HISTORIC VORWERK RIVER PROPERTY - A River Runs Through It Location This one-of-a-kind 33-acre (+-) beautiful property lies five miles east of the historical little town of Lincoln, in Lincoln County, with private access from highway 380. The 2,200 sq.ft. adobe home was originally built in 1905 by Fred Vorwerk, the son-in-law of James Dolan, one of the principal participants in the famous Lincoln County War in 1878 which also ended the life of Billy The Kid. Yes, a river runs through it - a quarter of a mile of the beautiful Rio Bonito, with senior water rights attached to it. The Rio Bonito runs year-round through this magnificent foot-hill property, attracting a number of wildlife right out your back-door; Mule Deer, Elk, Barbary Sheep, Turkey, Bobcats and more, with Brown Trout and Beaver inhabiting the river. Miles and miles of horseback riding and hiking trails are accessed through the adjoining Bureau of Land Management lands and ultimately U.S. Forest Service land. This is a hikers, horseback riders and nature lovers paradise. In New Mexico where water is scarce and water rights are at a premium, the Senior Water Rights that come with the purchase of this rare property are priceless. Price: $1,200,000
Historic Adobe Residence Constructed in 1905, the house was built in territorial style with a hipped roof with the foundation native stone set in concrete mortar. The house was lived in by several families over the years and eventually fell into disrepair until 1993 when it was restored. The walls are constructed of 18 inches thick adobe blocks mixed with cut straw to act as a binder with dormer windows. Ceilings are approximately 12 feet tall. This unique two-story home has three bed-rooms and two full bathrooms with a circular staircase leading to the upstairs. The home is heated by central air and heating as well as a wood-stove. Property The 33 (+-) acre property is shaded by a variety of trees such as Western Fremont Cottonwood, Black Walnut, Chinese Elm, Juniper, Red Oak and Algerita bushes. There are various barns and outbuildings nestled in the trees. The property is fenced all around by a 4-strand barbed wire fence in good condition. A nice raised garden plot with planter boxes and blackberries, raspberries, and golden raspberries provides vegetables and berries for home use.
Water One-fourth of a mile of Rio Bonito flows through this property. Irrigation water of 16.5 acre-feet of Senior Water Rights from the river, dating back to 1853, are applied to 5 acres of the land. A pump at the river is the point of diversion, which furnishes irrigation water through irrigation pipe to the field. A supplemental metered well also furnishes irrigation water. This well is 100 feet deep with water level at six feet, providing 140-150 gallons of water per minute. A number of riparian rock dams have been constructed in the river to create pools for fish and also to aerate the water. In the past, the seller has caught 23 brown trout out of this river on the property. In the past a nine acre field was planted into alfalfa and apple trees, and is currently in improved pasture. Water for the house is a domestic well and pressure system.
Wildlife The river that runs through this secluded property attracts a multitude of wildlife, such as elk, deer, turkey, Barbary sheep and many more. The following video shows views of the property and some very nice wildlife pictures: http://youtu.be/7ycelxd7bkm Additional photos
Surrounding Area and Things to Do There is so much to do and see in this magnificent area of New Mexico, it would be impossible to fit it all in this brochure. Here are some of the major attractions. At an altitude of almost 7,000 feet, Ruidoso is a popular mountain town of 8,000 inhabitants approximately 35 mile drive from the ranch. This quaint little town offers shopping and boutiques, a large variety of restaurants, and is the home of the world s richest Quarter Horse race - The Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Billy The Kid Casino. In close proximity at 12,000 feet elevation is the Sierra Blanca Ski Resort - Ski Apache - operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe with dozens of trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. The Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts is located just outside of Ruidoso Inn of the Mountain Gods is a luxury resort in the high mountains also owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe. It offers conference facilities, gambling, golf course, a lake, etc. Capitan, home of Smokey Bear, is located 17 miles to the west. Fort Stanton, one of the early day forts providing protection to settlers and miners, is located approximately 12 miles from the Vorwerk property. Roswell, pop. 48,600, 60 miles east of the property by Hwy 380 and Las Cruces, pop. 101,300, 150 miles from the property, offer all the big-city shopping and amenities.
Airports Sierra Blanca Regional Airport Ruidoso Carrizozo Municipal Airport Carrizozo Roswell International Air Center Roswell White Sands Regional Airport - Alamogordo History of Lincoln and Lincoln County This historic property was once part of Sheriff William Brady's ranch and in 1878, Sheriff Brady and his deputy were killed by Billy the Kid and friends. The graves of Sheriff Brady and his deputy are located across the highway from the Vorwerk house. The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions in 1878 in New Mexico Territory. The feud became famous because of the participation of a number of notable figures of the Old West, including Billy the Kid, Sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett, cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and businessman Alexander McSween, and the organized crime boss Lawrence Murphy. The conflict arose between two factions over the control of dry goods and cattle interests in the county. The older, established faction was led by Murphy and his business partner, James Dolan, who operated a dry goods monopoly through Murphy's general store. Young newcomers to the county, English-born John Tunstall and his business partner Alexander McSween, with backing from established cattleman John Chisum, opened a competing store in 1876. The two sides gathered lawmen, businessmen, Tunstall's ranch hands and criminal gangs to their support. The Murphy-Dolan faction were allied with Lincoln County Sheriff Brady, and supported by the Jesse Evans Gang. The Tunstall-McSween faction organized their own posse of armed men, known as the Regulators, to defend their position, and had their own lawmen, town constable Richard M. Brewer and Deputy US Marshal Robert A. Widenmann.
The conflict was marked by back-and-forth revenge killings, starting with the murder of Tunstall by members of the Evans Gang. In revenge for this, the Regulators killed Sheriff Brady and others in a series of incidents. Further killings continued unabated for several months, climaxing in the Battle of Lincoln, a four-day gunfight and siege that resulted in the death of McSween and the scattering of the Regulators. After Pat Garrett was named County Sheriff in 1880, he hunted down Billy the Kid, killing two other former Regulators in the process. The war was fictionalized in several Hollywood films, including The Left Handed Gun in 1958, John Wayne's Chisum in 1970 and Young Guns in 1988. Lincoln Historic District The County of Lincoln has established regulations to protect and preserve the architectural character of the Lincoln Historic District. The Lincoln Historic Preservation Board is charged with advising residents who are building or remodeling in the historic district on compliance with this ordinance. The Lincoln Historic Preservation Ordinance can be viewed at this link: http://cms2.revize.com/revize/lincolncounty/boards_and_committees/docs/lincoln_historic_pr eservation_board_2004_5.pdf Property Tax: Annual property taxes assessed by the Lincoln County Assessor was $929.80 for the year 2014.
Maps
For more information or to schedule a viewing of this exclusive and unique property, please call or email Tom: Tom Sidwell Qualified Broker Sidwell Farm & Ranch Realty, LLC 6637 State Highway 209 Tucumcari, NM 88401 Phone: 575-403-6903 E-mail: tom@sidwellfarmandranch.com Website: www.sidwellfarmandranch.com