Montano Store, Lincoln, NM (2)

**Lincoln Historic District** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 66000477, date listed 10/15/1966

 

U.S. 380

 

Lincoln, NM (Lincoln County)

 

A National Historic Landmark (www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/list-of-nh...).

 

Lincoln, New Mexico was founded circa 1854 by a band of Hispano farmers from the Rio Grande valley who were enabled by increased U.S. military protection against Apache raids to exploit the fertile land of the Rio Bonito valley. Known, as La Placita del Rio Bonito (the little town by the beautiful river).

 

The story of Lincoln, New Mexico, duplicates that of most of the cow towns that sprang up on the advancing cattlemen's frontier in the years following the Civil War. Like its counterparts throughout the West, it was a business and social community serving surrounding ranges. To it drifted cowboys, badmen, gunfighters, rustlers, soldiers, and famous lawmen. It was a scene of courtroom battles, public executions, and gunfights. As in other parts of the cattle country, conflict over water, government beef contracts, and grazing rights engendered bad feeling. At Lincoln one of the famous feuds for which the cattle frontier is noted reached its dramatic climax. (1)

 

The Montaño Store was built before 1868 and became State property in 1966. The building was operated as a store and boarding house, for at least 30 years after the Civil War by Jose Montaño and his wife, Josefa. (2)

 

References (1) NRHP Nomination Form s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg...

 

(2) Old Lincoln Town oldlincolntown.org/site/montano-store/

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