Here is the first comprehensive history of the Colfax County area of northeastern New Mexico. Best known today as the home of the Philmont Scout Ranch, where thousands of Boy Scouts from around the world gather every year, this beautiful country has a violent and varied past. Centering around the town of Cimarron, the region includes much of the vast Maxwell Land Grant, one of the largest pieces of land to be owned by one man in the history of the United States. Controversy over control of the land began in the sixteenth century with quarrels among rival American Indian tribes. Spanish and later American troops continued the bloodshed for centuries more. The culmination of the area’s history of violence was the notorious Colfax County War between homesteaders and landowners that began in 1875 and continued until the Supreme Court acted fifteen years later. A gold and silver rush lured prospectors to the Maxwell ranch and booming Elizabethtown in the 1860s. But by 1870 the supply of precious metals was almost exhausted, and today Elizabethtown is a ghost town. “An interesting and welltold account of an important area, Philmont deserves a place on the Western book shelf.”—Denver Post

An informal history of the first 50 years of the Philmont Rangers

To thousands of scouts it is known as God's country. It's official name is Philmont Scout Ranch in northeastern New Mexico. It's a scouting paradise and it may also be the most haunted place in the world. Riders in the Sky investigates the ghosts and legends of Philmont Scout Ranch in stories and illustrations.

Situated where the High Plains meet the Rocky Mountains and where the Santa Fe Trail crosses the Cimarron River, the village of Cimarrón has a richly varied history. Spectacular rock columns, thick seams of coal, dinosaur footprints, pit houses, and petroglyphs echo an early geologic and human presence. Spanish explorers encountered area Native American settlements in the 1700s, and by the 1820s, mountain men roamed these Rockies while eastern merchants followed Indian trails to Santa Fe. By the 1860s, Cimarrón was the headquarters of a vast Mexican land grant managed by Lucien Maxwell and Kit Carson. A gristmill supplied local soldiers and Indians, and the discovery of gold attracted thousands. The Colfax County War erupted after speculators purchased the grant in 1870. When the railroad arrived in 1906, a "New Town" was built on the north side of the river. Today, through tourism and the Philmont Scout Ranch, the Cimarrón area offers a unique window into the history and growth of the West.

Philmont offers arguably the most challenging personal and group experiences available through Boy Scouting. Join in on the adventure as an adult Scouter returns to Philmont after 33 years with 11 other crew members, including two of his sons. The daily diary is both insightful and inspirational, providing those who have yet to experience Philmont firsthand a unique glimpse into what the Philmont experience is all about. The author brings you along on the trail as he details the preparation, excitement and trials. Valuable reading for anyone considering a trip to Boy Scouting's great ""adventureland."" A portion of the proceeds from sale of this book go toward a Philmont campership program.