Once again, let me tell you the weather in New Mexico is very nice, but highly unpredictable especially in the mountains. We set out with clear skies and headed toward Lincoln. We passed through White Sands - which was very interesting. Dunes of white sand stretched along the road for a mile or so, then.....just disappeared.
We proceeded on our way, making good time, headed towards Lincoln, winding our way in and out of the mountains. Trust me when I say ANYWHERE you seem to go in New Mexico, there are awesome views. Even local trips to the grocery store leaves me looking around in awe at the scenery. Like our previous trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, the higher we rose into the mountains, the more the weather changed. It wasn't long before we were running into snow once again. Onward we went.
We arrived in Lincoln, NM shortly before lunch. Here's the history lesson part - Lincoln, NM was site of the Lincoln county "war" which took place in the 1870's between two "entrenched factions" over - yep you guessed it - wealth and power! Anyone remember the movie "Young Guns"??
That movie was based on the Lincoln County war. John Tunstall, an Englishman, arrived in the New Mexico territory hoping to establish himself as a profitable cattle rancher. He soon discovered th
at Lincoln County was controlled both 
economically & politically by Lawrence Murphy & James Dolan who didn't want to give up any of their government beef contracts or the power they had established. When Tunstal was murdered by members of the Murphy/Dolan "gang" the war began. Men working for Tunstal, who called themselves "Regulators" were deputized and charged with bringing the guilty parties to justice, but instead handed out some old fashion justice of their own. They went from hunting the guilty men to being hunted themselves. One famous "Regulator" was William Henry McCarty - aka-William H. Bonney..aka-Billy the Kid.
The town of Lincoln was very small but many of the original buildings from the 1870's are still in existence. The Tunstall general store was still there as well as the court house where Billy the Kid once escaped. I found this bit of history fascinating, but the "boys" didn't find it very exciting.
That movie was based on the Lincoln County war. John Tunstall, an Englishman, arrived in the New Mexico territory hoping to establish himself as a profitable cattle rancher. He soon discovered th
at Lincoln County was controlled both 
economically & politically by Lawrence Murphy & James Dolan who didn't want to give up any of their government beef contracts or the power they had established. When Tunstal was murdered by members of the Murphy/Dolan "gang" the war began. Men working for Tunstal, who called themselves "Regulators" were deputized and charged with bringing the guilty parties to justice, but instead handed out some old fashion justice of their own. They went from hunting the guilty men to being hunted themselves. One famous "Regulator" was William Henry McCarty - aka-William H. Bonney..aka-Billy the Kid. The town of Lincoln was very small but many of the original buildings from the 1870's are still in existence. The Tunstall general store was still there as well as the court house where Billy the Kid once escaped. I found this bit of history fascinating, but the "boys" didn't find it very exciting.After leaving Lincoln....we headed down through Roswell, NM but that's a story for part 2 of Road Trips & History lessons. Part 2 coming soon!!!!
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