Elfego Baca's Frisco standoff against Texan cowboys

Background. Elfego Baca, a young gunfighter and law enforcement officer in New Mexico, sought to maintain order in the frontier. In 1884, at age 19, he became a deputy sheriff in Socorro County, though whether he purchased a badge or was appointed is unclear. His goal was to be a peace officer whose steps outlaws would hear a block away, setting the stage for his famous confrontation with Texan cowboys.

The Incident. The standoff occurred in Lower San Francisco Plaza, also known as Frisco. Baca had arrested a drunk cowboy named Charlie McCarty. A mob of Texas cowboys gathered to kill him for this arrest. The number of attackers is disputed, with reports ranging from 40 to 80.

Legacy. Baca's defense of the area against the cowboy mob quickly established his reputation as a hero of the Frisco shootout. This event contributed to his status as an American folk hero of the New Mexico Territory frontier. His life was later fictionalized in Westerns released during the mid-20th century, though the passages do not tie those films specifically to this standoff.