Juan Patron: A Fallen Star in the Days of Billy the Kid

by Paul L. Tsompanas

Juan Patrón lived through one of the bloodiest chapters of the American the 1878 feud known as the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. Reputed for his heroics, Patrón tried to tame a frontier plagued with violence, illiteracy and greed-first as a teacher, then as a desperado hunter, and eventually as speaker of the territorial house at age twenty-five, the youngest person to hold this position in New Mexico history. With keen, well-researched detail and the skill of a master storyteller, author Paul Tsompanas leads us through Patrón's life and times-and his fate at the hands of a Texas cowboy named Michael Maney, who outdrew him in a dramatic showdown. Many believe that, had he lived, Patrón would have become New Mexico's first congressman when it entered the Union in 1912.

216 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2012

Reviews

[George Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Well researched and written. Adds to the story of Billy the Kid and Lincoln County, New Mexico in the 1870s and 80s.

[michael johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story of Juan Patron who helped shape the educational system in Frontier New Mexico. His home in Lincoln NM still stands, I live a few houses down the road from it.. The horrible events of the Lincoln County War drove many Hispanics from Lincoln, including Juan. But he left a substantial and meaningful impact to in many area of civics responsibility.

The book is well written and very readable, a joy to read.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it is my own family history. It is well researched, and many of the facts actually contradict some of the stories I heard growing up. But the writing isn't concise. Many thoughts and sentences are repeated within a few pages of each other. And, to get much of the story in that he wants to tell, the author provides the narrative without a smooth transition.

All that being said, the facts presented are interested and well worth a read for anyone who enjoys 'Old West' history.