Later, Andrew Crockett said that Sheriff Rinehart, along with another man lay in ambush for Davy and one day as he was leaving town, shot him in the back. Crockett was buried in the Cimarron cemetery, but, for years, no marker existed and the grave has long been lost. Today, another marker has been erected; however, it is unknown if it was placed on his actual burial location.

In 1880, a hotel was attached to Lambert's Inn and many well-known people stayed there over the years. These included such names as Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill Cody, who was a goat ranch manager for Lucien Maxwell for a short time. Reportedly, Buffalo Bill met Annie Oakley at the hotel, where they planned his Wild West Show.  Other notables included Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Jesse James, train robber, Black Jack Tom Ketchum, General Sheridan, artist Fredrick Remington, Governor Lew Wallace, and writer Zane Grey. The Hotel and Inn were later renamed the St. James, which is still in operation today.

When gold production started to slow in the early 1880's Cimarron's population dwindled and in 1882, it lost its county seat status to Springer.

The Colfax County War continued until the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the survey in 1887 which legitimized the Maxwell Land Grant Company. Abandoned by their government, many of the homesteaders bought or leased their places but many just gave up and left. The Land Grant Company continued its exploitation of the many resources of the grant and it thrived for several decades. To this day, conversations by the locals regarding the Colfax County War will still prompt serious debates and heated conversations.

When Henri Lambert's sons replaced the roof of the Lambert Inn in 1901, they found more than 400 bullet holes in the ceiling above the bar. A double layer of heavy wood prevented anyone from sleeping upstairs from being killed. Today, the ceiling of the dining room still holds 22 bullet holes. Henri Lambert died in 1913.

In 1905 the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Railroad built a spur line to Cimarron and Ute Park, causing the old town to come to life once again. Real estate investors erected hotels, stores and sold lots and homes as people arrived on the rails.