Billy the Kid's Jail, Santa Fe, New Mexico: A Glimpse into Wild West History on the Southwest's Frontier

Billy the Kid spent the winter of 1880-1881 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, trying desperately to get out its jail.

He hired lawyers.
He wrote the Governor.
He even tried digging his way out!

Nothing worked.

Billy only escaped the “safest jail in the Territory” in March when deputies finally escorted him to the railroad station for a trip to southern New Mexico—where a jury of his peers waited to convict him of murder.

But just where was this invincible Santa Fe jail?

Today, in Santa Fe, two plaques mark the spot.
Or rather, two competing spots . . .

Lynn Michelsohn tracks down historical sources to identify the actual location of Billy’s long-disputed Santa Fe jail, and to provide this brief glimpse into life on America’s Southwestern frontier (12,000 words; 17 photos, maps, and drawings; 82 pages in paperback).