John Thomas Hixenbaugh Colfax County, New Mexico

John Thomas Hixenbaugh, county assessor of Colfax County, New Mexico, was born in Centerville, Iowa, September 23, 1859, son of George and Sarah Jane (Davis) Hixenbaugh. At the early age of ten years we find him on a cattle range in Kansas. A few years later he came with a bunch of cattle from Indian Territory on his way to Prescott. Arizona, and stopped in New Mexico at Senator Dorsey's Chico Springs ranch. Instead of continuing with the rest of the party to Arizona, he remained and went to work as a cow puncher for Senator Dorsey. Before he reached his majority he was appointed deputy sheriff, under Peter Burleson, and subsequently served as deputy under Sheriffs Bowman and Wallace, and at the close of Judge Wallace's term, in 1884, was elected to succeed him, as sheriff and collector. During the first year of his term, while performing his official duty in attempting to arrest Dick Rogers for the murder of a man in "Chihuahua," in the suburbs of Raton, Mr. Hixenbaugh was shot through the knee, from which he suffered serious injury, necessitating three amputations. Rogers was afterward killed at Springer, Colfax County, while trying to release a friend of his who was incarcerated in the jail at that place. On account of his injuries Mr. Hixenbaugh resigned the office. Since then he has been engaged in the liquor business, at different times, and he is also interested in ranching, owning the old Hall ranch west of Springer. In 1897 he was elected county assessor, has been re-elected, and is now serving his eighth year in this office. He has always been a Democrat, and has usually received a majority of from 600 to 700 votes.

Mr. Hixenbaugh is a member of the Elks Lodge at Las Vegas and the Eagles and Red Men in Raton.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.