Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang

01/01/2026

Happy New Year!

07/28/2025

Old Lincoln Days is almost upon us! Hope to see some of you there!

06/17/2025

06/26/2024

If you're in the area please consider checking this out! Please RSVP!

01/18/2024

We at the BTKOG were saddened to hear of the passing of historian Drew Gomber. Many of us got to know Drew over the last few years. He was full of knowledge and insight on the LCW and its participants as well as other Old West history and it was always fun to hear him share what he knew. He will be deeply missed.

09/26/2022

Our friends at Bad Hoss History just uploaded a fantastic video to their YouTube channel where historian Tim Roberts gives a tour of not only Billy the Kid sites in Lincoln, but all the historically significant buildings. As someone whose interest is hyper-focused on the Kid, it’s a good reminder that the town and its residents existed outside of 1878-1881 😄

Thanks to Billy and Tim for all the work they do for Lincoln!

Join us as we visit every historic building in Lincoln, New Mexico, and explore the history of the Wild West in America's best-preserved frontier town. The s...

08/25/2022

An new book on Billy by James B. Mills to add to your collection. If you're looking for a book with a fresh take on the legend, here it is. I'm still waiting on my copy but it has some great reviews!

08/21/2022

Historians and history buffs alike all seem to have the same desire to wander through old cemeteries—sometimes the dustier the better. But it’s not always possible to travel the country searching for graves of their favorite historical figures. With the help of our members and friends, we’ve hunted down the graves and headstones of those most closely associated with Billy the Kid. Available now in the BTKOG shop, this full-color book is a visual journey through cemeteries across the US. https://www.billythekidoutlawgang.com/shop

08/09/2022

It’s not Old Lincoln Days if the rain and wind doesn’t create a little havoc. Regardless, we still had a great time talking Billy the Kid with everyone who stopped by our booth. A huge thanks to Annmarie at Annie’s Little Sure Shot and Tim, Ashley, and everyone at Bonito Valley Brewing Company for always making us feel so welcome. Thanks to Billy Roberts at Bad Hoss History for the beautiful map and last but not least, thanks to Kent, C**t, Mitch, and everyone at the Billy the Kid Pageant for another fantastic year—we’re already looking forward to 2023!

07/14/2022

On the night of July 14, 1881, Billy the Kid, a fugitive after his daring escape from Lincoln, arrived in Ft. Sumner just after Garrett and his two deputies, John Poe and Kip McKinney. While Billy went to a friend’s home to rest, Garrett and his deputies found their way to the Maxwell house to inquire about Billy’s whereabouts. At his friend’s home, Billy took off his hat and boots and asked for food. He was told that Pete Maxwell had butchered a heifer that morning. Holding a butcher’s knife, Billy crossed the parade ground to Maxwell’s room.

Billy passed Garrett’s deputies who mistook him for one of Maxwell’s hired hands. Billy was suspicious and in Spanish, he asked who they were. Before they could answer, Billy backed into Maxwell’s darkened bedroom to ask who the men were, but Billy was unable to see Garrett was also in the room. When Billy again asked who the men outside were, Maxwell didn’t answer. Suddenly Billy realized there was a third person with them and rather than mistakenly shoot a friend of Maxwell’s he asked, “¿Quién es?”

Instead of answering Billy, Maxwell said to Garrett, “That’s him.” Garrett drew his gun and blindly fired twice; one shot hitting Billy in the heart. Soon the only sound in the room was Billy moaning—dying. William Henry McCarty, alias William H. Bonney, alias Billy the Kid, was dead.

07/07/2022

Below are photographs taken by BTKOG president Lori Goodloe during the Lincoln Convergence. Again, all our thanks to Bob Boze Bell and True West for having us.