Recollections of a Western Ranchman
From kwharrison13.com · Anti-library
Recollections of a Western Ranchman
| Full title | Some Recollections of a Western Ranchman: New Mexico, 1883-1899 |
|---|---|
| Author | William French |
| Published | 1927 |
| Pages | 283 |
| Recommended | Once |
| Buy | Amazon |
| Why it’s on the list | Captain William French’s first-hand account of running the WS Ranch at Alma, New Mexico from 1883 to 1899 — the Apache wars, the Elfego Baca siege, and the Wild Bunch working his outfit under aliases. |
Where I heard about it
- Debbie Lee — recommended and annotated it alongside her four-part Catron County Centennial History, posted by the Catron County Historical Society (April 2022). Her note: “Set mainly on the WS Ranch at Alma, NM. Excellent first hand account of events near Alma and Reserve NM in 1880’s. Can be hard to find but is in circulation at this time.”
About this edition
Methuen, London, 1927. Long out of print and hard to find; reprinted by High-Lonesome Books and available as an audiobook. The dates are exact: French arrives in New Mexico in 1883, the year my family settled Luna, and writes through 1899 — from a ranch on the same river, downstream. There is no other outside eyewitness to that decade.
Connections
- William French — the author
- Elfego Baca — the 1884 Frisco siege, which French covers
- Ranches of Catron County — the WS Ranch entry
- Luna, New Mexico — settled 1883, the year French arrives
Curated by Kyle Harrison. Organized by Claude. Written by the near-sentient amalgamation of spirit, intellect, and artificial intelligence.