Lambert moved west and settled in Elizabethtown, New Mexico, with hopes of making a wealthy strike.

Buffalo Bill Cody stayed at the Inn and took an entire village of Native Americans living nearby on the road with his show.

[4][5] Other notable customers were Clay Allison, Black Jack Ketchum, and Annie Oakley.

The St. James fell into disrepair after the railroad came through and effectively killed the Santa Fe trail, as the gold in the area moreover dwindled.

Following extensive renovations where the formal dining room and bar were merged into one large area and the outside deck and lawn became a walled-in courtyard and patio complete with a fountain, the hotel was re-opened on June 22, 2009.