Billy the Kid: His Legacy in Guadalupe County - Paperback

by Daniel B. Flores (Author)

Billy the Kid, His Legacy in Guadalupe County is about several connections that the famous outlaw of the Old West had in what is now New Mexico's Guadalupe county. Billy was very active in Lincoln and San Miguel counties during his heyday, though his exploits also extended to other parts of New Mexico. Billy the Kid, His Legacy Guadalupe County includes several sections about those people who had strong ties to Guadalupe county and knew Billy or were somehow associated with those who knew him. Guadalupe county was created by the New Mexico territorial legislature in 1891 and officially came into existence in 1893. The land which became part of the new county was taken from the southern part of San Miguel county. In 1903 Guadalupe county ceased to exist and was replaced by Leonard Wood county. The eastern part of Guadalupe county became Quay county. The western part of the Guadalupe county became the new Leonard Wood county. Puerto de Luna had been the county seat of the old Guadalupe county. The new railroad towns of Santa Rosa and Tucumcari became the county seats of Guadalupe and Quay counties. Billy the Kid, His Legacy in Guadalupe County consists of ten sections devoted to nine men and a woman who had strong direct or indirect associations with the outlaw. The nine men all knew Billy the Kid. Three of the men were Billy's close friends. The other six included two lawmen and four acquaintances. The only woman in the group was born after Billy the Kid's death but had strong family ties to Billy Kid's stomping grounds in Fort Sumner. Also included is a section about a Puerto de Luna building that through the years has played a major role in preserving the Guadalupe county legacy and lore about Billy the Kid. Billy himself is known to have visited the building. The building over the years has been the subject of many news articles about the famous outlaw. During the depression the building was used as a headquarters by two men who have played an important role in preserving his legacy for posterity. Though now dilapidated, the building still stands in Puerto de Luna as a reminder of the rich and colorful past of the area.

Author Biography

Daniel B. Flores was born in Puerto de Luna, New Mexico in 1946, in the home of his paternal abuelos, grandparents, Cipriano and Pablita Flores. The home of his abuelos is the same house in which Billy the Kid ate his last Christmas dinner in 1880. In 1880 the house belonged to Flores' maternal great-grandparents, Alexander and Secundina Grzelachowski. Grzelachowski built the house in 1873. Grzelachowski's estate served as a combination residence and mercantile store. A large combination warehouse/storehouse was also connected to the rear of the store, complete with a cellar. He is the oldest of thirteen children. The Flores family lived in Puerto de Luna until they moved to Santa Rosa in October 1959. While living in Puerto de Luna, the Flores family lived across the street from the maternal grandparents, Juan and Leticia Padilla. As the first-born of the Benny Flores family, he was baptized by his grandparents. Hispanic cultural tradition is for the maternal grandparents to baptize the first born. The second-born is then baptized by the paternal grandparents. He received both sacraments at Nuestra Señora del Refugio. Flores attended public schools in Puerto de Luna and Santa Rosa. After graduating from Santa Rosa High School in 1964, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico. He received a BA degree from the University of New Mexico in 1969 and an MA degree in Educational Administration from New Mexico Highlands University in 1984. He returned to Santa Rosa after graduating from UNM in 1969 and was employed by the Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools for over forty years. After working as a teacher for fifteen years, he spent the last twenty-five years of his educational career as an administrator. He served as middle school principal for two years and then was high school principal for seven years. He retired from the school system in July 2009 after working his last sixteen years as the school district's superintendent.