In Billy the Kid Country, Lincoln County, New Mexico. The No Scum Allowed Saloon.

Historic White Oaks, Lincoln County, New Mexico. Billy the Kid thought of White Oaks as a "resort."

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"You can't make this shit up," the owner kept saying. The No Scum is one of only two bars left in rural Lincoln County.

The White Oaks Saloon & Social Club.

The No Scum Allowed Saloon is one of the most popular watering holes in rural Lincoln County, packed on popular event weekends by a thousand or more patrons.

You see, liquor licenses in New Mexico are worth their weight in gold (x10). You can't get one, you have to bid for one, and they're not making any new ones.

As a result, the wild west of the land of the Lincoln County Wars is down to only to rural bars, the No Scum and Tinnie's on the eastern border of the county.

Originally this was the Watson-Lund Law Office (in it's day there were more lawyers than miners in White Oaks). It was never any larger than the brick portion of the building (pictured above). At one time it was a printer's office for a local newspaper. Reportedly the brick had to be brought in by wagon at a considerable cost.

Probably the most famous owner of modern times was Bud Crenshaw. Locals still tell Bud Crenshaw stories, and his tombstone is on the back bar (or at least the one he wanted).

In recent history Grady Stewart bought the bar from someone in Michigan who thought it might have been a good idea at the time. At that time it was the White Oaks Saloon & Social Club. "First thing I'm going to do is take down that "No Scum Allowed' sign, Grady said as the closing was nearing. "But that's the only thing tourist have their pictures taken with," someone at the bar mumbled.

The sign stayed. Then wifi, and a wine rack.

The bar was then purchased by Tony Marsh and Pam Lewis, a partnership that went its separate ways because of Tony's vision for the now No Scum Allowed Saloon.

Tony Marsh Tony sort of formalized the integrity of the roof of the small dance hall behind the bar and added a large outdoor patio, fire pit, and out-bar and covered outdoor stage. He also added wifi and a wine rack. He also closed the normally open-nightly bar (patrons got together there to talk about starting AA meetings) and only opened Friday-Sunday. He put in a septic tank and real indoor plumbing. It was the day hell froze over.

Tony's favorite saying while looking out over his domain: "You can't make this shit up."

It was an expensive hobby for Tony, though it, obviously, must have seemed like a good idea at the time.

(The wine rack was given a Viking funeral in the outdoor fire pit some time ago.)

A lot more fame than fortune.

The bar has been featured in more than one major B movie ("The Outfitters," "Requiem for Billy the Kid"). In the later, a French documentary, the bartender is actually Grady Stewart and many of those pictured at the bar still live nearby.

The bar has been noted in magazines like GQ (there's an old story about the owner leaving the key under a door mat so people could go in and have a drink, and leave some money).

In spring of 2012 it was named one of the "Top Cowboy Bars in the West" by American Cowboy Magazine which basically meant that a writer had stopped by sometime in history and fell in love with its crustiness, pot bellied stove and local characters because the cowboys are few and far between these days. Mostly modern cowboys: Harley riders.

(How many of the Top Cowboy Bars in the West have you been to? Click here to see.)

And the No Scum is really more of a hole-in-the wall (much like the X-Bar-X in Hillsboro), than one that should be on the same list with the commercial liquor machines like Billy Bob's Texas and the Million Dollar Bar in Jackson Hole. (Others on the list included bars like Scottsdale's Rusty Spur Saloon, Tombstone's Crystal Palace Saloon and Calgary's Ranchman's Cookhouse & Saloon.)

Be what it may; the No Scum is what it is. You can't make this shit up.

Enter Marlon & Teresa Coffman.

As of April, 2012, there are new owners, Marlon & Teresa Coffman. Marlon reportedly made his living in long distanct trucking (reportedly) in West Texas. There's talk of opening again on a daily basis, maybe even a store. They are party people.

It just must have seemed like a good idea at the time.

Top annual events.

A weekend in May: the Aspencash Motorcycle Rally (anchored out of Rudioso).

A weekend in September: this is huge, the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally (anchored out of Inn of the Mountain Gods near Ruidoso). Black "No Scum Allowed" tshirts are hauled in by the truckload.