Santa Fe 1880: Chronicles from the Year of the Railroad

The sleepy frontier capital of Santa Fe transformed abruptly in 1880.

The city, already a vibrant mix of cultures, jolted suddenly into the industrial age when it was inundated with hordes of newcomers from the East. The freshly laid tracks of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway provided easy access to the Wild West and changed the city almost overnight. Learn about the daily lives and surprising adventures of its local inhabitants, including Sisters of Charity challenging the establishment, Buffalo Soldiers pursuing an Apache chief across the desert and Billy the Kid's escape from prison. Author Allen R. Steele recounts these events and more from firsthand accounts of that dynamic year.