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La Mesilla

This section of my page contains three photos of the town of La Mesilla, or, more specifically, the old plaza that existed in the late 1870s and early 1880s. The plaza has been pretty well preserved since that time and the old courthouse building in which Billy the Kid was tried, convicted, and sentenced to hang for the murder of Sheriff William Brady still stands. Today, the courthouse building has been transformed into a tourist gift shop and is well-marketed as the site of Billy's murder trial.

The Old Plaza

From where the photographer was standing when this photo was taken, the old courthouse building was located just to his left.

The Old Courthouse

This image depicts the old courthouse building, which is now known as the "Billy the Kid Gift Shop." The plaque to the left of the doors reads "This Building, which dates from 1850, once housed the Capital of Arizona and New Mexico. Later, it was the Courthouse in which Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang."

Another View of the Plaza

This photo also shows the courthouse, but from a further distance away, allowing much more of the plaza to be seen.