The Ghost Town of Bonita and the First Man Killed by Billy the Kid

My father built that swing set for the little girl's siblings to play and not feel scared when the family went to visit the grave site.

I grew up there, my family lives in Bonita. As a kid I spent a lot of time at Bonita store, and had my first after school job at the store cleaning and stocking shelves. I bartended there too. Bonita store served as the general store and “community center” for the ranchers, farmers, and employees that lived and worked at Ft. Grant. They would have dances, pot lucks, party’s at the store too. We would ride our horses, 3 wheelers, bikes to hang out at the store and play pool when we were kids. I bought my first beer there, and my oldest son had his first birthday party in the store. Many of the people buried there are old family friends or acquaintances.

My Mother and Father are buried in that cemetery. They lived behind the store up until they passed away. My Dad worked there. He also helped out with the ranch fences after retiring from working at Ft Grant.

My wife's great grandmother lived in White Oaks, NM. She was a newspaper reporter and was acquainted with Billy the Kid. Apparently he stayed in WO to sell stolen horses and cattle. She never had an issue with him. A few years ago, I donated a few 1884 WO newspapers to the museum in the old school house.

This is where I grew up. Spent alot of my childhood in that store. ❤

What is it about our fascination with the Wild West and especially its outlaws. We simply can’t get enough of it either! Very well done video as usual!

As a native Arizonan, my great grandfather was born there in 1890🌵❤️

Jeff Grenfell here. I love your videos. This one piqued my curiosity. I grew up on north central avenue with 2 names in this video. The Antrim's and the Cahill"s we said Kay hills not kaw hills

My first time hearing about Billy, was from my family's history,a distant cousin had employed him as a " cowboy" but they asked him to leave after a few weeks of employment, due to his bad habit of taking stuff that didn't belong to him & he had a bad reputation with some of the local Spanish ladies too! But Billy wasn't out of work too long, he found work with the infamous cattlemen John Chisum & was fond of Chisum's niece, who latter settled in what is my hometown of Artesia N.M, where there is a statue of Sallie Chisum holding a book written about Billy by Pat Garrett. The title of the book is " The life & times of Billy the Kid". Coincidentally the official state song " OH Fair New Mexico " was written by Pat Garrett's blind niece Elizabeth Garrett.

Your right about the stillness out there. I was coming back to Las Cruces from Bisbee and I stopped on the side of the road on a ridge near an old railway line and mannnn you’d NEVER know you were in a country of 250 odd million people!! Man it’s quiet and desolate out there…. Felt like I was the only guy left in the world!!😱

I hope younger generations preserve our history, I hate to see old building go into disrepair.

Hi Steve! My Wednesday just got better!👍

You are kicking it documenting America, Mr. Adventures: Steinbeck, Kerouac, Kuralt, Steve.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING US TO BONITA, AZ !!!!!! WOULD NEVER GO THERE OTHERWISE!!!!

Love what you do man!! Keep it up!

In 1988 I was traveling from Virginia to California and drove on US20 for the purpose of visiting historic places along the way. One detour I took was to Fort Sumner,NM and the Billy The Kid Museum. Interesting place. There was a grave behind the museum with the supposedly William Bonney tombstone. It had etched on it “Pals always” or something similar. Like many folks, I’ve had a deep interest in the West and it’s characters. btw…your mini docs are awesome.

The photograph was incredible. well directed.

Ol' Windy was blowing the swings!

Love your adventures, and thank you from Sapporo Japan.

As a San Diego native, the header for this video threw me off... "Wait, that chunk of suburb east of Chula Vista has become vacated? How did that happen?"