Sherry E Engler

 Carrizozo, New Mexico has a unique name, a unique history, and a unique connection with the infamous outlaw, Billy the Kid, AKA William H Bonney. Lying between Albuquerque, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, Carrizozo flourished in the late 1800s and early 1900s primarily due to the cattle industry and the El Paso and Northeastern Railway. The legacy of the boomtown rages in the pages of history; yet, today lies as a quiet community at the northern tip of the Tularosa Basin in the southeast quadrant of New Mexico.

Distinctively, Carrizozo is located near the Valley of Fires Recreation Area, a lava flow stretching approximately forty miles long, created some 1,500 years ago when scorching hot lava seared the land to create the unique lava land formations of today; just one of the unique features which grace Carrizozo.

But, perhaps one of the most important features spanning through history which claims fame for Carrizozo is the staple from which it derived its name. Historically, reed grass abundantly grew in this area. The Spanish name for reed grass is Carrizo; thus, the origin of its name. According to legend, the extra “zo” was added to Carrizo to accent the volume of growth of the grass; henceforth, Carrizozo. Today, a nickname for Carrizozo is simply “ZoZo.”

In the late 1800s, the cattle industry thrived because of the abundance of grasses. Even though the mining boom town of White Oaks prospered nearby, in 1899, El Paso and Northeastern Railway chose Carrizozo as the site for the railroad access, increasing the population significantly. With cattle and the railroad, in 1909, the county seat of Lincoln County, New Mexico was moved from the town of Lincoln to the booming establishment of Carrizozo.

Remnants of yesterday stand proud, worn by time and the elements of the New Mexico desert climate; the remnants of a rock foundation and chimney; remnants of hard work, perseverance, and a time in Carrizozo’s history when legends, outlaws and renegades roamed the land.

Billy, the Kid was one of the most notorious figures who rode through the badlands of New Mexico, Carrizozo, and Lincoln County, leaving his mark on history. Some believe his ghostlike presence haunts this area and perhaps always will. Facts relating to Billy the Kid are at times sketchy and sometimes contradictory depending on the historical source. After researching, and consulting Wikipedia.com, there are many surprising notes on William H. Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, aka Henry McCarty, aka Kid Antrim, etc.

   Interestingly, Billy the Kid, real name Henry McCarty was born in New York City, New York to Irish parents either on September 17, 1859 or November 23, 1859. Because birth records during this time were not as precisely recorded as today, there are discrepancies about his birth date. According to historical records, after his father Patrick’s death, his mother, Catherine relocated Henry and his younger brother Joseph to Indianapolis, Indiana. She later moved with her boys to Wichita, Kansas with her future husband William Henry Harrison Antrim. She married him in Santa Fe, NM in 1873. Sadly, after the family moved once again to Silver City, NM, Catherine died of tuberculosis without her husband, who conveniently skipped town only days before her death. Billy the Kid, aka Henry McCarty was orphaned at fifteen. His first noted crime was stealing food, followed by stealing clothing and pistols. He was jailed in Silver City, however, he managed to escape, becoming a fugitive for the rest of his young life.

According to legend, Billy the Kid killed many a man. He killed a blacksmith, Francis P. “Windy” Cahill in a saloon in Bonita, Arizona in a struggle for Billy’s gun after “Windy” had supposedly bullied him. Billy was apprehended and detained in the Camp Grant guardhouse, but once again escaped to freedom. Billy headed east again and landed in Lincoln County.

He then joined the Lincoln County War and a group known as the Lincoln County Regulators. This was after a local cattle rancher, Henry Tunstall, who Billy worked for, was murdered trying to protect his cattle from being seized in a very questionable business dealing where Lawrence Murphy, James Dolan, and John Riley, cattle ranching competitors, prompted Sheriff William Brady to seize Tunstall’s property and livestock. Apparently, Billy was enraged and engaged in many acts of defense, some on record and some noted by locals in retaliation for what Billy viewed as unfair.

Clashes were abundant in Lincoln County in the late 1870s and 1880s. One of record on State Route 54, north of Carrizozo, is the historic marker of where the Greathouse Station and Tavern skirmish occurred on the night of November 27, 1880. Billy, who had declared his name as William H. Bonney, and some buddies were visiting his friend James Greathouse. Deputy James Carlyle and a posse surrounded them, hoping to surprise the outlaws and take them into custody. Pretending they had taken Greathouse hostage, Billy struck a deal with Deputy Carlyle to trade places with Greathouse. Unclear as to the details of events, somehow, while Billy was holding Carlyle hostage, Carlyle tried to escape through a window and was “accidentally mortally” shot three times. The rest of the posse left in a truce and the outlaws rode away in the night.

Sheriff Pat Garrett mortally wounded Billy the Kid on July 14, 1881, when Billy the Kid entered a darkened room at the house of his friend, Pete Maxwell. According to legend, Pat Garrett shot twice, one bullet hitting Billy in the chest above his heart, and missing the second shot. Billy the Kid was twenty-one years young with a roster of at least twenty-one men he had killed. There are some who believe William H. Bonney was responsible for more than twenty-one murders. 

The known facts and historical documentation of Billy the Kid, Lincoln County, and Carrizozo are immensely fascinating. Some documentation suggests Billy was the product of unfair circumstances and unjust treatment; he was viewed as a hero against political and economical monopolies to help the poor; he was the Robin Hood of the badlands of New Mexico. However, other documentation support he had a killer’s heart and mind; he knew the difference between right and wrong and he just didn’t care; he was a menace to the inhabitants of the land. Right? Wrong? Interestingly, the residents of Las Vegas, Mesilla, Santa Fe, White Oaks, and other establishments in the New Mexico Territory collected $7,000.00 to pay Sheriff Pat Garrett a reward for the bounty of William H Bonney, the infamous Billy the Kid, as a recompense for his bravery in apprehending and ending the bloody reign of Billy the Kid. 

If you get a chance to explore and visit Carrizozo in Lincoln County, New Mexico, I strongly urge you to do so as I’m sure you will delight in the richness of history. From our house to yours, may your travels be pleasurable, may your journeys be enjoyable, and may your blessings be many. And if you have the opportunity to visit the historic marker of the Greathouse Station and Tavern, stop, quietly listen, and perchance you may hear Billy the Kid shouting in the roars of the New Mexico wind.