b'Trapper continued from page 57paradise and it had been overrun byout that he could not. The trapper who others. When the surveyor-generalhad traded the buckskins of the of New Mexico was probing thefrontiersman and fur trapper for land grant before issuing asilk ties and starched shirts decision that said the rant wasfinally became overwhelmed good and valid even thoughby the enormous expanse it had yet to be surveyedof land he had owned.and its full expanse wasGreed sprung up unknown, Christophereverywhere, court (Kit) Carson testifiedbattles raged in July of 1857 aboutcontinuously, nester the extent of Maxwellsgroups challenged ranch on the grant. him repeatedly and preachers claiming Carson said he hadto represent the been with Lucienpoor of the area B. Maxwell on thebattled with land grant in 1844 beforegrant supporters to Maxwell owned it. Hethe point where there said several houses hadwere several killings been built on the bigand a lynching over Cimarron River. Thererights to the grant.were large fields of corn, pumpkins, and beans.The frontiersman stayed Another house had been builtaloof from much of the169 E Wickenburg Wayon the banks of a smaller creek.fray over his land, letting Carson said in 1845 he, sidekickattorneys do the bickering forWickenburg, AZ 85390Richard Owens and others settledhim. But the loss of his land to928-684-6123on the grant and he had built a housethe greedy industrialists and miningOpen 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. DAILYon the Rayado River and planted 15 acres ofKit Carson companies who would overrun it after he garden vegetable and feed. He was called offsold it brought a turnaround in Maxwells to California before he could harvest his crops. life when success and happiness turned into a Carson said Maxwell built a home on the Rayadorelocation he did not like in a new country that four years later and still lived there in 1857. Carsondid not please him. Never happy at Fort Sumner said there were 200 acres of land under cultivationranch it is thought that being forced by progress off on the grant in 1857, buildings with a value of abouthis paradise along the Cimarron took many years $15,000 and that 15,000 head of livestock grazed onoff the life of Lucien B. Maxwell, a Taos Group the Maxwell ranch. Actually, Maxwell had startedtrapper who had married into more land than any building structures on the grant along the Raynadoman of the day could really comprehend.as early as 1847 and ten years later began building the town of Cimarron. The Las Vegas Gazette, in an editorial the day following his death stated, Against Lucien B. Maxwell built a three-story stone grist mill, whichMaxwell, no man can say aught, and he diedstill stands intact today, had 200 acres of land underafter an active and eventful life, probably withoutcultivation, and had built his large residence on thean enemy in the world. Of few words, unassuming Cimarron. These structures and fields, along with hisand unpretentious, his deeds were the best exponent corrals and stables, were all that was fenced on theof the man. He was hospitable, generous, and Maxwell Ranch. The rest was a wide-open ranch forupright, dispensing large wealth, acquired by his cattle. industry and genius, with an open hand to then ystranger and the needy. oT PALMOST TWO MILLION ACRES ehThere were one million, 714 thousand, and 764.93At the time of his death, Maxwell had the reputation acres of land he would be sole owner surrounding theof being one where no man in want, Indian, 200 acres under cultivation that Carson noted. ThatMexican, Spanish or American had ever crossed his2nd Hand Storewas a tremendous amount of land for a man to own,threshold without being the recipient of his bounty. any man, and keep track of and keep intact. It turnedNo man could hope for a better reputation.We Collect & Deliver Your MerchandiseFREE LOCAL DELIVERY AVAILABLE662 W. Wickenburg Way WickenburgOpen MondaySaturdaythepony2ndhandstore.com928-231-2730928-232-2019We Carry Quality 2nd Hand & New MerchandiseYour Home Furniture Supplies StoreSpecializing in AppliancesJane and Peter Kibblepony2ndhandstore@outlook.com The Maxwell Ranch in CimarronArizonaRealCountry.com December 2021 59'