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Mesilla is a small town by today's standards but, 150 years ago it was the major stop for travelers going between San Antonio and San Diego. Mesilla hasn't changed much over the years, allowing visitors to see what an 1800’s border town looked like. Western Legend Billy the Kid once stood trial for murder in a Mesilla courtroom, and the Mesilla Plaza was once a major stop for the Butterfield Stagecoach. Originally, Mesilla was part of Mexico, but with the signing of the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, the village became part of the United States. Today, Mesilla offers a wide range of historical and cultural events, shopping and dining on the town's plaza. Enjoy a meal at the famous Double Eagle or La Posta restaurants, where patrons can experience a wide variety of cuisin and history while they visit one of the most historical locations in New Mexico.

Another important landmark in Mesilla is the San Albino Church on the plaza. The church, originally built of adobe in 1855, still offers masses today, both in English and Spanish. Outside the church is a memorial to parishioners who died in combat.

Mesilla is located south of Las Cruces on Avenida de Mesilla.

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Mesilla is the primary visitor destination in the region. The soul and character of this picturesque village, with its scenic plaza and ageless adobe homes, are reflected in its history. Events of the 18th and 19th centuries were instrumental to the development of the area and the West.

In the 1880s Mesilla was a lively social center and attracted its share of “Wild West characters.” The most notorious was Billy the Kid, who was tried and sentenced to hang in 1881.

Many of Mesilla¹s buildings date to the mid-1800s. In 1854, the Gadsden Purchase, signed in the Plaza, officially made Mesilla a part of the United States.

The Butterfield Overland Mail and Stage was established in 1858 and Mesilla was the regional headquarters. It became a well-known place of respite for travelers along the trail line between San Antonio and San Diego.

The plaza and connecting streets frame San Albino Church, built in 1908. One of New Mexico¹s most beautiful churches, San Albino is the heart of community life, now as in the past.

Numerous events and fiestas are held on the plaza throughout the year: Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May), 16th of September, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Christmas luminarias. There is a mercado twice weekly and it is often the site for impromptu musical performances.

Old Mesilla has retained its charm of the past while presently offering unparalleled shopping and dining along with galleries and museums.

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Soon, the determined Garrett's and his posse tracked the outlaws down to Stinking Springs and surrounded the hideout. Inside of the house were Billy, Charlie Bowdre, Rudabaugh, Tom Pickett and Billy Wilson. When Bowdre passed before an open window, he was shot in the chest. The siege continued until the next day, when Rudabaugh finally waved a white flag and the bandits surrendered. Billy the Kid and his gang of "Rustlers" were captured on December 23, 1880 and taken to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Billy was jailed in the town of Mesilla, south of Santa Fe, while waiting for his April 1881 trial. Deliberation took exactly one day and Billy was convicted of murdering Sheriff William Brady and sentenced to hang by Judge Warren Bristol. His execution was scheduled for May 13th and he was sent to Lincoln to await this date. He was under guard by James Bell and Robert Ollinger on the top floor of the building formerly known as the House before and during the Lincoln County War. On April 28 Billy somehow escaped and killed both of his guards while Garrett was out of town. It is not known how Billy was able to do this, but it is widely believed that a friend or Regulator sympathizer left a pistol in the privy that one of the guards escorted Billy to daily. After shooting Deputy Bell with the pistol, Billy stole Ollinger's 10-gauge double barrel shotgun and waited for Ollinger by the window in the room he was being held in.

Ollinger obliged by running immediately from the hotel upon hearing the shots. When he was directly under the window of the courthouse, he heard his prisoner say, "Hello, Bob." Ollinger then looked up and saw the Kid gun in hand. It was the last thing he ever saw as Billy blasted him with his own shotgun killing him instantly.

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Hubby and I were wondering if your country had architecture similar to that seen in those photos

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