Excursions: Lincoln

Like any state, New Mexico has its share of weird or notorious history that continues to attract visitors of all ilks, particularly in the southeastern part of the state. Down here in Chaves County, the most popular history-related thing aside from aliens and UFOs is without question Billy the Kid, thanks to it being home to a sleepy little town called Lincoln.

The Torreon, a fort tower made of rock where settlers could hide during raids. Sharpshooters were also stationed here.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the story of Billy the Kid, here's a brief history lesson. Actually known as William H. Bonney, the Kid came to infamy when he got involved in the Lincoln County War, a series of gang-related battles that took place in southeastern New Mexico in 1878.

Billy the Kid was described by his contemporaries as good-looking, though I have to say this one confirmed photograph of him is downright unflattering. Image courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_the_Kid

The catalyst was the murder of Bonney's boss, John Turnstall, an English businessman and rancher who found himself in trouble when his business dealings came into conflict with some of the leading business/gunmen in the area. Bonney joined in with a gang called the Regulators in order to eke out revenge, and general mayhem ensued. Several men would be killed over the course of the "Lincoln County War," though the kid would survive until 1881, making his way through Las Vegas, Roswell, and other New Mexico towns. Eventually he was shot by Sheriff Pat Garrett, whose daughter, Elizabeth, would go on to write the New Mexico state anthem.

That's the really, really short version of it. There are so many books and articles on it, I don't feel compelled to go any further into it. Instead, I want to take about the town where Billy the Kid lived, Lincoln.

Another supposed (but unconfirmed) image of Billy the Kid, this time in a striped cardigan that belongs in my closet. Image courtesy of http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-billy-the-kid

Lincoln is about a forty-minute drive from Roswell. Located in the Hondo Valley, Lincoln is surrounded by coniferous forests and rolling hills. I've been here a few times, sometimes by myself, sometimes with family when I want to show them something other than flying saucers.

This place is a historical gem because it really hasn't changed all that much since Billy's time. It was initially founded in the 1850s by Spanish American families, and was known as Las Placitas del Rio Bonito. The name was changed to Lincoln in 1869 in honor of President Lincoln, and throughout its history it's been, like much of New Mexico, a mixture of Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American cultures. Indeed, one of the reasons why Billy the Kid is still so revered here is that he was fluent in Spanish and respected the Hispanic communities here.

Lincoln County Jail and Courthouse, where Billy the Kid made his great escape. Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Courthouse_in_Lincoln,_New_Mexico.JPG

A lot of the buildings from his era remain extant, including the courthouse, where he made a spectacular jailbreak while awaiting hanging. Every year the town observes the escape with its Lincoln County Days in August, which includes a reenactment of the event.

Peter Hurd, The Last Escape of Billy the Kid, 1965, tempera on panel. Image courtesy of https://www.pinterest.com/pin/114630752985616769/

Even New Mexico artist and Roswell Museum star Peter Hurd himself did a turn as Billy the Kid in the 1940s. Like the Kid himself, Hurd was fluent in Spanish, and attached the New Mexico's Hispanic culture.

Lincoln Cemetery. And no, Billy the Kid isn't buried here, but some of his friends are.

Of course, there's more to Lincoln than Billy the Kid. Around Halloween in 2015, I took a walking tour of the town's cemetery, where I was able to learn about all kinds of interesting people who lived there. Among my favorites was an elderly, Prohibition-era doctor who supplemented his income by brewing moonshine on the side.

Lincoln may be a historical town, but it's still an active one. As you can imagine it's primarily geared for tourists, with the whole community being a kind of outdoor museum. There are also plenty of shops where you can get your obligatory Billy the Kid t-shirt, and a great inn and restaurant that specializes in New Mexican cuisine.

A quiet little town today, it's hard to believe that Lincoln was once the location of one of the most notorious gang wars of the nineteenth century.