The Lincoln County War was a conflict between rival cattle barons in 19th century New Mexico Territory.
In the early 1870s, two men by the names of Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan owned the only store in Lincoln County — Murphy & Dolan Mercantile and Banking. Soon, another man named John Riley also entered into the business. At the time, Lincoln County was the largest county in the nation, covering 1/5 of New Mexico territory. In addition to the store, Murphy & Dolan also owned large cattle ranches.
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