Reserve in Catron County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Elfego Baca

1865-1945

Photographed By Tceng, May 27, 2012

1. Elfego Baca Marker

Inscription.

Elfego Baca. "I will show the Texans there is at least one Mexican in the county who is not afraid of an American cowboy" Elfego Baca - 1884. In October 1884, seven drunken cowboys committed horrific acts against two Mexican men in Upper Frisco, (modern day Reserve). Just a stone's throw from where you now stand, in Milligan's Saloon, a man known as El Burro was brutally tortured and Epitacio Martinez, coming to the aid of his friend, was bound and shot for target practice. Both men lived. The Frisco deputy sheriff, Pedro Sarracino, outnumbered and overwhelmed, rode to Socorro for help. Nineteen year old deputy Elfego Baca rode back to Frisco with Sarracino intent on seeking justice., Three days later, Baca observed one cowboy butting another one on the head and firing several rounds with his pistol. Justice of the Peace Lopez stood by hopelessly, saying the Slaughter outfit had 150 cowboys on their payroll and could not be stopped. Determined and fearless, Baca promptly arrested the cowboy. A large group of cowboys gathered and demanded his release. Baca shot into the group wounding one man and they dispersed. But the following day, 80 enraged ranch hands rode into the town, intent on freeing the arrested cowboy and avenging the indignity of his arrest. A trial was held and the cowboy was released. Baca, sensing a gunfight, retreated to a jacal belonging to Geronimo Armijo and barricaded himself inside. Baca kept his six-shooter blazing for 36 hours, pausing just long enough to cook some tortillas and beef stew. Protected by mud and picket walls,a sunken floor and an icon of Nuestra Senora Santa Anna, Baca braved dynamite and some 4,000 rounds of gunfire shot in his direction by the Texas cowboys., On the third day, Baca agreed to give himself up to deputy Ross from Socorro but refused to turn over his guns. Baca, unscathed throughout the gunfight, had killed two cowboys and wounded two more. The atrocities stopped.. This memorial has been constructed under the leadership of Henry Martinez (great-grandson of Epitacio Martinez), by the Elfego Baca Project, Inc. and Catron County with a grant from the State of New Mexico, to commemorate the life and honor the bravery of Elfego Baca.

"I will show the Texans there is at least one Mexican in the county who is not afraid of an American cowboy"
Elfego Baca - 1884
In October 1884, seven drunken cowboys committed horrific acts against two Mexican men in Upper Frisco, (modern day Reserve). Just a stone's throw from where you now stand, in Milligan's Saloon, a man known as El Burro was brutally tortured and Epitacio Martinez, coming to the aid of his friend, was bound and shot for target practice. Both men lived. The Frisco deputy sheriff, Pedro Sarracino, outnumbered and overwhelmed, rode to Socorro for help. Nineteen year old deputy Elfego Baca rode back to Frisco with Sarracino intent on seeking justice.

Three days later, Baca observed one cowboy butting another one on the head and firing several rounds with his pistol. Justice of the Peace Lopez stood by hopelessly, saying the Slaughter outfit had 150 cowboys on their payroll and could not be stopped. Determined and fearless, Baca promptly arrested the cowboy. A large group of cowboys gathered and demanded his release. Baca shot into the group wounding one man and they dispersed. But the following day, 80 enraged ranch hands rode into the town, intent on freeing the arrested cowboy and avenging the indignity of his arrest. A trial was held and the cowboy was released. Baca,

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sensing a gunfight, retreated to a jacal belonging to Geronimo Armijo and barricaded himself inside. Baca kept his six-shooter blazing for 36 hours, pausing just long enough to cook some tortillas and beef stew. Protected by mud and picket walls,a sunken floor and an icon of Nuestra Senora Santa Anna, Baca braved dynamite and some 4,000 rounds of gunfire shot in his direction by the Texas cowboys.

On the third day, Baca agreed to give himself up to deputy Ross from Socorro but refused to turn over his guns. Baca, unscathed throughout the gunfight, had killed two cowboys and wounded two more.
The atrocities stopped.
This memorial has been constructed under the leadership of Henry Martinez (great-grandson of Epitacio Martinez), by the Elfego Baca Project, Inc. and Catron County with a grant from the State of New Mexico, to commemorate the life and honor the bravery of Elfego Baca.

Erected 2011 by Elfego Baca Project, Inc and Henry Martinez.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Hispanic Americans • Notable Events. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1884.

Location. 33° 42.776′ N, 108° 45.486′ W. Marker is in Reserve, New Mexico, in Catron County. Marker is on Main Street (State Road 435) 0.1 miles south of State Road

Elfego Baca Marker and Sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Tceng, June 9, 2012

2. Elfego Baca Marker and Sculpture

A firefighter from the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Complex, largest fire in New Mexico history to date, pauses to read the marker before heading out to complete final mop-up of the fire.

12, on the right when traveling south. This is a large monument and cannot be missed. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Reserve NM 87830, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Reserve (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Reserve (approx. 6.1 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Elfego Baca. Legends of America article with additional biographical information and photos. (Submitted on June 3, 2012.)

2. The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, Episode 1. First episode of the 10 part miniseries that first aired on ABC in 1958. (Submitted on November 30, 2013.)

Additional commentary.
1. Walt Disney television series
In 1958, Walt Disney Studios released a television miniseries entitled The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca and starring Robert Loggia in the title role. Significant is the care Disney took to depict the famous siege in as authentic a manner as possible, given the known details. Among those who appeared in the series were Skip Homeier, Raymond Bailey, and I. Stanford Jolley. Episodes of the series were later edited into a movie titled Elfego Baca: Six Gun Law, which was released in 1962.

The theme song's tag line was, "And the legend

Photographed By Tceng, May 27, 2012

3. Elfego Baca Marker and Sculpture

was that / Like el gato, "the cat" / Nine lives had Elfego Baca."...(Wikipedia)

— Submitted June 12, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.

Detail on the Elfego Baca Marker image. Click for full size.

May 30, 2012

4. Detail on the Elfego Baca Marker

Elfego Baca Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Tceng, May 27, 2012

5. Elfego Baca Monument

The Complete Elfego Baca Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Tceng, June 9, 2012

6. The Complete Elfego Baca Monument

Viewed from the South.

Photographed By Tceng, September 6, 2012

7. Elfego Baca Marker

Detail, James Muir's Award-Winng Sculpture

Credits. This page was last revised on September 24, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 2, 2012, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,821 times since then and 98 times this year. Last updated on September 11, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. Photos: 1. submitted on June 2, 2012, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. 2. submitted on June 9, 2012, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. 3. submitted on June 2, 2012, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. 4. submitted on June 3, 2012. 5. submitted on June 2, 2012, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. 6, 7. submitted on June 9, 2012, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.