Angus V V Ranch cattle once ranged over the lushest pastures of Lincoln County, from Salado Creek in the north to the Ruidoso River in the south; from the slopes of the Sierra Blanca in the west to Glencoe in the east; close to 300 square miles; including the present- day communities of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, Alto, Angus, Bonito, Capitan, Glencoe, Nogal, Sierra Vista, Sun Valley, and Villa Madonna.
Dan Jones tells the story of the "V V" from its founding in 1882 as a small operation by soon- to-be Lincoln County Sheriff John Poe; its expansion by questionable means by Poe and ex- Sheriff Pat Garrett (who became its first manager); its sale to mysterious Brit Brandon Kirby; its bankrolling by wealthy Scottish liquor merchant James Cree; the difficulty they had in importing purebred Angus bulls from Scotland; conflict between Kirby and Garrett; the resignation of Garrett; the ousting of Kirby; the death of Cree; and eventual return of the ranch to American control.
Dan was born in Kentucky, but grew up in and around Espanola. He graduated from NMSU with a degree in electrical engineering, whence he worked for several institutions in that field, retiring from the University of Texas at Austin. While there, he met and married Melba Valdez, whose ancestor Milnor Rudulph was supposedly involved in the Billy the Kid story. Investigating that claim, he got interested in New Mexico history.
This event is included with regular museum admission. As always, Ruidoso Downs residents are only $1. This event is also generously sponsored by Friends of the Hubbard Museum of the American West.
