OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to promote the unique history of Lincoln County, New Mexico. Few counties in the country possess the heritage and the famous personalities of the wild west that made Lincoln County the focus of national attention in the 1800’s. Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, the Lincoln County War, the Apache Wars, Fort Stanton, the Buffalo Soldiers, it all happened here. The town of Lincoln remains today virtually as it was in the 1870-1880’s, preserved in its historic state within the Lincoln Historic District in the Rio Bonito Valley, a short distance from the beautiful mountain resort town of Ruidoso, N.M. and the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.

The native Hispanics who first settled the county played a pivotal role in all the County’s history, and their contribution and participation continues to be honored by the Historical Society in its programs and fieldtrips.

The LCHS also represents the colorful history of other towns in Lincoln County: San Patricio (a hangout of the Kid), Capitan (the home and burial place of Smokey Bear), Carrizozo (rich in ranching and railroad history), Mescalero (headquarters of the Mescalero Apache Tribe), the ghost town of White Oaks (one of the greatest gold mining towns of its day) and, of course, Ruidoso, historic yet now an unmatchable mountain resort town.

Fort Stanton, one of the few standing Civil War-Indian War forts in the country, lies only minutes from historic Lincoln. The Buffalo Soldier regiments posted there did the bulk of the fighting during the Indian Wars in New Mexico and Arizona in the late 1800’s.

Take a look at our programs and fieldtrips—and come join us!