Where is Lincoln County War figure Bob Olinger buried?
Johnny Crawley
Salem, Oregon
Bob “Pecos Bob” Olinger was killed by Billy the Kid during his escape from the Lincoln County jail in Lincoln, New Mexico, on April 28, 1881. A marker notes the spot where Olinger died.
“The mystery of the location of Pecos Bob’s grave has never really been solved,” Lincoln County historian Drew Gomber says. “He is not buried in any of the five cemeteries in Lincoln though. He was buried in the old soldiers’ cemetery at Fort Stanton, and I think I found the grave some years back, as there had clearly been a headstone that had been removed…. There is also a story of his family coming and retrieving the body, but my inclination is to think he is at the fort.”
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Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian. His latest book is Wyatt Earp: Showdown at Tombstone. If you have a question, write:
Ask the Marshall, P.O. Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 or e-mail him at marshall.trimble@scottsdalecc.edu
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