Colfax County War

Colfax County War
Part of the Range Wars
Clay Allison kills assassin Chunk Colbert during a meal
Date1873–1888
Location
Caused byLand dispute
Resulted in
  • Maxwell Land Grant victory
    • Settlement between the two sides
Parties
Lead figures

Sheriff Isaiah Rinehart

Franklin J. Tolby 
Robert Clay Allison

Casualties and losses
200 casualties

The Colfax County War was a range war that occurred from 1873 to 1888 between settlers and the new owners of the Maxwell Land Grant in Colfax County, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The war started when the new landowners tried to remove the local settlers from the land they had just bought. The locals refused to leave, as they had settled much of their livelihood in the grant, which resulted in conflict and violence in 1875. It has been estimated that as many as 200 people were killed in the conflict.