I first met Larry and his wife one afternoon, when my co-driver brother and I stopped to take a look at this deserted looking town site in 1995. We were team truck drivers delivering ladders between Texas and California, mainly to McCoy's and Sam Club stores. I had been a ghost towner since the 1960's, and really had alot of interest in discovering "treasures of the old west", so to speak, even if it was to only look at a ruin of an abaned building from days gone by. The biggest treasure I found the day we stopped in Steins wasn't the town, it was Larry! My brother and I stopped periodically after that to say Hi. His knowledge of New Mexico's history was enlightening and humorous. He gave us a free tour, the whole time telling interesting stories about some of the people who lived and died in Steins. I liked the one about the bad man who stayed in a building with a low entry because a gun could not be pulled so easily if the law entered. Larry was proud of owning and wore an original "Old West" cavalry hat sometimes. He did not live on the property when we first met , but had someone living in a trailer as you entered to guard the property from vandals and thieves. He loved this little piece of history and I know he spent many hours in preserving it as it was the day the townfolk left. One time in one of our conversations Larry mentioned that his ladder broke. One early morning shortly afterwards as we traveled thru, my brother and I left one leaning against the front door of the General Store for him. I saw Larry only one other time afterward because we often went by at night. Other times we passed the town without stopping, due to our schedule. Two years later my Texas run ended and I never got back to say hello old friend. It was, and still is a true ghost of the past, thanks to Larry and Linda Link! I am very glad his granddaughter is keeping up the memory. Hopefully one day I will stop by again and say hello. I know Larry is still there! God bless you old pard, I'll see you down the trail.

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