Anyone who has even a casual acquaintance with the history of New Mexico in the nineteenth century has heard of the Santa Fe Ring--seekers of power and wealth in the post-Civil War period famous for public corruption and for dispossessing land holders. Surprisingly, however, scholars have alluded to the Ring but never really described this shadowy entity, which to this day remains a kind of black hole in New Mexico's territorial history. David Caffey looks beyond myth and symbol to explore its history. Who were its supposed members, and what did they do to deserve their unsavory reputation? Were their actions illegal or unethical? What were the roles of leading figures like Stephen B. Elkins and Thomas B. Catron? What was their influence on New Mexico's struggle for statehood?

Caffey's book tells the story of the rise and fall of this remarkably durable alliance.
(Review from Amazaon.com)

David L. Caffey has been a teacher and administrator in higher education in Texas and New Mexico. He is a student of New Mexico history and culture, a member of the board of the Historical Society of New Mexico, and a member of the New Mexico State Library Commission. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and a doctoral graduate of Texas Tech University. David Caffey is a former chief ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch in northern New Mexico and was director of the Harwood Museum and Library in Taos, New Mexico. His latest project is a book on the Santa Fe Ring, a nineteenth century combination of lawyers, speculators and territorial officials who combined their efforts and sometimes used powers of public office to pursue wealth and political influence, often at the expense of native residents. It was published in spring 2014 by the University of New Mexico Press.