douglas, AZ.