Santa Fe's San Francisco Street and Billy the Kid

Strolling around town is one the most popular things to do while visiting Santa Fe New Mexico. Historic sites and landmarks are everywhere. For those interested in old west history, one must see landmark is located just a few blocks west of the plaza. Walk west down San Francisco Street and you'll come upon a plaque on the side of a building on the south side of the street. This plaque marks the site of an old Santa Fe jail that at one time, and probably a few times, house the infamous Billy the Kid. His real name has been disputed for over a century. Depending on the source the Kid's real name was either Henry McCarty or William Henry Bonney. What is somewhat agreed upon is that he was born in Brooklyn New York. The other agreed upon fact is that the Kid spent his teen years living in Santa Fe.

Billy the Kid was a well known outlaw during the 1870's who gained a lasting reputation during what was called the Lincoln County Wars between 1876-1878. Lincoln County was at the time a vast area comprising what is now southeastern New Mexico. In fact, it comprised all of southeastern New Mexico. Today, the area comprises several different counties. The Lincoln County war was essentially a bloody feud between to factions operating in the town of Lincoln. One faction which were prosperous merchants had been entrenched for years and pretty much controlled politics. They also had lucrative contracts providing the military with supplies. This was the Murphy-Dolan group. The other was the McSween -Tunstall group who were also merchants and were trying to unseat the incumbents.


Sporadic gunfire and bloodshed between the two groups went on for a long time. Both sides had hired guns in their employ. Sheriff William Brady was shot and killed during this time and the shooter was said to be Billy the Kid who was aligned with the McSween group. The Lincoln County War was thought to be the event which turned the Kid into an outlaw. Also, a lawyer named Chapman, representing the McSween group was gunned down in the streets of Lincoln allegedly by gunmen of the Murphy faction.


Eventually the Lincoln County war ended in 1878 largely by the intervention of federal troops, many of which were the Buffalo Soldiers, stationed at nearby Fort Stanton. There were many arrests of which the most notable was the arrest of Billy the Kid by then Sheriff Pat Garrett. Garrett arrested the Kid for the murder of sheriff William Brady and brought him up to Santa Fe and jailed him in the old jail which reportedly in the building pictured left. This site is also near the historic Lensic Theater on San Francisco Street.


After Billy was transported to Santa Fe where he spent three months in jail in 1880 and then sent to a town in southern New Mexico to stand trial for the Brady killing. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang. He was then transported over to Fort Sumner in Lincoln county and jailed. As the Kid had done numerous times he found a way to escape from the jail. He actually had quite a reputation for jail breaks. Once again sheriff Pat Garrett was on his trail. This culminated on July 14, 1881. on this date Billy the Kid was killed sheriff Pat Garret. There is dispute in how the Kid was killed. Was he shot in a fair fight or shot in the back? That question will probably never be answered with any certainty. What was ironic was that Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid were at one time good friends. Another ironic thing about the Kid was that while he was a hunted fugitive, many of the Mexicans in New Mexico held him in high regard and offered him assistance while on the run.


When you stroll around the adobe structured streets of Santa Fe New Mexico, you may want to see this historic site for yourself. 

The Historic Santa Fe Train Depot and the Railyard District

The Santa Fe Train Depot on Guadalupe Street was a station for the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. The station connected Santa Fe to Lamy New Mexico via an 18 mile spur line since 1880. The spur line was built to connect to the railroad's main line which had a station in Lamy. The steep grade from Lamy up to Santa Fe discouraged the early surveyors. Nevertheless, the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad had great success in promoting Santa Fe as a first class and unique American southwest tourist destination.

Santa Fe Depot

The AT&SF continued their passenger operations on the spur line until the Interstate Highway system was built. At that point the passenger loads to Santa Fe were not cost efficient. People were taking top the highways with their new cars and on the constantly improving highway system. The railroad replaced the spur line operation with motorcoaches for the short ride to Santa Fe. 

The Santa Fe depot was also the terminus for a narrow gauge line that ran to the north. The Denver and Rio Grand Railroad had built a line south from Antonito Colorado to Espanola New Mexico. In fact, the D&RG essentially built Espanola by selling lots on the property they owned. The fact that the line only went south to Espanola, about 25 miles north of Santa Fe, did not sit well with Santa Fe residents, especially since the AT&SF bypassed Santa Fe proper due to the terrain. In response, Santa Fe built a narrow gauge line northward to Espanola. There ended up being about six years worth of delays because of contracts the D&RG had about how far down in New Mexico they could lay tracks. This was similar to the spur line built to Lamy in the south but was narrow gauge, meaning the distance between the rails was shorter than standard rail widths. The narrow gauges were three feet across. Santa Fe's effort would end up delayed about six years because of agreements the D&RG had as to how far into New Mexico they could lay track. Eventually the line was completed down to Santa Fe on October 21, 1886. In 1889, the section down to Santa Fe was officially taken over by the D&RG. The D&RG Railroad's line going south into New Mexico from Antonito was nicknamed "The Chili Line".

SFS Railroad Coach Car

In 1903 Santa Fe got itself another railroad. This one was the New Mexico Central Railway and it was a standard gauge system. The line ran from Santa Fe to Torrance New Mexico.


The D&RG Railroad's Chili Line took big financial hits during the years of the Great Depression. They announced their intention to abandon the line in 1939 and after government hearings (which were necessary to abandon a route at that time) the line carried it's last train on September 1, 1941.


The spur line has remained intact and today the line is a popular tourist route. Scheduled passenger rail was began again in the 1990's with the Santa Fe Southern Railway's purchase of the freight-only Santa Fe spur. The purchase included the depot. Today, tourists can take a fun and scenic ride in 1920's rail coaches on the spur line which is over 125 years old. What some people might not realize is that the Santa Fe Southern also carries freight to help serve the community. The train depot is in the Railyard District of Santa Fe which has grown and developed into both a popular tourist and residential area all within walking distance of the plaza. Many terrific restaurants in the district including Tomasita's, Zia's and Cowgirls.

Silver Lounge car

When you visit Santa Fe you may want to consider taking a fun ride down to Lamy on the Santa Fe Southern Railroads excursion train. The ride is about one hour each way with a short layover at Lamy. You can ride in the luxurious 1920's coach cars or ask about a ride in their 1950's era luxury lounge silver car. The train depot has many historic railroad artifacts and an excellent gift shop with some one of a kind items.


The train station is located at 410 S. Guadalupe Street in Santa Fe. The reservation number is 505-989-8600.

The Oldest House in America / Barrio de Analco Santa Fe

Oldest House, 2011

When you visit Santa Fe be certain to take a short stroll up the Old Santa Fe Trail to De Vargas Street. The adobe structure located just east of the Old Santa Fe Trail is recognized as the oldest structure in the United states. There is a bit of controversy regarding this distinguished title however the owners of the structure located at 215 East De Vargas Street is duly recognized by the city of Santa Fe. The structure was reportedly built in 1646 and has been standing on this site through Spanish, Mexican and United States rule. The other two structures in the United States which claim a similar title are the Gonzalez-Alvarez House in St. Augustine Florida and the Fairbanks House in Dedham Massachusetts.

The area where the house is located is also the oldest neighborhood in Santa Fe, Barrio de Analco. This is a noted Santa Fe Historic District and is home to several other significant structures including the oldest church in America, the Chapel of San Miguel. This chapel is recognized as the oldest continuously occupied church in the U.S. built in 1626. Also at 132 East De Vargas Street is the Gregorio Crespin House. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Gregorio Crespin House was built in 1720 and is now used for various community events.

When you visit Santa Fe be certain to add the Barrio de Analco area to your trip planner. It's an opportunity to see the type of architecture during the very first years of Santa Fe's existence. Be sure to take your camera along for some excellent pictures.

A Visit To Canyon Road / Santa Fe's Gem

For decades, artists and art lovers have visited Canyon Road, Santa Fe’s art gallery district. There is no place else that you can find the type and quality of art that Canyon Road galleries offer. It's the destination for international art collectors and every art collectors dream. 

Canyon Road offers the largest concentration of galleries found in the city. It's also one of the prettiest places in Santa Fe. Tourists flock to Canyon Road by the thousands and enjoy both the galleries and the several very unique dining stops. The traditional adobe structures, winding road and mountain backdrop afford many great picture taking opportunities.

Santa Fe is known for it's unique art galleries. In fact, it has more galleries than any other city it's size. The city and the surrounding areas have a high concentration of artists. For many years they have come to Santa Fe to capture the beauty of the natural landscape. One of the most popular southwestern artist of the 20th century, Georgia O'Keefe, made the Santa Fe area her home. Canyon Road really began as a residential neighborhood. All structures were built in accordance with the local Hispanic and Native American methods which was adobe and included courtyards. . Canyon Road is a long, narrow road that leads right up to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains which border the east of Santa Fe.The entire area was filled with artists and when Santa Fe grew to be a major tourist destination, Canyon Road grew right with it. 


The growth of the Santa Fe art community really began as a result of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad's promotion of the southwest as a tourist destination. The railroad hired two artists to visit the southwest and put it's natural beauty on canvas. The Fred Harvey Company which was closely attached to the AT&SF managed the La Fonda Hotel which had been purchased by the railroad. Fred Harvey and the railroad also offered guided tourist cars that took visitors to the many historic sites and pueblos surrounding Santa Fe. As more and more visitors came to Santa Fe so did the artists and today it is one of the finest and largest art communities in the world.

The Farolito Walk is an open house event held every Christmas Eve starting at dusk and is a popular draw for thousands of people. A farolito is also referred to as a "lumineria" which is a small paper bag with a candle inside. It's something you see quite a lot of in Santa Fe. The Christmas farolito walk also includes the beautiful sounds of Christmas carols. If you are visiting Santa Fe at that time of year, it's an event you don't want to miss. It's about the closest thing you'll attend that is everything Santa Fe. Plan your trip early because the road and some surrounding roads will be closed down to vehicular traffic sometime before dark.

Santa Fe galleries on Canyon Road display a wide range of art including Native American art, early 20th century art by members of New Mexico's famous art colonies, traditional representational art, and contemporary and abstract art. 


When you visit Santa Fe be sure to include the Canyon Road galleries on your New Mexico trip planner. 


Canyon Road Information and Directions

A Visit To Georgia O'Keefe and Ghost Ranch

Santa Fe is considered the oldest settlement in the U.S. dating back to the 1600's when it was established by the Spaniards. St. Francis of Assissi, which is a Catholic basilica and located one block east of the plaza in Santa Fe, is over 400 years old. As you may already know, Santa Fe is a fine tourist destination for people from all over the world. In the summer months it's mild and dry climate is a refuge from the hot humid conditions in the south and mid west and in winter the skiers come in large numbers. If you have the opportunity of vacationing in Santa Fe or on a trip to Taos there is an excellent day trip with a lot of great photo opportunities.

Pictured  below left is Georgia O'Keeffe an American artist of great fame who called northern New Mexico home during much of her later life.

Briefly, O'Keeffe's early story was that she took up art in pursuit of making an independent career out of it but became disillusioned with the chances of becoming successful. This was around 1908 and she simply decided to take a job in Chicago as a commercial artist. She was from Wisconsin. Several years later she again had the urge to strike out in hopes of becoming successful as an independent artist...not liking the routine of being employed by someone else in the commercial world. This happened after she spent time at a University of Virginia summer school and met the artist Arthur Wesley Dow. He was considered an innovative artist and Georgia O'Keefe like his ideas.This was the period where she began her various teaching endeavors.


Shortly after this, some of O'Keeffe's charcoal drawings came to the attention of a few New Yorker's who brought these to the attention of Alfred Stieglitz who had a New York gallery. Stieglitz asked her to move to New York and continue her art work there. She did and they eventually married after his divorce. Stieglitz eventually made several hundred photographs of O'Keeffe during their time together and worked setting up many exhibitions of her work.


1929 was the year Georgia O'Keeffe started coming to New Mexico spending time in both Santa Fe and Taos. She began to preferred this over her then usual upstate New York summers.She found inspiration in the surroundings. If you have the chance to visit the Santa Fe/Taos area you will see the natural beauty and colors of the land which would probably inspire most artists. In fact it does and the this area of New Mexico is a mecca for the art world. O'Keeffe was considered by many to be a loner and went on her own to explore many areas in northern New Mexico in her Ford Model A.

Georgia O'Keeffe 1918

O'Keeffe went on to establish herself as a popular artist.She also did some work for the Dole company in Hawaii in 1939. She was honored and inducted into several organizations in later life. In 1962 she was elected to the fifty member American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1966 she was elected a Fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. There were several other honors bestowed her in the art world. She died in 1986 in Santa Fe at the age of 98.


Georgia O'Keeffe spent many years in a town with the name Abiquiu. It's located about a 45 minutes to one hour drive north of Santa Fe and in some very picturesque country. Makes a perfect low cost day trip during your New Mexico vacation. In Abiquiu you want to stop and see her house which is up a short winding road right off the main highway. You will also want to visit Ghost Ranch which O'Keeffe  spent summers at which is just a short drive north of Abiquiu. Add the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum to your trip planner while in Santa Fe. It's located just a few blocks west of the Santa Fe plaza. For dozens of western U.S. trip ideas and historic sites please visit Western Trips.