The Nogal Mesa has attracted people since the Jornada Mogollon called it home a millennium ago. The legacy and culture of those early settlers is only part of a rich history that draws visitors to the Mesa today. This was the land of a gold prospecting craze, a bloody massacre that destroyed a village, generations of ranchers, the Lincoln National Forest Ranger's Station and the annual Ranchman's Camp that still thrives. Local historian Gary Cozzens relates these stories and more in The Nogal Mesa: A History of Kivas and Ranchers in Lincoln County.