The Southspring Ranch. Located In The Famous Pecos Valley Four Miles Southeast Of Roswell, Chaves County, New Mexico

JAMES JOHN HAGERMAN

Publication: Privately printed, n d (ca 1900), N P Roswell, New Mexico?

First edition. Oblong 8vo. Printed wrappers, n. p. [29 pp.], double column, frontispiece, illustrated from full-page photographs, large color folding map. Southspring Ranch lies on the old Dexter Highway just outside of Roswell. It served as the headquarters for John Chisum's Jingle Bob Ranch from 1874 to 1884. The ranch was purchased by J. J. Hagerman in 1892. Hagerman was an American entrepreneur involved in iron production in Wisconsin, ore mining in Michigan, railroads and mining in Colorado, and railroads and irrigation in New Mexico's Pecos Valley. His son, Herbert James Hagerman, served as Second Secretary of the U. S. Embassy in Imperial Russia from 1891-1901, and Governor of New Mexico 1906-07. Hagerman acquired a new interest in an irrigation project in New Mexico from the Pecos Irrigation and Investment Company, originally formed by Charles B. Eddy and Associates. In 1889, Hagerman surveyed the Pecos Valley and decided to become an investor in the financially troubled company. In 1892, J. J. Hagerman built a home at Hagerman Heights near Carlsbad, New Mexico. He moved to Roswell in 1900, and after his health declined he moved to Europe where he died in Milan 1n 1909. Also Laid-In: More Important Ranch History. Billy The Kid , George Coe, and others went to visit Chisum at the Southspring Ranch on the 4th of July, 1877. The 9-page chapter, entitled "A Fourth-of-July Jaunt to Chisum's Ranch" in George Coe's very scarce book, FRONTIER FIGHTER... is reproduced and laid-in. While there they became surrounded by 15-20 Murphy-Dolan gunmen. It developed into a long-range gunfight, but did little to disrupt the festivities at the ranch. George Coe was considered Billy The Kid's best friend, and he was wounded (lost his right index finger) in the gunfight at Blazer's Mills. Not in Adams Rampaging Herd. A fine, bright copy of a scarce ranching item housed in a cloth clamshell case with titles stamped in gilt on the front cover and spine.