We picked up a wonderful map of Lincoln County, New Mexico in the lobby of our timeshare and it led us to several interesting, off-the-beaten-path places. One of these was the almost forgotten town of White Oaks.
White Oaks was once a thriving community with a population of several thousand. It thrived due to a gold strike made in 1879. Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett were part of its history, as well as W.C. McDonald, the first governor of New Mexico. As the gold being recovered dwindled and the railroad bypassed the town, the population of White Oaks declined. Today, there are just a few people living in White Oaks, but some of the historical buildings and the old cemetery remain to tell the story of what happened in White Oaks's past.
One of the local residents was nice enough to follow us to the cemetery and walk through with us, helping us find several graves of historical significance. He then suggested that we visit the museum in Carrizozo where books on the history of White Oaks could be purchased. We followed his suggestion and enjoyed the photographs and displays about White Oaks. We bought two books, and read them aloud on our way back to Kansas.