Exploring the legend of Billy the Kid
author: Smith, Jim; Desert Exposure staff
source date: 2026
availability: web

In-depth article on Billy the Kid's evolving legend, based on historian Jim Smith's chapter in "Unpacking Silver City" (titled "The West in Popular Culture: Silver City and the Enduring Legend of Billy the Kid"). Covers the four phases of the Kid's legend: (1) 1881-1925 — portrayed as a "cold-blooded murderer" and "low down vulgar cutthroat" per the Grant County Herald; (2) 1926-1954 — Walter Noble Burns' "The Saga of Billy the Kid" recasts him as "Robin Hood of the West"; (3) 1955 onward — Gore Vidal's teleplay with Paul Newman portrays him as a "Rebel Without a Cause" social outcast; (4) postmodern period where "all versions are true." Notes the paucity of documentary evidence: the Kid left almost no paper trail, no known birth date, contested name (Henry McCarty / William H. Bonney), and over 1,000 books written about him. Smith's study is framed as a study of how the myth changes over time rather than a definitive biography.