Fort Sumner in De Baca County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Grave 1859-1881 ⎯⎯⎯ Old Fort Sumner Cemetery
Photographed by James Hulse, March 24, 2025
1. William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Grave 1859-1881 / Old Fort Sumner Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Grave 1859-1881, also, Old Fort Sumner Cemetery. .
William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Grave 1859-1881 . Henry McCarty is better known by his alias, William "Billy the Kid" Bonney. His family moved to the New Mexico territory in 1873. Bonney was charged with numerous thefts and involved in nine murders during his brief life. At age 19, he was sentenced to death for the murder of Sheriff William Brady. On April 21, 1881, Bonney escaped from the Lincoln County jail, killing two deputies. He fled to Fort Sumner, the home of many of his friends. Bonney was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Peter Maxwell's house on July 14, 1881. His grave in the Fort Sumner Cemetery was originally marked by a wooden cross., Reverse Side
Old Fort Sumner Cemetery . This cemetery is purported to be the military cemetery for Fort Sumner. Fort Sumner was deactivated by the US Army in 1869. A year later the post buildings were sold to Lucien B. Maxwell, one of the largest landowners in New Mexico. Maxwell moved to the area from Colfax County and rebuilt the former officers' quarters into a 20-room Spanish Colonial-style house. Maxwell died in 1875 and is buried in the cemetery
William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Grave 1859-1881
Henry McCarty is better known by his alias, William "Billy the Kid" Bonney. His family moved to the New Mexico territory in 1873. Bonney was charged with numerous thefts and involved in nine murders during his brief life. At age 19, he was sentenced to death for the murder of Sheriff William Brady. On April 21, 1881, Bonney escaped from the Lincoln County jail, killing two deputies. He fled to Fort Sumner, the home of many of his friends. Bonney was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Peter Maxwell's house on July 14, 1881. His grave in the Fort Sumner Cemetery was originally marked by a wooden cross.
Reverse Side
Old Fort Sumner Cemetery
This cemetery is purported to be the military cemetery for Fort Sumner. Fort Sumner was deactivated by the US Army in 1869. A year later the post buildings were sold to Lucien B. Maxwell, one of the largest landowners in New Mexico. Maxwell moved to the area from Colfax County and rebuilt the former officers' quarters into a 20-room Spanish Colonial-style house. Maxwell died in 1875 and is buried in the cemetery
Erected by New
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Mexico Historic Preservation Division.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is April 21, 1881.
Location. 34° 24.248′ N, 104° 11.597′ W. Marker is in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in De Baca County. It is on Billy the Kid Drive south of Pecan Drive, on the right when traveling south. The marker is located in front of the visitors center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3501 Billy the Kid Dr, Fort Sumner NM 88119, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern New Mexico and in the Pecos Valley. It is also in the American Southwest, on the Great Plains, on the Southern Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the Dust Bowl, and the Republic of Texas.
3. The view of the marker from the Visitors Center
Photographed by James Hulse, March 24, 2025
4. Billy the Kid is buried with his pals, Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre.
Photographed by James Hulse, March 24, 2025
5. William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Gravestone
Photographed by James Hulse, March 24, 2025
6. The view of the William "Billy the Kid" Bonney Grave in the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on April 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 12, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 494 times since then and 102 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 12, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
