The Ghost Town of Bonita and the First Man Killed by Billy the Kid
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- Опубліковано 28 бер 2023
- Billy the Kid is one of the most well known figures of the old west, with countless movies and books about his time in New Mexico during the Lincoln County War and after. Not a lot of people realize he spent time in Arizona though, and that's where he killed his first man.
As a teenager, Billy was going by they name Henry (or Austin) Antrim, and was on the run for robbing a Chinese laundry in New Mexico. He came to Arizona, and its here, near Fort Grant, where a run in with a local bully named Francis "Windy" Cahill led to Billy shooting him in the stomach and fleeing back to New Mexico.
In this video we visit Bonita, Arizona, the site of the killing and the grave of Francis Cahill at the Bonita Cemetery.
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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.
Wow!!! That’s an awesome job he did. The ornate metal work on top is fabulous!! Thank you for telling the viewers that.
Thanks for sharing that information.
That's awesome!!
I was just thinking of what story could accompany it when i saw the top of that swing set. Are you able to elaborate on the story of the scene at the top of the swing?
@serwombles8816 Honestly, I don't know the story behind the picture scene, or what it represents. He may have came up with the ornate scene or asked the family their wishes.
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.
That's a really neat legacy. I love to hear about the real women portrayed in shows/movies like Hell on Wheels, who worked as reporters, doctors, or ran their own ranches, stores, or restaurants.
One of the best parts for me is reading about the history of others and their past and present families who have ties to the story that Steve has shared. Great history and as always a thrill to read the love and support too for The Sidetrack Adventures Channel! Appreciate this share Jan! Cheers from COW-lumbus, Ohio MOO
@@TheStuport Hello The Stuport. I read your comments often on various YT channels. I'm in Southern Calif. Have spent 70 years exploring the West, mostly Mojave Desert, and I was born in NM in 1945.
@@SpanishEclectic Unfortunately I have no details. Both my wife and her mom have passed. I suppose a woman reporter was unusual back then
@@SpanishEclectic BTW: the newspaper office then is now what's called "No Scum Allowed Saloon", a popular bar especially for bikers.
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.
Wow👍🏼
This is where I grew up. Spent alot of my childhood in that store. ❤
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.
Ol' Windy was blowing the swings!
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.
As a native Arizonan, my great grandfather was born there in 1890🌵❤️
How was there an economy in such a remote baron place?
Land Sustainability mostly, like the folks in Alaska only without the checks. 🌵❤️
You are kicking it documenting America, Mr. Adventures:
Steinbeck, Kerouac, Kuralt, Steve.
Did you ever see the skit Dan Ackroyd did about Kuralt after he retired? It was a scream. I tried to find it, but it's not on YT I'm afraid.
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!
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Considering that Cahill apparently had stabbed a man badly in an earlier fight, Antrim's claim of self-defense seems entirely justifiable, whatever the coroner's jury said. This incident probably went a long way toward cementing his distrust of legal proceedings.
Considering the fact that "Windy" was MUCH bigger / stronger than JUVENILE Billy, AND the fact that he escalated the verbal confrontation into a physical attack, Billy WAS indeed justified in defending himself. Like it or not, that's the law.
Now, if he would have been able to get a fair trial, that's another matter.
I suspect he was right to run.
Hi Steve! My Wednesday just got better!👍
Glad I could help!
The photograph was incredible. well directed.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING US TO BONITA, AZ !!!!!! WOULD NEVER GO THERE OTHERWISE!!!!
Why
@@jasonlawler2042 seriously?
Cahill's killing sounds like self-defense.
I just wanted to add a comment, since there are a lot of replies about the pronunciation of Cahill's name. I understand that the name is commonly pronounced with a Kay sound in modern times, but the correct Irish pronunciation is with a Cah sound, and as Cahill was an Irish immigrant in the 1870s, and that is likely how he would have said his name, that is what I went with. It was so long ago though, who knows how he said it. Here's a recent article from the Irish post on the pronunciation: www.irishpost.com/life-style/13-irish-surnames-that-are-always-mispronounced-in-america-britain-122218
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.
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?"
haha Its funny because when I'd search either the Bonita in Chula Vista or Casa Bonita from South Park fame would come up.
You are friggin making me laugh because I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Bonita Store in CA was one of my haunts as a youngster. So of course, I had to investigate. Thanks for the memory. I’m a SD native too.
Excellent video brother thank you so very much for sharing 👍👍❤️
Fabulous video, Steve. Great music. Thanks.
Love your adventures, and thank you from Sapporo Japan.
Thanks for watching! Love Japan, can't wait to get back there.
Excellent video! I subscribed about a month or so ago. Always waiting for the next video! Great job,and I learned a few new things today!
Fascinating. Thanks, as always for finding the great little pieces of history in the west.
I just found your video. You do an outstanding job. I love hearing about the Ole west and how ppl lived back then.
It can't have been easy finding a bite to eat every day.
Love what you do man!! Keep it up!
Appreciate it!
Thanks Steve for ANOTHER Interesting video!
I love the haunted swings! Thank you for another great video Steve. Love the offbeat history.
I always enjoy a video from you . I'm quick to watch. Thanks Steve.
You always find the most obscure and interesting topics and locations! Another good one 🗺️ 🪦.
👍☮️🌞❤️
My family farmed in walk distance of Bonita. I'd go there
hoping to find another farm worker about my age to talk
with. Never happened. There was a shuttered building
with an old bench where I'd sit in the shade. I walked to
the old cemetery once to read what was found. Arizona
convinced me I had no future in the USA Agri-business.
A 15 year old weighing probably 150 lbs. (soaking) wet was slapped around, punched, kicked and verbally abused by a 200 plus pound, muscular blacksmith who drunkenly picked on Henry Antrim who was (more than likely) sitting at a table learning 3 card monte when, for the final time he found himself on the floor of the saloon with Windy on top of him. Henry reportedly had had enough of the abuse and (probably) fearing for his life he managed to pull Windys' gun out and it went off, hitting the bully in the stomach. Henry fled, as would most younger people, considering that Windy (while probably not well liked by the community) was a valuable asset due to his blacksmithing skills and Henry was an unknown quantity. I wouldn't call it murder !!!
And because Windy was smacking the Kid back and forth across the face, I can imagine that besides red cheeks he would also have had even a split lip or bloody nose. For those who still believe Billy had a hair-trigger temper, consider that he put up with months, maybe a year, of continual harassment from Cahill before arming himself.
Very interesting! As always, you bring history to life, well done! I love that corner of the state, it’s very beautiful. 😉
I enjoyed this when it first came out, and then seeing as I'm an old geezer and forgot a lot of it, I enjoyed it again today! See, there are some benefits about getting old!! You get to have the same Joy twice!! Thanks again my friend
Very informative and well done. Thank you.
So much of Arizona looks like this. You can easily imagine being back in time, without paved highways, or even railroads...just the stagecoach or your own horse. It's great to linger with you at these interesting spots, and learn little bits of history. I'm always tempted to stop and investigate bits of ruins, etc. along the road, I'm usually on a tight schedule. Your roadside videos are a great! The washed-out road is the thing just about everywhere this winter...
I came across a picture from 1885 and it looks exactly the same as it did last week.
I'd faint and fall over from field heat about once daily.
Once my eyes opened to see a rattlesnake slither by
my nose. I closed my eyes and counted silently to
100 before moving again. That's the Arizona you
should wait for.
Wow, great work. Very cool that you went and tracked down that gravesite. (Although Billy The Kid is credited with having killed 21 people, that number is almost certainly an exaggeration. There are 4 people that he indisputably did kill though and Francis "Windy" Cahill is one of them.) Great great video. Great historical detective work.
Something everyone should know. Billy the Kid was not left handed. That picture is actually reversed showing his pistol on the left. The way you can tell is the ejection port of the rifle is on the wrong side.
the negative must have got turned
love this history on "the kid". I have been to Lincoln, New Mexico to the courthouse where Billy was being held. He shot his way to freedom. killing two deputies. the scenery is beautiful and like you say , it hasnt changed at all since Billy was there
Ótimo vídeo! Conteúdo Histórico fascinante! 😊👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Your channel is my favorite on UA-cam. Thanks for making these videos for us. Keep up the great work.
This is right where i live, cool to see this channel come close to home
Thank you for sharing your video with us. My mom was born. In El Ray Arizona
Love your work, Steve...especially your use of old maps. Thanks again.
Great video Steve! I'm gonna have to find some history around the city of Maricopa for you. We've got to have some interesting things having gone on being one of the oldest settlements in the area.
Great vid. The Cemetery in Patagonia AZ has a couple of eerie graves also. Check it out.
Thanks for your channel,I really appreciate your commentary. I am a AZ native, just retired and will start checking out some of these places.👍
Great video! I've never seen a video showing these locations. Too bad the saloon building isn't still there.
I enjoy your videos. Great job showing some obscure and out of the way places. I am in east Tennessee and have never been to California. Thanks for sharing these places.
It's better to describe Cahill (most Irish pronounce this as K-A-hill) as Billy's first known victim. Reading between the lines of his history, his mother left the tough Irish slums of New York when Henry McCarty or McCarthy (yes, we're all distantly related through a common ancestor) aka Billy the Kid was between 6 and 10 to go West. Probably she, like many inner city parents today, wanted to raise her son away from gangs. However, really scary Irish street gangs like the Gophers and Dead Rabbits heavily recruited boys Billy/Henry's age so it would not be surprising if he was already a New York street tough before he came West. She had a chaotic lifestyle so she married another neer-do-well and Billy turned out rotten. Doesn't fit Hollywood's image to see him as a urban street thug with a New York accent in Western saddle tramp clothing. He seems to have been a viscious little bastard. No surprise he hung around with rough men like Cahill, himself having been born in the worst of the Great Famine and fleeing as a baby to America on a coffin ship. Billy was a confirmed criminal long before he fled to Arizona, a notoriously wild and lawless place at the time.
Billy was Cahill's last known victim.
The reason the water tank is there is so they can water the flowers on the grave stones! 😂
wow........great stuff !!!!!!!! thank you
Are you sure it's "just wind"? 😉👻 Cool tour!
Fascinating. Thanks Steve!
Very interesting. Thank You & Regards from Ody Slim
A lot of Southeastern AZ is remote. Lot's of history there. Although there wasn't much water, it is Always wise to be cautious about driving through flowing water, too many people have had to be rescued and some don't make it...Great history lesson.
This was cool!! I love Billy the kid and the history of him, so this was informative
You may have been there already, but in the nearby town of Wilcox, in the Pioneer Cemetery, is the grave of Warren Earp (Wyatt's youngest Brother).
I haven't been myself, but I do want to get out there.
We use to go on that store years ago when opened
I was stationed on Ft. Huachuca a while ago and had no idea this site was so close to where I was. Easily I Saturday getaway. A few years ago I was even closer when I traveled through southern AZ on my motorcycle. Still had no idea this historical place existed.
The whole time I was thinking of that scene in Young Guns. Glad you brought it up too. However, I would argue that an over-sized cemetery would be a bit "pessimistic." ;)
The spirits were pushing the swings. Another great story. Thanks Steve.
Yeah! Soon as I pointed the camera at those swings the wind died down too. They were really going just a minute before.
Is there a Billy the Kid tour book that describes these places and gives driving directions. For example start her then follow The Kids trail through AZ and NM.
You have a good voice, and thanks to you bro
Cool stuff!
When I saw the title I thought you were referring to Bonita New Mexico in Lincoln County. Also the town of Lincoln NM is on the Rio Bonita.
Whuta cool cut...that was great.nicely dun bud.
I recently subscribed to your channel after watching a few. I especially like the ones of places I've known. This was interesting and the 'Kid' probably would've been found not guilty considering Cahill's size and that he had him trapped under his weight.
Thanks for your input.
Great music. All I could think of was "Pals”
Thank you Steve.
Wonderful! 🙂
I've always been fascinated with outlaws in general so this is cool! Thanks!
Great job Steve! AZ is such a cool place. Let's go Padres! Hopefully the opener doesn't get rained out tomorrow
Yeah, its pouring here right now.
You have a good site for western history....Thanks....
Interesting. Short and to the point.
You could drive across that river on a bicycle. But my gosh....what amazingly beautiful country!
Neat! I have a schoolmate who lives nearby. This cemetery will be another reason to go visit.
Wow amazing. Thanks so much
Thank you.
I noticed the sign for Bonita / Fort Grant. Are there any remnants of Fort Grant that exist? Would this be the original location of the fort because the fort was relocated? Your efforts to bring us these little known stories and sites are much appreciated.
According to Wiki, this was the second location of Fort Grant, the first being somewhat northwest. Since the fort has long been a state prison, I would guess that there are no remains left. Besides which, they're not too keen on folks wandering around the site.😁
Pretty much what SkydiverClassC says below. I couldn't find any info on anything being left from the 1800s, but I figured they didn't want me showing up with my car anyway.
Yes there are old remnants of the old fort grant ( camp grant) and also an old lookout on top of Mt Graham, which sits up at 8,000.ft near Riggs lake.
@@tombstone4986 thank you for answering that question.
Steve...I usually don't watch anything to do with murders, violence ha, I don't even watch the news now because it brings me down. However, because its you, I will participate for the views and that feeling of being 'on the road'.
I so used to love that, because of so few other cars, when meeting one going in the oposite direction, I'd get a friendly little wave. I always waved back AND started doing it myself.
We never ran into another car after I filmed that intro either, until we were on foot on the dirt road at least.
Numerous facts, explanations, and photographs have emerged about Henry Mc Carty in the last 40 years. His photos and those of Lincoln County War friends and foe have multiplied, and largely because of the extreme photography collecting by Sally Chisum. The sadistic motives of Pat Garret, Ash Upson, and Lew Wallace are now better sourced. The Mc Carty plight started in his young teens until his death at 22. The Mc Carty name was still around, recently , in New Mexico.
Once again, another great video Steve!
My wife and I were just out that way on vacation.
I took her to one of the Bowlins Travel Centers outside of Las Cruces, NM and told her the story about you and your family visiting all of them.
That's awesome. I'm sure she probably asked why anyone would do that!
@@SidetrackAdventures she did! 😂
Now I know that you're in our heads - we were working on the same video and already have a script started. 😂 Great work on this one! 👍
My hacking has paid off! Just kidding. Can't wait to see your take on it. Such a cool area.
Great video, thanks Steve. The image you showed of Billie The kid is actually reversed, he wasn’t a left-hander. That historical photo was reversed in printing.
Good video!!! I took a ride on my Harley, back in 2009, from Tennessee to Coffeeville Kansas, where the Dalton gang made their last bank robbery. I visited their grave. One grave, because they were all just push into one hole. Love the history of the old west.
That was interesting. There is a Bonita, CA in San Diego County also I'm sure you know that. Plenty of room for burials at that cemetery.
GREAT STORY STEVE..EVER BEEN TO BISBEE AZ?,,,HOPE THE WX IS GOOD FOR YOU GUYS..STAY AWESOME..
Wow the scenery is amazing ! I could lay to rest there :)
You should do a video on the history and changing culture of Tubac. Lots of good material there. Can do a feature film on it, almost! You should also visit Tumacacori.
I'd always read or heard Kid Antrim stabbed a goomer over in Arizona. But yer digging fer the facts cleared up some hearsay.
Being a Texican, l've been interested in old West, Texas and War Between the States history.
Iffen yer a Padres fan, belated congratulations fer popping the Trolley Dudgers last season. Got to see Clayton "Crybaby" Kershaw weeping in the dugout.
Me, l'm only one week older than my World Champion Houston Astros.
Again, cool video and keep it up!
As a kid we would stop at the Bonita store n drink root beer, eat a price of jerky while our dad's shot a game of pool. There are actually still bullet holes in the ceiling. It's a trip to see my home ground on this video.
Well done.👍
Thanks 👍
Merci pour ce bout d'Histoire raconté.
Thanks!
imagine having your killer immortalized on your tombstone............
Squeak, rattle, squeak, rattle....Loved it.
I've never seen a population sign that gives the summer and winter populations. At least I assume that's what that was.
The movie to see about Billy the Kid is Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," with Kris Kristofferson as Billy--it's pretty gnarly.
The picture of him shown here was thought to be the only extant, until a recently discovered shot of him, from a distance, shows him playing croquet!
Very picturesque site to be buried. Sadly there's no organization apparently to maintain all the grave sites.
Oddly ironic is it not that Mr. Cahill's grave has the name of his killer on the back of his tombstone marker.
But if not for Billy, his grave would be like the thousands of others, laying in unmarked windswept graves.
For all you Billy the Kid buffs. You should check out the old jail in San Elizario, TX, the only jail Billy ever broke INTO!