Old Fort Sumner Cemetery

De Baca Co., Cemeteries of New Mexico

Photo by Sheriff Jerry Hicks

  

  



 Billy The Kid's Elusive Tombstone

Billy the Kid's Tombstone was stolen in 1950. For 26 years it remained a mystery until 1976, when it was recovered in Granbury, Texas by Joe Boudin.  Stolen again on Feb. 3, 1981. Recovered Feb. 12 in Huntington-Beach, California.  Gov. Bruce King arranged for De Baca County Sheriff "Big John" McBride to fly to Los Angeles, California via Texas International Airlines to return the marker.  Chamber officials with Jarvis P. Garrett officially reset the marker in iron shackles May 30, 1981.

Old Fort Sumner Museum
contains historical documents of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett.

William H. Bonney
Nov 23, 1860, July 14, 1881
21 ys. 7 mths, 21 days.


Old Fort Sumner
and "Billy the Kid's" Grave

Fort Sumner was established in 1862 to guard the Navajo and Apaches on the Bosque Redondo Reservation. It was discontinued as a military post in 1868 and the buildings and site sold to Lucien B. Maxwell. William "Billy the Kid" Bonney was killed here by Sheriff Pat Garrett the night of July 14, 1881. Bonney is buried in the nearby cemetery.