Time to explore the world of Lincoln, New Mexico

An interpretative marker greets visitors heading west into Lincoln on U.S. 380
Highway Hasman photo

Saturday was my first day volunteering at the Lincoln Historic Site in Lincoln, New Mexico.

Once a month I will be taking the 3-hour drive from Albuquerque to help visitors have a good time as they learn more about Lincoln, the Lincoln County War and the interesting characters involved, including Billy the Kid.

At about 10 a.m., I parked by the Anderson-Freeman Visitors Center and Museum where I met interpretative ranger Oscar Navarro.

I shadowed Navarro and learned some of the ropes and material to present to tourists. While I am not an expert on Billy the Kid or the war (I aim to read more and more on the subjects), I decided to volunteer because Lincoln played an important role in Old West and American histories. I want to be able to help share that history with others. 

Here is a look inside the Tunstall Store that was built in 1878.
Highway Hasman photo

One subject that people come to learn about is the Lincoln County War. 

But what was it about?

The war, which some say delayed New Mexico statehood for years, was a conflict between competing business interests (especially cattle) in the New Mexico Territory. On one side was attorney Alexander McSween and sheep rancher John Tunstall (Billy the Kid and the rest of the Regulators would side with them), and businessmen Lawrence Murphy and Jimmy Dolan on the other. Each side competed to monopolize trade with nearby Fort Stanton.

"New Mexico's Lincoln County War was a power play gone berserk," Nora True Henn wrote in the "Lincoln County and its Wars." 

Both sides had powerful backers. Cattle baron John Chisum supported McSween and Tunstall while the Santa Fe Ring, comprised of powerful people that included land speculators, represented the interests of Murphy and Dolan.

"The contest was for economic and political control of the area, ignited and fanned by rival merchants," Henn said.

It was Tunstall's murder in 1878 that sparked violence that became so intense, President Rutherford B. Hayes called Lincoln's main street was the most dangerous street in America. 

Today, the road through Lincoln is paved, but otherwise the town still has the feel of a western frontier community, without the violence. Many of the historic properties remain including a courthouse where one man was supposed to die for his part in getting retribution for Tunstall's death.

Exploring the site

Billy the Kid and the rest of the Regulators got revenge by killing Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady, whose posse was responsible for Tunstall's death. 

The Kid would eventually be brought to trial at the old Dona Ana Courthouse in Mesilla where he was found guilty and sentenced to hang in Lincoln.

The Lincoln Historic Site comprises of several buildings including the old Lincoln County Courthouse (now a museum) where the Kid was jailed and waited for his appointment with a rope. However, he was able to escape, but not before killing two deputies, James W. Bell and Bob Olinger. Billy lived a couple of more years before Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett killed him at Fort Sumner in 1881.

While the courthouse was a highlight of the tour, there were other interesting buildings to see while walking around Lincoln. Others that I enjoyed include the Tunstall Store, which has items from the 1870s; the El Torreon (a defensive tower built by native New Mexicans in the 1850s when the community was known as La Placita); and the Anderson-Freeman Visitor's Center and Museum where I was able to grasp a comprehensive view of Lincoln's history.

Looking forward

After the tour ended, Navarro and I went our separate ways. While I did not accomplish a lot on my first day (I just observed and asked questions) I told myself I can do this.

As I mentioned earlier, I am continuing to dig into the history of Lincoln, Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War. I recently started reading Frederick Nolan’s The West of Billy the Kid along with stories and blogs about Lincoln in True West Magazine.

I picked up "Lincoln County and its Wars" by Nora True Henn then tried a Billy the Kid Amber at Bonito Valley Brewing Company.
Highway Hasman photo

I look forward to continuing to educate myself and to soon be able to show people around the historic site. Perhaps, they will regale me with some of their favorite Billy the Kid and/or Lincoln County War facts that will add to my knowledge.

“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.” Michel Legrand