Notes on a Special Place: Cloudcroft and the Southern Mountains

After searching for years for a mountain cabin site in the west, the author purchased 13 acres out of an old horse and cattle ranch dating back to 1881, just outside of what is now Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Gradually he became interested in the history of his land and uncovered a rich trove of Mescalero Apache, Spanish, Mexican and American cultures coming together, warring and ultimately co-existing in this little corner of the country. These disjointed notes are the results of his research and insight. Coronado, Kit Carson, Santana, Billy the Kid, the Bullards and Mosers, The Eddy Brothers, J. Robert Oppenheimer and, in turn, the Weinbergers all appear on or within a few miles of this special place. This is their story.