Lucien Maxwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell
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Maxwell in an undated photo
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| Born | September 14, 1818 |
| Died | July 25, 1875 (aged 56) |
| Resting place | Old Fort Sumner Cemetery Fort Sumner, New Mexico |
| Education | Vincentian college in Missouri |
| Occupation | Mountain man, rancher, scout, farmer |
| Spouse(s) | Luz Beaubien |
Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell (born September 14, 1818 – died July 25, 1875) was an amazing American pioneer. He was a mountain man, a rancher, a scout, and a farmer. At one time, he owned a huge amount of land – more than 1.7 million acres! That's bigger than some small countries.
Maxwell was one of the biggest private landowners in the history of the United States. He was so important to Western history that in 1959, he was honored in the Hall of Great Westerners. This hall is part of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Contents
Early Life and Adventures
Lucien Maxwell was born in a place called Kaskaskia, in the Illinois Territory. This was just a few months before Illinois became a state. His father, Hugh Maxwell, was an immigrant from Ireland. His mother, Odile Menard, was the daughter of a French-Canadian fur trader named Pierre Menard. Pierre Menard was a very important person. He became the first Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.
Learning from Family
Young Lucien learned a lot about the fur trading business from his grandfather, Pierre Menard. His grandfather was a big inspiration for him. Just like his famous grandfather, Lucien left home when he was only fifteen years old.
Maxwell had a cousin named Michel Branamour Menard. This cousin started a trading post that later grew into the city of Galveston, Texas. Also, an early neighbor of Maxwell's family was Stephen Austin. The capital of Texas, Austin, is named after him.
Heading West
When he was 17, after two years at a college in Missouri, Lucien decided to go out on his own. He headed west, looking for adventure.
On his journey, he met and became good friends with Kit Carson. Kit Carson was a famous frontiersman, almost nine years older than Maxwell. In 1841, both Maxwell and Carson joined John C. Frémont on his expeditions to explore the American West. Carson was the guide, and Maxwell was the chief hunter for the group.
Life in New Mexico
In 1844, Lucien Maxwell traveled to Taos, New Mexico. At that time, Taos was part of Mexico. There, he married Luz Beaubien, the daughter of a man named Carlos Beaubien. It was a special day because Kit Carson also got married at the same time.
The Beaubien-Miranda Land Grant
In 1843, Carlos Beaubien and his business partner, Guadalupe Miranda, received a huge land grant. This grant was for one million acres (about 4,000 square kilometers) in what is now northeast New Mexico. As a wedding gift, Beaubien gave Maxwell 15,000 acres of this land.
During the Mexican–American War, in 1847, Maxwell was at Fort Bent in Colorado. While he was there, the governor of New Mexico, Charles Bent, was killed during the Taos Revolt. Maxwell's wife survived this event, but her brother, Narciso Beaubien, was killed. After this, Maxwell became more involved in managing the large Beaubien land grant.
In 1848, Maxwell was ambushed while delivering supplies to a cabin. Luckily, he survived.
Building a Home on the Frontier
In 1849, after the Mexican–American War ended, Maxwell and Kit Carson had an idea. They suggested building a fort on the Rayado River at Rayado. This area was in the new New Mexico Territory and was located on the famous Santa Fe Trail. Maxwell built a large house there, and Carson built a smaller adobe house.
In 1850, the U.S. Army moved its fort about 30 miles (48 km) south to Fort Union. This new fort was on the Mora River. Maxwell then sold his property in Rayado. He moved to Cimarron, which was on the Cimarron River.
In Cimarron, Maxwell built a very large adobe mansion. He was known for being very generous. Many people were often entertained and fed luxuriously at his home by many servants. Everyone, from servants to guests and local people, seemed to respect Lucien "Max" Maxwell greatly. His house and his desk, which was always full of cash and valuables, were never locked. When a friend suggested he get a safe, Maxwell famously said, "If anyone would dare to steal from me, I should like to catch them!"
The Maxwell Land Grant
In 1858, Guadalupe Miranda, who was still in Mexico, sold his share of the one-million-acre land grant to Maxwell for $2,745. After Carlos Beaubien died in 1864, Maxwell bought most of the remaining land that he hadn't already inherited. This made his landholdings incredibly large, reaching over 1.7 million acres. This entire vast area became known as the Maxwell Land Grant.
Gold Discovery and Sale
After the American Civil War ended, something exciting happened: gold was discovered on Maxwell's property. This was near what is now Baldy Mountain (Colfax County, New Mexico). Maxwell allowed miners to work on his land and sold them supplies.
In 1870, Maxwell decided to sell most of his land. He sold it for $1,350,000 to a British company. This company then created the Maxwell Land Grant and Railway Company. A part of the land was bought by Matthew Lynch, who became known for placer mining in the area.
After selling the grant, Maxwell moved to Fort Sumner, New Mexico Territory. He bought Fort Sumner from the U.S. government in 1869, after the fort was no longer used by the military. Maxwell and his family fixed up the old officers' quarters. They turned them into a beautiful Spanish Colonial house with a large inner courtyard. Lucien Maxwell died there at Fort Sumner in 1875. He was buried nearby.
Later Events and Legacy
Colfax County War
After Maxwell sold his huge land grant, there was a lot of conflict. The new owners and people who had settled on the land (called squatters) fought over who owned what. This armed struggle became known as the Colfax County War. Legal battles over whether Maxwell's land claims were legitimate continued for many years. Finally, in 1887, the Supreme Court of the United States confirmed that the land title was clear.
Billy the Kid
The famous outlaw Billy the Kid was killed at Maxwell's Fort Sumner home in 1881. At that time, the home was owned by Pete Maxwell, who was Lucien Maxwell's son. Billy the Kid was later buried just a few feet from Lucien Maxwell in Fort Sumner.
Modern Day Land Use
Today, the original Maxwell Land Grant is divided into many different private and public landholdings. Some of these large private properties include:
- The Philmont Scout Ranch, a very popular high-adventure camp for Boy Scouts.
- Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch.
- The Chase Ranch.
- The CS Ranch.
- The Express UU Bar Ranch.
- The National Rifle Association's Whittington Center.
