Okay, I’m a couple of days late in getting this one posted. While some may not agree with the date and/or other circumstances surrounding his death and burial, (I’ll leave that discussion for others to argue), most accounts have Henry McCarty, aka William Bonney, aka Billy The Kid, passing away on July 14, 1881. Cause of death? Lead Poisoning, or should I say a bullet or bullets administered by Sheriff Pat Garrett.
As I was traveling in New Mexico, passing through the community of Fort Sumner, I noticed a prominent sign directing me to the gravesite of Billy The Kid. It turned out to be located several miles outside of the town on a road with his name.
There was a well maintained building that was not open that day (a Sunday), and fenced grounds that included plenty of information about the event, and also the headstone that was reportedly stolen from the site many years ago, then recovered and returned to it’s current location.
I didn’t take the time to research the truthfulness or accuracy of the details presented. I just found it interesting. I’ve preserved it in digital images, and decided to share them with you.
There was one other visitor there when I arrived, she was walking her small dog out of the courtyard area, and informed me that dogs were welcome. Of course, she was a visitor, and there wasn’t anyone from the facility on hand to confirm or deny that policy.
Squirty was fine with the decision to walk through the courtyard. I was pleased that she didn’t attempt to leave any evidence of her appearance behind.
