Wbat's the deal with Fort Sumner?

A

alinwa

oft dis'd member
On the way down to a reunion in Bandera we passed through Ft Sumner......it's not what I expected. In broad daylight the place looked rolled up, completely deserted, a modern ghost town. I did not find food nor fuel....is it that empty or did I just hit it on a bad day?
 
alinwa said:
On the way down to a reunion in Bandera we passed through Ft Sumner......it's not what I expected. In broad daylight the place looked rolled up, completely deserted, a modern ghost town. I did not find food nor fuel....is it that empty or did I just hit it on a bad day?
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I have been there, and done that.

My wife and I passed through there about 5 years ago, and the big attraction was the grave of Billy the Kid.

That is, if indeed the one we visited was in fact "the Real Authentic Grave Of Billy The Kid", or the one down the road that is billed as "The Authentic Real Grave Of Billy The Kid":rolleyes:

When we got there, the "museum" was closed, (mid day), and to say the whole mystic about visiting the grave of a notorious phsycopath was less than awe inspiring would be an understatement.
 
alinwa said:
On the way down to a reunion in Bandera we passed through Ft Sumner......it's not what I expected. In broad daylight the place looked rolled up, completely deserted, a modern ghost town. I did not find food nor fuel....is it that empty or did I just hit it on a bad day?
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Al, I hope you were not expecting Fort Worth or even Fort Stockton. I have been through Fr. Sumner quite a few times and there are places to eat and get gas. The few people who live there and call Ft. Sumner home do use gas and they eat. I don't see how your route went through the town. Most people would from your area would get on I-5 down to I-10 on a drive to Bandera. Or you could take a route through Denver and Amarillo. Whenever I have gone through Ft. Sumner I would stop in Clovis or Santa Rosa for food. There are many good places to snack in Santa Rosa because it is on an interstate.

All kidding aside, there are a lot of small rural towns around this country who have been declining over the decades. The young people have to move to find jobs because there are no jobs there.

About Billy the Kid. He never had a chance. He was an orphan at an early age and he lived in a rough time. The law people in New Mexico in those days were a salty bunch to say the least. Not to say that Billy was pure but he never had a chance. He was killed at age 21. My Great Grandmother told her children about the kid stoping by their small ranch, near Liberty, NM, (a small town that is not there anymore) for a meal now and then. She said that he was very polite and hungry.

There is more to some of these dying little towns that the hurried traveler will ever see. I am glad you brought this up, Al.

Concho Bill
 
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Bill Wynne said:
Al, I hope you were not expecting Fort Worth or even Fort Stockton. I have been through Fr. Sumner quite a few times and there are places to eat and get gas. The few people who live there and call Ft. Sumner home do use gas and they eat. I don't see how your route went through the town. Most people would from your area would get on I-5 down to I-10 on a drive to Bandera. Or you could take a route through Denver and Amarillo. Whenever I have gone through Ft. Sumner I would stop in Clovis or Santa Rosa for food. There are many good places to snack in Santa Rosa because it is on an interstate.

All kidding aside, there are a lot of small rural towns around this country who have been declining over the decades. The young people have to move to find jobs because there are no jobs there.

About Billy the Kid. He never had a chance. He was an orphan at an early age and he lived in a rough time. The law people in New Mexico in those days were a salty bunch to say the least. Not to say that Billy was pure but he never had a chance. He was killed at age 21. My Great Grandmother told her children about the kid stoping by their small ranch, near Liberty, NM, (a small town that is not there anymore) for a meal now and then. She said that he was very polite and hungry.

There is more to some of these dying little towns that the hurried traveler will ever see. I am glad you brought this up, Al.

Concho Bill
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Bill, not to be argumentative, but the person known as Billy the Kid was a Psychopath. There were multitudes of young men who suffered the same environment and did not turn into a murdering thug.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/psychopathy

As for small towns, the dreaded "hyway bypass" is a big killer. A great example is the little town Of Seymour Tx, where we shoot Unlimited at John Horn and Scott Hunter's range. The State built a Hyway Bypass a few years back, and the place is now a virtual ghost town.
 
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Seymour

jackie schmidt As for small towns said:
Seymour,Tx is a very interesting little town. Shot my first Benchrest match at Seymour,Tx. Its a special place for me. I heard that a privately owned Motel recently opened, just off the bypass. There is a relatively new Dollar General Store(Special attraction). There is a nine hole Golf course and tennis courts, located, not far from the Benchrest Range. I know People that drive from Dallas,Tx,160 miles,one way, just to eat at the "Rusty Spur" Steak House at Seymour,Tx. Doesn't say too much for the Steak restaurants in Dallas,Tx.

I've seen some ghost towns in my life time. In my opinion,Seymour,Tx doesn't fit that category. not by a long shot.

John Horn and Scott Hunter are doing a great job of hanging on to the Range facility,"a place to shoot". Ton's of credit goes to these two guys and local volunteers.

See ya at Seymour.


Glenn
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jackie schmidt said:
Bill, not to be argumentative, but the person known as Billy the Kid was a Psychopath. There were multitudes of young men who suffered the same environment and did not turn into a murdering thug.

As for small towns, the dreaded "hyway bypass" is a big killer. A great example is the little town Of Seymour Tx, where we shoot Unlimited at John Horn and Scott Hunter's range. The State built a Hyway Bypass a few years back, and the place is now a virtual ghost town.
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About Billly the Kid, Jackie. We both agree that Billy the Kid was a bad hombre that was missed like a rattle snake. San Angelo, Texas is an exception to the Interstate rule. I-10 passes through Sonora about 60 miles to the south and I-20 passes through Big Spring and Abilene about 90 miles to the north. We have had slow and steady growth for many years. We also have some very good roads connecting us to the world. Texas does have many small towns that have been bypassed and they have died or are in the process. All in all, I am glad that I do not have to drive in the traffic that some of the larger cities offer.

Concho Bill
 
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