New Mexicans who preserve the heritage of the state through stories.
On January 6, 1822, Santa Fe celebrated New Spain’s independence from Spain in a gala ceremony with church services, processions, pageantry, the firing of guns and ringing of bells. Soon afterward Governor Facundo Melgares penned a vivid and detailed description of this event for the official government newspaper, the…
Testamento del finado Manuel Martínez (1775-1842) Transcribed from copy of original document by Vicente M. Martínez and Elena Nápoles Goldfeder, PhD. En el nombre de Dios Todopoderoso y de nuestra Señora la Virgen María concebida sin mancha de pecado original desde el primer instante de su ser Purísima, Amen….
WPA Writers Project Interview with Elfego Baca By Janet Smith for the WPA Writer's Project "I never wanted to kill anybody," Elfego Baca told me, "but if a man had it in his mind to kill me, I made it my business to get him first." Elfego Baca belongs…
By Don J. Usner Two hundred years ago, Gervacio Ortega, my fourth great-grandfather, returned to Chimayó from a trip out to the eastern plains to hunt bison, only to find that his father, Manuel Ortega, had died in his absence. Furthermore, Gervacio’s stepmother had claimed Manuel’s property for herself…
Biographical essay of Raphael Chacon, "a caballero (a Knight, cavalier, gentleman, horseman, horse-soldier.) in the fullest sense of the Spanish word, with all its implications of honesty, decency, kindness, concern for others, gallantry, dedication, and patriotism." Rafael Chacon "I am poor and my only inheritance is my honor." Rafael…
Story of one of life's lessons, revisited. By Ben Romero "Aughhhhhhh!” I looked up from where I was tilling the soil. My six-year-old daughter‘s face was contorted in obvious frustration. “What’s the matter?” “I don’t wanna fly my kite anymore,” she announced, slamming the spool of string on…
Life with New Mexico’s Mule King By Arleen Gaba It was February of 1961 when I arrived in New Mexico with my two-month-old son. I had left the verdant valleys of northern California to join my husband and begin our life together on his grandfather's ranch, two hours north…
It was in 1881 that the small town of Alamitos started its upward trend. During this year the railroad was built through this place, and since Alamitos was about midway between Albuquerque and Gallup the railroad company decided upon Alamitos as their coaling-station, which led to the building of…
The Evil Eye Gold Fever in Ojo de la Casa Faithful Shep Holds the Fort Annual Roundup of the No-Cow Cattle Company Trucking in New Mexico A Spanish Engagement Pillaging the Silver City Stage Escape of "the Kid" Reconsidered El Retrace Born with Irrigation Boots On Healer and the…
