A New Twist on New Mexico History

One of the perks of living in El Paso, Texas, my hometown, is taking advantage of the city's unique geographical location.We live at the westernmost tip of Texas with easy access to both Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Old Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico.  Even though Las Cruces, with a population of just over 100,000, is much smaller than its nearby cities in Mexico and Texas, the cultural opportunities it offers make it a prime location for day-tripping.

Location of Las Cruces, NM

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In past years, I commuted to Las Cruces to teach language classes at New Mexico State University.  I enjoyed noting the gradual change in architecture, weather and landscape as I barreled up the interstate highway, hoping to make it to a 9:00 am class. The houses of Las Cruces had more rounded edges, and their yards had imaginative xeriscaping.  Las Cruces' weather was often a few degrees cooler than El Paso, and, most impressive of all, the jagged Organ Mountains loomed in the distance. I let the atmosphere of New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, wash over me and calm my soul.    

Organ Mountains, Las Cruces NM

Recently my husband, Wayne, and I spent a memorable afternoon at the Pat Garrett Western Heritage Festival in Las Cruces.  The event was held at the beautifully restored Rio Grande Theatre located in the downtown area.

Rio Grande Theatre, Las Cruces, NM

What first intrigued me about the title of the festival was that it was dedicated to Sheriff Pat Garrett. Wait a minute!  Wasn't he the lawman who killed Billy the Kid?  

For many years I, along with many others I am sure, have been fascinated by the legend of Billy the Kid. I looked the other way at reports that he had killed 21 men before his 21st birthday and focused on his youth, his nonconformity, and his appeal to the ladies.  And Billy also spoke Spanish, which is always considered an asset by this former language teacher!   I loved the 1973 movie (later released in video in 1988), in which Kris Kristofferson plays Billy.  And I have cheered along with a local crowd at the Billy the Kid Festival held each year in Lincoln, NM when, in the pageant finale, Billy outsmarts and shoots the deputy to escape from jail.

Billy the Kid

Now a festival was being held in honor of Pat Garrett, who in my mind was still the villain in this historical remembrance.

Festival program

We settled into comfortable seats at the Rio Grande Theatre to learn about western history from a different viewpoint. A live musical performance of nine historic western songs set the stage for our history lesson.  Next, we watched a movie, Four Faces West,  from 1948 with Charles Bickford portraying Pat Garrett.  We began thinking about Pat Garrett as a real person.  I had never considered him in any other context than Billy's killer.

Other scheduled events were a presentation and a reenactment of the trial of Wayne Brazel, the killer of Pat Garrett.  Another event was a lecture about the letters written by Pat Garrett to his wife, which demonstrated a human side of the lawman, who cared deeply for his family. 

The culmination of the festival was the screening of the movie Billy the Kid , starring Johnny Mack Brown as Billy.  The original world premiere of the film was at the Rio Grande Theatre in 1930.

On the hour drive back to El Paso, we chatted about how a day spent in Las Cruces felt like a mini-vacation, a break from ordinary weekend activities. And I will be on the lookout for a biography of Sheriff Pat Garrett by David G. Thomas due out in 2019.

We are indeed fortunate to live in the Southwestern United States which offers colorful history and cultural variety. 

Billy the Kid's Still Got It

Can you recognize Billy the Kid?

Yes, Billy the Kid still has the power to capture the public imagination.  Folk hero, bandit, ladies' man, cold-blooded murderer, unruly teenager, defender of a lost way of life, Billy continues to be, well, intriguing.

And I happen to have a soft spot in my heart for Billy.  Sappy, unrealistic, uninformed you may call me, but having raised a son of my own, I would have given Billy shelter for the night and cooked him a good hot meal.  Besides, reports are that Billy was a fluent Spanish speaker.  As a fan of languages, I admire that.

Last Sunday my husband and I took a leisurely drive to San Elizario, Texas to participate in the monthly Mission Trail Art Market.  We timed the visit to see a re-enactment by the Pistoleros of San Elizario of an historic event involving Billy the Kid. 

Pistoleros of San Elizario

San Elizario boasts an historic jail, which in 1876 was the county jail.  Billy broke into (note into not out of) the jail to rescue a friend and gambling companion, Melquiades Segura.  Melquiades had been arrested for killing Margarito Mendoza ,who had accused him of cheating at the gambling table. Billy rode on horseback six hours from Mesilla, New Mexico to San Elizario, arriving at about 3:00 am. ( Today the same trip would take approximately two hours by car.)  

Billy knocked on the door and identified himself in Spanish as a Texas Ranger delivering prisoners to the jail. When a jailer opened the door, Billy used his .44 revolver to convince the jailer to give up his own gun.  Billy found the jail key, freed Melquiades, locked the two jailers in the cell, and escaped across the nearby Mexico border. The Pistoleros gave an admirable performance, re-enacting an historical version and then a Hollywood version, with guns blazing to entertain the public.  .

Pistolero Re-enactors

I can picture in my mind what the town of San Elizario must have looked and felt like on a  cool November morning in 1876. San Eli, as the locals call it,  is still a quiet refuge from city life,  with one main street, a plaza with a gazebo and an historic church. 

What I particularly like about this story is that there was no bloodshed during the escape.  One can admire the ingenuity of Billy and his loyalty to a friend without addressing the more violent aspects of his personality. 

One last thought.  I read that in the 20th century, when the jail was no longer in use as the county jail, that unruly school boys were sometimes housed in the jail for a few hours until they changed their ways! Goodness!