David Caffey is no stranger to Dawson, New Mexico, having worked for a time as a chief ranger for the Philmont Scout Ranch in nearby Cimarron.

That’s why I’m particularly grateful for his review of Crosses of Iron that appeared last month in High Country, the bimonthly magazine of the Philmont Staff Association.

Coincidentally, I mentioned David in my May 2023 newsletter when I learned he had published a history of Cimarron called When Cimarron Meant Wild: The Maxwell Land Grant Conflict in New Mexico and Colorado, the latest of more than a half-dozen books he has written about New Mexico and the American Southwest. At the time, I was struck that two books would be released within six months of each other about two New Mexico towns — Cimarron and Dawson — less than 20 miles apart.

I would like to thank High Country editor Mark A. Stinnett for his interest in publishing a review and for reaching out to David to write it.

The review can be read by clicking here or on the image.