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Carrizozo volcanic field

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The Carrizozo volcanic field is a monogenetic volcanic field located in New Mexico , US . The volcanic field consists of two lava flows, the Broken Back flow and the Carrizozo lava flow (Carrizozo Malpais), the second youngest in New Mexico. Both lava flows originated from groups of cinder cones . The Broken Back flow is approximately 16 kilometres (10 mi) long and the Carrizozo, one of the largest in the world, is 68 kilometres (42 mi) long, covering 328 square kilometres (127 sq mi) with a volume of 4.2 cubic kilometres (1.0 cu mi).

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50-687: The Carrizozo Malpais is a large lava flow on the west side of Carrizozo, New Mexico , on the northern part of the Tularosa Basin between Sierra Blanca to the southeast and the Oscura Mountains to the west. The lava making up the flow came from Little Black Peak, about 10 miles (16 km) north-northwest of Carrizozo. It reached about 40 miles (64 km) south-southwest along the bottom of Tularosa Basin in two active flows. Initial age estimates ranged from 1,000 to 1,500 years ago, but recent cosmogenic dating techniques revealed

100-574: A Dolan man, was wounded by rifle fire by George Coe. By allegedly shooting at government troops, the Regulators gained a new set of enemies. On May 15, the Regulators tracked down and captured the Jesse Evans gang member Manuel Segovia, who is believed to have shot McNab. They shot him during an alleged escape. Around the time of Segovia's death, the Regulator "iron clad" gained a new member,

150-781: A U.S. Senator from New Mexico and later Secretary of the Interior , owned the Three Rivers Ranch just south of Carrizozo, but had to sell it to settle legal debts as a result of his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal (1922–1923). During the same time, journalist Quentin Reynolds visited the town and wrote a piece on it for Collier's . Later, he wrote in The Wounded Don't Cry that "I used to agree with Bugs that once you left New York, you were strictly on

200-600: A cattle ranch, store, and bank in partnership with the young attorney Alexander McSween and cattleman John Chisum. At the time Lincoln County was dominated both economically and politically by Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan, the proprietors of LG Murphy and Co., later James J. Dolan and Co., the only store in the county. The factions were divided along ethnic and sectarian lines, with the Murphy faction being mostly Irish Catholic, while Tunstall and his allies were mostly English Protestant. LG Murphy and Co. lent thousands of dollars to

250-494: A debt and McSween suspected that the executor of the estate would give the money to them. McSween also knew how badly needy for cash The House was and as a business competitor was likely loath to have the money go to them, whether their claim was legitimate or not. During February 1878, in a court case that was eventually dismissed, they obtained a court order to seize all of McSween's assets, but mistakenly included all of Tunstall's assets with those of McSween. Sheriff Brady formed

300-468: A high eruption rate. The Valley of Fires Recreation Area provides access to the Malpaís on its east edge, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Carrizozo on U.S. Route 380 . The highway has several scenic overlooks where it crosses the Malpaís. The entire extent of the flow can be seen from higher elevations to the east on U.S. Route 380 . The Trinity (nuclear test) , first atomic bomb detonation site,

350-569: A merchant active in the Lincoln County War (1878), owned a major ranch in the area. The location of Carrizozo was selected as the site for a station on the El Paso and Northeastern Railway (EP&NE) main line in 1899. Carrizozo was chosen over the nearby booming mine town of White Oaks , resulting in large-scale migration from White Oaks to Carrizozo. The railroad brought businesses, growing population, and increased importance to

400-638: A posse to attach Tunstall's remaining assets at his ranch 70 miles from Lincoln. Dolan also enlisted the John Kinney Gang , Seven Rivers Warriors and the Jesse Evans Gang , and their job was mainly to harass and rustle cattle from Tunstall's and Chisum's ranches, as well as being the faction's hired gunmen. On February 18, 1878, members of the Sheriff's posse caught up to Tunstall while he and his ranch-hands, Richard "Dick" Brewer, Billy

450-469: A prior arrest. A surviving deputy, Billy Matthews, wounded both men with one bullet that passed through both of them. French's wound was so severe that he had to be temporarily harbored by Sam Corbet in a crawlspace in Corbet's house. Widenmann was also in the corral, but whether he participated was never ascertained: he claimed he was feeding Tunstall's dog. Three days after the murders of Brady and Hindman,

500-582: A way to escape by using pistol fire as cover and escaping. Jim French went out first, followed by Billy the Kid, O'Folliard, and Jose Chavez y Chavez. The Dolan men saw them running and began shooting, killing Harvey Morris, McSween's law partner. Some troopers moved into the back yard to take those left into custody when a close-quarters gunfight erupted. Alexander McSween and the Seven Rivers cowboy Bob Beckwith both died. Three other Mexican Regulators got away in

550-768: A young Texas cowboy named Tom O'Folliard , who soon became McCarty's best friend. A large confrontation between the two forces occurred on the afternoon of July 15, 1878, when the Regulators were surrounded in Lincoln in two different positions; the McSween house and the Ellis store. Opposing them were the Dolan/Murphy/Seven Rivers cowboys. In the Ellis store were Scurlock, Bowdre, Middleton, Frank Coe, and several others. About 20 Mexican Regulators, commanded by Josefita Chavez, were also positioned around town. In

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600-400: Is 20 miles (32 km) northwest. The Broken Back flow erupted from vents (a north-trending fissure, Broken Back Crater, and an unnamed cinder cone) located about 10 kilometers (6 mi) northwest of Little Black Peak. The flow covered an area of about 50 square kilometers (20 sq mi) and is partially overlapped by the younger Carrizozo Malpais. This flow is significantly older than

650-470: Is about 35 miles (56 km) east of the Trinity Site , where the first nuclear bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945. Residents reported tremors like an earthquake and, as the first major downwind settlement, the town received a significant part of the remnants of the mushroom cloud resulting in nuclear fallout of the area, which caused radioactive contamination . Bonito Lake which also lies within

700-496: Is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380 . Railroad freight traffic is provided by Union Pacific . For general aviation, the town is served by Carrizozo Municipal Airport . Carrizozo Municipal Schools is the local school district. A number of movies have been filmed in Carrizozo. Movies which have been filmed at least partially in Carrizozo include: Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War

750-426: Is the county seat , with a population of 996 at the 2010 census . Founded in 1899, the town provided the main railroad access for Lincoln County, and the town experienced significant population growth in the early decades of the 1900s. However, with declining relevance of the railroad, the population of the town has gradually declined. The town is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380 . The name of

800-620: The Rio Peñasco . Morton surrendered after a five-mile (8 km) running gunfight on the condition that he and his fellow deputy sheriff, Frank Baker – who had no part in the Tunstall murder but was riding with Morton and Lloyd – would be returned alive to Lincoln. The Regulators' captain Dick Brewer assured them they would be taken to Lincoln, but other Regulators insisted on killing the prisoners. One Regulator, William McCloskey, who

850-535: The Sierra Blanca mountain range. As of the 2010 census , there were 996 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 78.71% White, 0.70% African American, 2.61% American Indian, 14.16% Other, and 3.82% identified as two or more. Hispanics of any race were 43.57% of the population. Of the population, 54.72% were men and 45.28% were women. Of these, 15.96% were under the age of 18, 24.50% were over 65, and 59.54% were between 18 and 65. Carrizozo

900-540: The "Kid". The three men were buried at Fort Sumner, New Mexico . The Posse Comitatus Act , signed into law June 18, 1878, would have prevented the use of federal troops for domestic law enforcement, but President Hayes invoked the Insurrection Act of 1807 on October 7. Murphy died of cancer on October 20, 1878, about the age of 47. Susan McSween hired attorney Huston Chapman to pursue charges against Dolan and others, in addition to working for amnesty for

950-467: The 20th century. Recently, the town has seen increasing focus on tourism, and cherry cider produced in the town was known nationally. The Carrizozo Orchard has since been permanently closed. Carrizozo is located at the northern end of the Tularosa Basin , which extends southward to the New Mexico– Texas border. The town itself is located in a flat area known prior to the founding of the town as

1000-654: The Carrizozo Malpais, with an age estimated as 100,000 years, based on the degree of weathering and erosion. The volcanic field is associated with the Rio Grande Rift , a region of the Earth's crust that is being slowly pulled apart. This produces faulting that provides paths for magma to reach the Earth's surface from its upper mantle . The lavas erupted were mildly alkaline in composition, similar to

1050-645: The Corrizo flats, with typical Chihuahuan desert scrub and desert grasslands . To the west of the town is the Carrizozo Malpais , a 40-mile-long (64 km) lava flow that is about 1,500 years old and accessible through the Valley of Fires Recreation Area . To the northeast is Carrizo Mountain , a 9,600-foot (2,900 m) peak within the Sacramento Mountains , and to the southeast are

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1100-489: The Evans Gang. In revenge for this, the Regulators killed Sheriff Brady and others in a series of incidents. Further killings continued unabated for several months, climaxing in the battle of Lincoln , a five-day gunfight and siege that resulted in the death of McSween and the scattering of the Regulators. Pat Garrett was named County Sheriff in 1880, and he hunted down Billy the Kid, killing two other former Regulators in

1150-633: The Justice of the Peace, had been appointed illegally by the Lincoln County Commissioners. Wilson had deputized the Regulators and issued the warrants for Tunstall's murderers. Axtell's decree meant that the Regulators' actions, formerly considered legal, were now illegal. Axtell also was able to revoke Widenmann's status as a Deputy US marshal, making Sheriff Brady and his men the only law officers of Lincoln County. On April 1, 1878,

1200-483: The Kid, John Middleton , Henry Newton Brown , Robert A. Widenmann, and Fred Waite , were herding his last nine horses back to Lincoln. Frank Warner Angel, a special investigator for the Secretary of the Interior , later determined that Tunstall was shot in "cold blood" by Jesse Evans, William Morton, and Tom Hill. Tunstall's murder was witnessed from a distance by several of his men, including Richard Brewer and Billy

1250-817: The Kid. Tunstall's murder began the Lincoln County War. Tunstall's cowhands and other local citizens formed a group known as the Regulators to avenge his murder, since the territorial criminal justice system was controlled by allies of Murphy and Dolan. While the Regulators at various times consisted of dozens of American and Mexican cowboys, the main dozen or so members were known as the "iron clad", including McCarty, Richard "Dick" Brewer, Frank McNab , Doc Scurlock , Jim French , John Middleton, George Coe , Frank Coe , Jose Chavez y Chavez , Charlie Bowdre , Tom O'Folliard , Fred Waite (a Chickasaw ), and Henry Newton Brown. The Regulators set out to apprehend

1300-515: The McSween house to their fate. On the afternoon of July 19, the Murphy-Dolan faction set the house afire. As the flames spread and night began, Susan McSween and the other woman and five children were granted safe passage out of the house, while the men inside continued to fight the fire. By 9 pm, those left inside got set to flee out the back door of the burning house. Billy the Kid and Jim French assessed their situation, and figured out

1350-413: The McSween house were Alex McSween and his wife Susan, Billy the Kid, Henry Brown, Jim French, Tom O'Folliard, Jose Chavez y Chavez, George Coe, and a dozen Mexican vaqueros. During the next three days, the men exchanged shots and shouts. Tom Cullens, one of the McSween house defenders, was killed by a stray bullet. Around this time, Henry Brown, George Coe, and Joe Smith left the McSween house and went to

1400-583: The Regulators French, McNab, Middleton, Waite, Brown and McCarty (Billy the Kid) made ready in the corral behind Tunstall's store before attacking Brady and his deputies on the main street of Lincoln. Brady died of at least a dozen gunshot wounds; Deputy George W. Hindman was also wounded fatally. McCarty and French broke cover and dashed to Brady's body, possibly to get his arrest warrant for McSween or to recover McCarty's rifle, which Brady had kept from

1450-756: The Regulators elected McNab as their captain. On April 29, 1878, Sheriff Peppin was directing a posse that included the Jesse Evans Gang and the Seven Rivers Warriors . They engaged in a shootout with the Regulators McNab, Saunders, and Frank Coe at the Fritz Ranch. McNab died in the gunfire, Saunders was badly wounded, and Frank Coe was captured. The next day, the Seven Rivers members Tom Green, Charles Marshall, Jim Patterson and John Galvin were killed in Lincoln, and although

1500-501: The Regulators headed southwest from the area around Lincoln, reaching Blazer's Mill, a sawmill and trading post that supplied beef to the Mescalero Apaches . They came upon the rancher Buckshot Roberts , listed on their arrest warrant as one of Tunstall's murderers. In the ensuing shootout the Regulators mortally wounded Roberts, but he killed Brewer and wounded Middleton, Scurlock, Coe, and McCarty. After Brewer's death,

1550-475: The Regulators were blamed, this was never proven. Frank Coe escaped custody some time after his capture, allegedly with the assistance of Deputy Sheriff Wallace Olinger , who gave him a pistol. The day after McNab's death the Regulators known as the "iron clad" assumed defensive positions in the town of Lincoln, trading shots with Dolan men and, allegedly, members of the US Army cavalry. "Dutch Charley" Kruling,

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1600-417: The Regulators. On February 18, 1879, one year to the day after Tunstall was murdered, Evans and Billy Campbell killed Chapman, then fled the territory. That murder also was attributed to Dolan, though his involvement was never proven. Dolan was indicted for the murder of Tunstall, but was acquitted. He later acquired all of Tunstall's property before dying on his ranch in 1898, aged 49. Susan McSween took over

1650-718: The Territorial Governor, and the Territorial Attorney General eventually held the mortgage on the company. Tunstall learned that Murphy and Dolan, who bought many of their cattle from rustlers , had lucrative beef contracts from the United States government to supply forts and Indian agencies. The government contracts, along with their monopoly on merchandise and financing for farms and ranches, allowed Murphy, Dolan and their partner Riley to become wealthy. The main event that resulted in

1700-426: The Tunstall store, where they chased two Dolan men into an outhouse with rifle fire and forced them to dive into the bottom to escape. The impasse continued until the arrival of US Army troops commanded by Colonel Nathan Dudley . When these troops pointed cannons at the Ellis store and other positions, Billy the Kid, Doc Scurlock and his men fled from their positions, as did Chavez's cowboys, leaving those remaining in

1750-414: The beginning of the Lincoln County War was controversy over the disbursement of Emil Fritz's insurance policy. Emil Fritz was a partner of L. G. Murphy. When he died in 1874, the executors of the estate hired Alexander McSween to collect his insurance policy. After collecting the policy, McSween refused to give the money to the executor of the estate because The House claimed that the money was owed to them as

1800-603: The confusion, to rendezvous with the "iron clad" members yards away. The Lincoln County War accomplished little other than to foster distrust and animosity in the area. The surviving Regulators, most notably Billy the Kid, continued as fugitives. Gradually, his fellow gunmen scattered to their various fates. Billy rode with Bowdre, O'Folliard, Dave Rudabaugh , and a few other friends, with whom he rustled cattle and committed other crimes. Eventually sheriff Pat Garrett and his posse tracked and killed O'Folliard, Bowdre, and, in July 1881,

1850-452: The county. The older, established faction was dominated by James Dolan, who operated a dry goods monopoly through a general store referred to locally as "The House". English-born John Tunstall and his business partner Alexander McSween opened a competing store in 1876, with backing from established cattleman John Chisum. The two sides gathered lawmen, businessmen, Tunstall's ranch hands, and criminal gangs to their assistance. The Dolan faction

1900-450: The eruption date is 5200 ± 700 years ago. At their southern end, the lava flows are about 12 miles (19 km) north of the dune fields of White Sands National Park . The Carrizozo Woman's Club helped protect this state area. The lava flow is composed of pāhoehoe lava that spread through lava tubes . The eruptions are estimated to have lasted about three decades, and the extent of the flow reflects this long eruptive duration rather than

1950-409: The estimated radioactive fallout zone of the 1945 Trinity test, was a water source for Carrizozo. With the rise of the automobile, Carrizozo's proximity to the railroad became less important starting in the 1950s, and the last passenger train passed through in 1968. The result was a decrease in economic opportunity in Carrizozo, and the population fell back to about 1,200 people for much of the end of

2000-429: The group. As the bodies of Morton and Baker each bore eleven bullet holes, one for each Regulator, Utley believes that the Regulators murdered them and killed McCloskey for opposing them. Nolan writes that Morton took ten bullets, and Baker was shot five times. That same day, Tunstall's other two killers, Tom Hill and Jesse Evans, were shot while trying to rob a sheep drover near Tularosa, New Mexico . Hill died and Evans

2050-420: The horse and buggy circuit. But of late years I've had to modify that. Since then I've discovered New Orleans , San Francisco and a little place called Carrizozo, New Mexico, where I want to go when I die. I want to go there and gang around the drug store and sneak behind the prescription counter with Art Rolland and have a nip of what he calls Old Granddaddy then type out his prescriptions for him." Carrizozo

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2100-467: The nearby Jornada del Muerto , Hillsboro , and Black Mesa ( 33°44′46″N 106°52′23″W  /  33.746°N 106.873°W  / 33.746; -106.873 ) flows. Seismic measurements in the region have detected a possible thermal anomaly associated with the volcanic field. Carrizozo, New Mexico Carrizozo is a town in Lincoln County , New Mexico , United States. It

2150-454: The process. The war was fictionalized by several Hollywood movies, including The Left Handed Gun in 1958, John Wayne ’s Chisum in 1970, Sam Peckinpah ’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid in 1973 and Young Guns in 1988. Ron Hansen ’s novel The Kid (2016) is also inspired by the Lincoln County War. During November 1876, a wealthy Englishman named John Tunstall arrived in Lincoln County, New Mexico , where he intended to develop

2200-530: The sheriff's posse members who had murdered Tunstall. After the Regulators were deputized by the Lincoln County justice of the peace , together with Constable Martinez, they attempted to serve the legally issued warrants to Tunstall's murderers. Sheriff Brady arrested and jailed Martinez and his deputies in defiance of their deputized status. They gained release and searched for Tunstall's murderers. They found Buck Morton, Dick Lloyd, and Frank Baker near

2250-508: The town is derived from the Spanish vernacular for reed grass ( Carrizo ), which grew significantly in the area and provided excellent feed for ranch cattle. The additional "zo" at the end of the town name was added to indicate abundance of Carrizo grass. The town is now often referred to colloquially as "Zozo". Prior to 1899, the area was primarily a few ranches and a stagecoach crossing with limited permanent settlement. Lawrence Murphy ,

2300-602: The town of Carrizozo. As a result, a county referendum in 1909 moved the seat of Lincoln County from the town of Lincoln to Carrizozo. This decision resulted in a four-year legal battle that was eventually resolved in favor of Carrizozo by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Gray v. Taylor . The result was a boom in which railroad access and political importance combined to lead to significant population growth in Carrizozo. The population reached around 2,000 by 1920. During this time, Albert B. Fall ,

2350-557: Was a friend of Morton's, resisted such action. On March 9, 1878, the third day of the journey back to Lincoln, the Regulators killed McCloskey, Morton, and Baker in the Capitan foothills along the Blackwater Creek. They claimed that Morton murdered McCloskey and tried to escape with Baker, forcing them to kill the two prisoners. Few believed the story, as they thought it unlikely that Morton would have killed his only friend in

2400-490: Was allied with Lincoln County Sheriff Brady and aided by the Jesse Evans Gang . The Tunstall-McSween faction organized their own posse of armed men, known as the Lincoln County Regulators , and had their own lawmen consisting of town constable Richard M. Brewer and Deputy US Marshal Robert A. Widenmann . The conflict was marked by revenge killings, starting with the murder of Tunstall by members of

2450-560: Was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County , New Mexico Territory , the predecessor of the state of New Mexico , and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the participation of William H. Bonney (" Billy the Kid "). Other notable participants included Sheriff William J. Brady , cattle rancher John Chisum , lawyer and businessmen Alexander McSween , James Dolan and Lawrence Murphy . The conflict began between two factions competing for profits from dry goods and cattle interests in

2500-482: Was severely wounded. While Evans was at Fort Stanton for medical treatment, he was arrested on an old federal warrant for stealing stock from an Indian reservation. Sheriff Brady asked for assistance from the Territorial Attorney General, Thomas Benton Catron, to end this "anarchy". Catron referred the topic to the Territorial Governor Samuel B. Axtell . The governor decreed that John Wilson,

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