Henry McCarty becomes The Kid… December 3, 1880. W.S. Koogler, co-owner of the Las Vegas Gazette, publishes a long article on crime in the Pecos and...
What’s In A Name?
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Billy the Kid
Following Billy the Kid
Tracking the legend across Arizona and New Mexico is still an adventure. It’s easy to start a travel story when you know where your subject was...
Brushy Bill, Winchesters and Whiskey Row
Did the U.S. Army find out who was selling rifles to the Lakota and Cheyenne Indians prior to the Battle of Little Big Horn? Joe Manriquez...
Did Pat Garrett Receive a Reward for Killing Billy the Kid?
A few days after the killing of Billy the Kid at Pete Maxwell’s house in Fort Sumner, New Mexico on July 11, 1881, Pat Garrett traveled by train to...
A First Brush with the Law
Billy the Kid gets caught holding stolen goods. September 23, 1875. Henry McCarty--later Billy the Kid--is arrested for the first time. He'd been...
The Mourning of Billy the Kid
The death of his mother set him on the wrong trail. September 16, 1874. Catherine Antrim dies of tuberculosis in her home in Silver City, New Mexico...
The Kid’s First Kill
Windy Cahill becomes the first victim of Billy. August 17, 1877. Henry McCarty, also known as Henry Antrim, later known as Billy the Kid, kills his...
A Meal and Meeting of Legends
Did Jesse James and Billy the Kid really break bread together? July 26, 1879. Dr. Henry Hoyt (photo) has dinner at the Adobe Hotel in Las Vegas, NM....
The Deadly Escape
Billy the Kid vs Olinger & Bell Against All Odds April 28, 1881 Godfrey Gauss and Sam Wortley live behind the Lincoln Courthouse....
A Letter From the Kid
Billy Bonney couldn’t convince the governor to meet with him. March 2, 1881. Billy the Kid sends one of his many letters to New Mexico Territory...
Billy the Kid’s Many Aliases
The Kid's official birth name was William Henry McCarty Jr. His birthplace is not certain. Some say New York City. In 1873 his mother, Catherine...
Taking His Time
Billy the Kid was in no hurry to leave after breaking jail. Billy the Kid became famous after he escaped from the Lincoln County Jail on April 28,...