The Torreon

In the middle of the small village of Lincoln, New Mexico, stands an ancient-looking tower on the north side of the road. This once-imposing structure served as a refuge for the town and will undoubtedly leave the viewer wondering what atrocities must have taken place in this peaceful little community that such a structure would be required. 

The iconic Lincoln landmark known as the Torreon was built in 1852. This type of structure was common throughout New Mexico and the Southwest. From the colonial period through the nineteenth century, these structures provided protection for settlers from Indian attacks. The area that eventually became known as Lincoln County had its hiccups in its early years, in part because of the constant fear of that danger. In the Torreon’s case, Mescalero Apache Indians were its greatest adversary. 

While the Torreon was constructed, the Army began building Fort Stanton. The fort is located off the Rio Bonito, 15 miles northwest of the little village, which originally was called La Placita del Río Bonito, but later shortened to La Placita, and then simply to Lincoln.

The Torreon was built by Enrique Trujillo, members of the Miranda family, and other early settlers. After its completion, the settlers next constructed a group of jacales that surrounded the Torreon. (A jacal was a house built of wooden posts driven in the ground, with the gaps filled in with mud.) Trenches were also dug from the jacales to the Torreon so that villagers could go to the tower without exposing themselves to the danger outside of their homes. 

An outdoor oven, known as a horno, was also added inside the walls. The Torreon and the jacales surrounding it became the plaza for the new community. The original structure was likely four stories tall. There were portholes all around it, and the top was designed for both offensive and defensive purposes. During times of distress, the entire village was able to seek refuge within its walls and would remain inside until the threat subsided. Women and children took refuge on the ground floor, while armed men occupied the top three stories. Surrounded by a ten-foot-high wall, the villagers were also known to bring their livestock inside for protection.

“We spent the night in fear and trembling, close by the side of our mother, but morning found us quite safe in the old tower.”

In 1877, Alexander McSween purchased five consecutive lots from James Dolan. The Torreon was included in that purchase. One of the lots was originally purchased with the intent of building a school and Presbyterian Church. Tragically, the Lincoln County War brought those plans, and so many others, to a halt. During the Five-Day Battle, Dolan’s men took up a defensive position in the Torreon. Susan McSween, upset over the occupation of their property, demanded that the men leave; those demands fell upon deaf ears. The inability to secure the Torreon early on in the battle was a tactical error that would end up haunting the McSween faction.

In the early 1930s, the Torreon was restored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) under the sponsorship of the Chaves County Historical Society. It became state property in 1935 and is listed on both the National Register of Historical Places and the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.

The next time you find yourself aimlessly wandering down Lincoln's lone street, step inside the Torreon and take a look through the portholes. Let the years roll back and imagine yourself in a time when life wasn’t so secure. Climb up to the roof and breathe in the mountain air, enjoy the scenery, and imagine those times long ago when the structure you now stand upon was once the difference between life and death.