Friends of the Lincoln Historic Site

05/30/2026

Recent preservation work at the Torreón in Lincoln is a powerful reminder that caring for historic places is never finished. It is a responsibility passed from one generation to the next.

The Torreón is one of Lincoln’s oldest and most recognizable landmarks. Believed to date to the founding era of La Placita del Rio Bonito in the 1850s, this stone defensive tower was built during a time when Hispano settlers in the Bonito Valley faced danger and uncertainty on the New Mexico frontier. Long before Lincoln became known for the Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid, and Pat Garrett, the Torreón stood as a place of protection, community, and survival.

Its preservation story is also central to Lincoln’s history. Shortly after citizens voted to move the county seat from Lincoln to Carrizozo in 1909, local residents began advocating to protect the town’s historical integrity. Those efforts gained momentum as public fascination with the Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid grew, especially after Walter Noble Burns’ bestselling The Saga of Billy the Kid was published in 1927.

In 1934, Lincoln completed its first major preservation project: the restoration of the Torreón. Funded by the Works Progress Administration and completed under the direction of the Chaves County Historical and Archaeological Society, that work helped inspire later efforts to preserve the broader historic community.

Today’s work continues that legacy. The current mud plastering of the Torreón’s exterior is largely cosmetic, thanks to the permanent stabilization of the stone superstructure completed in the 1930s. But as a community-involved project, it also echoes the way Lincoln’s residents would likely have come together historically to maintain and protect this important defensive structure.

The work is being led by Cornerstones and the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, with help from the community. The Friends of Historic Lincoln were proud to provide the dirt for the mud plaster, using local earth removed during a recent water system upgrade in Lincoln. In that way, the project is not only preserving the Torreón, but doing so with material quite literally drawn from the community itself.

The Torreón reminds us that Lincoln’s history did not begin with legend. It began with community.

05/22/2026

Here's an update on the movement of the Seven Cabins fire. Lincoln still seems safe for the time being.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to make one of these but the fire is still growing, albeit slowly. Right now the fire is about 12 miles north of Lincoln, as the crow flies, and primarily spreading south and west.

04/17/2026

Recently we received an email from a visitor to Lincoln, a descendent of the Fresquez family for whom one of our historic homes is named. We were so tickled by it we had to share:

"It was such an incredibly fantastic visit there today! Brought a lot of joy to our Fresquez family and got to see the Grandkids running where their Great Grandpa Ernesto probably ran when he was a little boy too! Thank you for maintaining this amazing historical site in Lincoln, New Mexico where my Dad was born!"

It's messages like this that remind us why our mission to help preserve Lincoln is so important! Here is a present-day photo of the Fresquez house, and an undated (but very old) historic photo of the Fresquez house from our archives. Thanks to all of our visitors, and to those who have made generous donations over the years. If you'd like to donate, please visit our brand new website to easily make a donation online. Thank you!

12/17/2025

Hello Friends, we want to remind you of our upcoming events in Lincoln! This Friday, December 19th, come see the Live Nativity at the Firehouse in Lincoln at 6PM. This event is free and open to the public.

Also, join us on Christmas Eve for the lighting of the traditional luminaries throughout town starting at 4PM, followed by services at the Community Church at 6PM.

You can always check our website to see a list of upcoming events! While you're there, please consider making a donation. All funds go directly to supporting the Lincoln Historic Site through preservation, outreach, and events throughout the year. Help us keep Lincoln America's best preserved frontier town! Hope to see you in Lincoln this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad from the board of the Friends of the Lincoln Historic Site.

The Friends of the Lincoln Historic Site is a non-profit dedicated to supporting the history and preservation of the Lincoln Historic Site through education, fundraising, and volunteer efforts.

10/09/2025

Lincoln After Dark is in two days! On this self-guided walking tour you'll be greeted by some of Lincoln's most famous (and infamous) historical figures, portrayed by local actors from Oso Productions, as they tell the tales of their lives during Lincoln's rough-and-tumble frontier period of the 1870s. Food vendors will be on-site and local merchants will be open! Buy tickets online now or when you arrive! Hope to see you in Lincoln!

https://tickets.holdmyticket.com/tickets/452831

09/27/2025

Have you ever wondered what exactly is the Lincoln Historic Site? Well, we've got a map for you! The Lincoln Historic Site is the most visited of all the New Mexico Historic Sites and is unique for several reasons, not least because it's a historic site that's interwoven in the tiny, living community of Lincoln. The Lincoln Historic Site comprises 17 structures, 9 of which are open to the public as museums, scattered among other privately owned historic buildings that are owned by the fifty or so residents who call this community their home. The map shows how integral the Historic Site is to this community. We, the Friends of the Lincoln Historic Site, exist to help protect, preserve, and promote the Historic Site with fundraising, education, outreach and more. If you'd like to help, please visit our brand new website at https://www.friendsoflincoln.org/ where you can now easily make a donation online. The Historic Site has two big projects for which we need to raise considerable funds, including restoration of the bell tower on the historic church, the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista, and resurfacing and stabilization of the Torreón. Thank you and we hope to see in you in Lincoln soon!

09/24/2025

Hello friends! Join us Saturday, October 11th for another Lincoln After Dark! On this self-guided tour, you'll have the opportunity to wander what was once "The Most Dangerous Street In America" as actors from Oso Productions tell the stories of Lincoln's rough-and-tumble frontier past. This popular fundraising event is a fun, family-friendly way to support the Lincoln Historic Site. Get your tickets online now, and we'll see you in a few weeks!

Step into the shadows of the Wild West with Lincoln After Dark: Murder and Mayhem Along the Most Dangerous Street in America. As night falls in the historic town of Lincoln, New Mexico, walk the very streets where notorious outlaws and lawmen once clashed…

08/27/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17Bj3ysgUy/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/28/2025

Make Plans!!

07/13/2025

Come on up!