Lincoln County has been home to some of the most storied historical figures in the history of the West. The Mescalero Apache homeland surrounds us. Soldiers serving at Fort Stanton, built in 1855 to protect settlers in “Indian Country”, include a veritable who’s who of the West: Kit Carson, Blackjack Pershing, and the Buffalo Soldiers were all based at the Fort in the mid to late 19th Century.

The Lincoln County War broke out in 1878 in a squabble-turned-deadly over supplying Fort Stanton, notable for the number of semi-mythical participants - Billy the Kid, John Chisum and merchants L.G. Murphy, James Dolan and John Tunstall were all major figures in the war. Old Lincoln is now a restored historic district, one of Americas top 10 "True West Towns."

A year after the Lincoln County War, gold was discovered near White Oaks, NM, and it quickly became the state's second largest city (after Santa Fe).  A haven for cattle rustlers and outlaws (including Billy), and known for its brothels and casinos; the gold was mined out, and it became a ghost town.

You can visit all of these historic sites by traveling the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway.

Three annual events that put the spotlight on Lincoln County western history:

Fort Stanton Live takes place at the Fort over the second weekend in July and features historical re-enactments, lectures on the events that shaped the region, live music, and food.

Old Lincoln Days held in Lincoln the first weekend in August includes re-enactments of Billy the Kid’s Last Escape, a pageant, parade, arts and crafts, and food. Learn more, here.

All American CowboyFest is a family-oriented, four-day festival celebrating country and western music, cowboy culture, and features a live rodeo performance. CowboyFest replaces the 30-year-old Fall event formerly known as the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium. This year, the All American CowboyFest will take place one week earlier than usual to be held on the same weekend as AspenFest, the iconic annual Fall festival that takes place in Ruidoso the first weekend of October.

For an up-close look at Western history, the Hubbard Museum of the American West is a must-see.  An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Hubbard is a first-class museum featuring the history of the American West with an emphasis on the local and regional arts, history, and culture.