Dona Ana County Historical Society 1963-1994

129 Pages·2015·1.55 MB·English

Doña Ana County Historical Society
1963-1994
Madeleine Vessel
Doña Ana County Historical Society/ Publishers
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Doña Ana County Historical Society: 1963-1994, copyright © 1998 by Madeleine Vessel. Afterward:
Reflections on the Presidency of Chuck Miles, copyright © 1998 by Robert L. Hart. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews. For information address the Doña Ana County Historical Society, 500 North
Water Street, Las Cruces, NM 88001.
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
PART I THE FOUNDING 3
PART II SAVING HISTORIC LANDMARKS 5
Chapter 1 FORT SELDEN 7
Chapter 2 FORT FILLMORE 15
PART III SAVING HISTORIC BUILDINGS 19
Chapter 3 URBAN RENEWAL THREATENED HISTORIC
BUILDINGS 21
Chapter 4 THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION COMMITTEE 23
Chapter 5 THE LAS CRUCES HISTORIC BUILDINGS SURVEY 25
PART IV ESTABLISHING A HISTORICAL COLLECTION 27
Chapter 6 ACQUIRING A COLLECTION 29
Chapter 7 FINDING A HOME FOR THE DACHS COLLECTION 33
PART V MARKING HISTORIC SITES 35
Chapter 8 MARKING HISTORIC SITES 37
PART VI PUBLISHING HISTORY 41
Chapter 9 GOOD PUBLISHING IDEAS THAT DIDN’T PAN OUT 43
Chapter 10 SUCCESSFUL PUBLICATIONS 45
Chapter 11 SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO HISTORICAL REVIEW 47
PART VII DACHS PRESIDENTS 51
LOUIS E. FREUDENTHAL 53
GEORGE ADLAI FEATHER 56
J. PAUL TAYLOR 58
CHARLOTTE K. PRIESTLEY 60
CALVIN L. TRAYLOR 62
LOUISE GARRETT 64
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JAMES MCNEIL 66
J. PAUL TAYLOR 68
OPAL LEE PRIESTLEY 69
AUSTIN HOOVER 70
CHRISTINE MYERS 73
JAMES H. POWELL 75
PAXTON P. PRICE 76
CALVIN L. TRAYLOR 78
LINDA G. HARRIS 80
APPENDIX A PROGRAMS AND FIELD TRIPS, 1963-1994 83
PROGRAMS 83
FIELD TRIPS 93
APPENDIX B ANNUAL BANQUET AWARDS, 1967-1994 95
BUILDINGS WORTHY OF PRESERVATION 95
BUILDINGS ADHERING TO REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE 96
NOTEWORTHY RESTORATIONS 97
HALL OF FAME AWARDS 98
OLD TIMER AWARDS 103
“LOS TESOROS VIVOS” LIVING TREASURES 104
PASAJERO DEL CAMINO REAL AWARDS 105
HERITAGE AWARDS 105
THE CRADLE OF COMMUNITY CULTURE 105
APPENDIX C SUGGESTED IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIETY PURPOSES,
APRIL 1989 107
END NOTES 109
INDEX 118
AFTERWORD: REFLECTIONS ON THE PRESIDENCY OF CHUCK MILES
BY ROBERT L. HART 123
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INTRODUCTION
DURING LATE SPRING 1992, Vice The history is divided into seven parts and includes
President Linda G. Harris formed a special
appendices. “Part I: The Founding” briefly describes
projects committee to outline a long-range plan for
how DACHS was formed. “Part II: Saving Historical
the Doria Ana County Historical Society (DACHS
Landmarks” relates the story of the struggle to save
or Society). When the committee delivered the
Fort Selden and Fort Fillmore. “Part III: Saving Historic
“Long-Range Plan” on September 17, 1992, publishing
Buildings” deals with the battle to save historic buildings
DACHS’s history was a top priority.1
during Urban Renewal in the 1960s, the campaign to list
Doña Ana County Historical Society: 1963-1994 is
historic properties on the New Mexico State Register
primarily the story of how DACHS has carried out its
of Cultural Properties and the National Register of
purposes as defined in the preamble of its bylaws
on November 25, 1963: Historic Places, and the Society’s involvement in
the Las Cruces Historic Buildings Survey during the
to encourage in every way possible a greater
1980s.
appreciation of New Mexico history, especially that
“Part IV: Establishing a Historical Collection”
of Doña Ana County, through aid and assistance,
when practical, and as funds are available, for describes DACHS’s artifacts and the circumstances
the publication of historical material, for the surrounding their collection. “Part V: Marking
marking of historic routes and sites, both public Historic Sites” is the story of DACHS’s efforts to mark Pat
and private, the establishment of historical Garrett’s murder site, establish a park at International
collections and museums, the preservation of Boundary No. 1, and mark the Bartlett-Conde
historic documents, artifacts, and published mate- Initial Point. “Part VI: Publishing History” describes the
rials of historic importance, the purchase and
Society’s attempts to publish historical materials, and
preservation of historic landmarks, and all other
finally, “Part VII: Doña Ana County Historical Society
related activities.2
Presidents” briefly profiles DACHS’s presidents and
their administrations between 1963 and 1994.
This history also attempts to recognize those
Appendices include the following: Appendix A, a
who have made significant contributions to DACHS; to
chronology of programs and field trips; Appendix B,
kindle a sense of pride in being a DACHS member;
a chronology of annual banquet awards; and Appendix
to provide a basis for effective policy making and
C, “Suggested Implementation of Society Purposes”
planning for DACHS’s future; and to build awareness
of the historical significance of Doña Ana County. compiled in 1989.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For their help in researching this book, I would like to acknowledge the following people and collections: J. Paul
Taylor, Charlotte K. Priestley, Calvin L. Traylor, Opal Lee Priestley, Austin Hoover, Christine Myers, Paxton P. Price, Linda
G. Harris, Elsa Freudenthal Altshool, John L. Altshool, Ilka Feather Minter, Alice Gruver, Elizabeth Gillette, Dr. John and
Betty Nunemaker, Robert L. Hart, Doña Ana County Historical Society, Linda Blazer, Patricia McCann, Tim Blevins, Rio
Grande Historical Collections, Marjorie Day, Patricia Greathouse, Don Dresp, Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, Eva
Artschwager, Sharon Bode-Hempton, Branigan Cultural Center, John P. Wilson, Guylynn Nusom, and Marianne
Thaeler.
Special thanks to J. Paul Taylor, Calvin L. Traylor, Charlotte K. Priestley, and Christine Myers, for their kind support
and for reviewing the entire manuscript for accuracy; Marjorie Walton and Martin Gemoets, who reviewed Chapter 11
SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO HISTORICAL REVIEW; John Porter Bloom who edited the manuscript; and Janie Matson,
who proofread the typeset draft.
Credits: Rio Grande Historical Collections, New Mexico State University Library for the photograph of Hugh M.
Milton, II on page 13 and the photograph of Louis E. Freudenthal on page 53. David Vessel for photograph of Fort
Selden on page 6.
This book is lovingly dedicated to
Lucy Lawrence.
A donation in her memory
from her family helped underwrite
the publication of this history.
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Part I
THE FOUNDING
ON THE EVENING OF Thursday, Sep- Absent from this meeting, but part of the in-
tember 26, 1963, an informally organized formal group, were General Hugh M. Milton II
group of local history buffs met with Victor West- and Helen Caffey. Milton, a former academic and
phall, President of the Historical Society of New a retired army general, was Vice President of the
Mexico (HSNM), to establish a chapter of the First National Bank of Doña Ana County. And
state society in Doria Ana County. The meeting Caffey was Director of the Thomas Branigan Me-
was held in the back patio of Betty Bowen’s book morial Library.2
store, the Design Center, which was located on The group believed that being affiliated with
the west side of Old Mesilla Plaza.1 HSNM would facilitate achieving two prima-
The organizers were amazingly diverse in ry goals: Their immediate goal was to save Fort
their backgrounds, representing the university, Selden, a nearby military post which was suffer-
the town, and the military. Chairman Louis E. ing from the effects of vandalism and decay; their
Freudenthal was a longtime Las Cruces resident long-term goal was to preserve the history and
who had worked in farming, real estate, and in- culture of Doña Ana County.3
surance. George Adlai Feather was a Rhodes Westphall was pleased to encourage the
Scholar linguist who came to Las Cruces in 1923 group’s goals. Organizing statewide chapters was
to teach languages at New Mexico College of Ag- one of the HSNM’s most important objectives.
riculture and Mechanic Arts and became an au- Through statewide chapters, HSNM hoped to be-
thority on the history of the Mesilla Valley. Mar- come more effective in recording, preserving, and
tin Campbell, an Amador descendant, was the encouraging appreciation of New Mexico’s social
owner of the Amador Hotel. Helen Shomer and and cultural heritage. Westphall began his re-
Dorothy Mechem were housewives. John L. Alt- marks by describing HSNM’s statewide projects,
shool, who was Freudenthal’s son-in-law, was a particularly the newly established Annual Hall
stockbroker. Major Thomas Mitman was former of Fame Banquet and efforts to discover archival
military. Mark Thompson was a local business- materials from around the state. Then he gave a
man who owned H &K Trucking and Mayflower. detailed explanation of how a Doña Ana County
Betty Bowen ran the Design Center and reviewed Historical Society could be organized and affili-
Southwest books on KWRG. Ira G. Clark was a ated with HSNM.4
history professor at New Mexico State University When Westphall concluded his presentation,
(NMSU). J. Paul Taylor was the Elementary Cur- Freudenthal appointed two committees to for-
riculum Coordinator in the Las Cruces School’s mally organize the Doria Ana County Historical
Administrative Office. David Streeter was a ref- Society: a committee to nominate a slate of offi-
erence librarian at NMSU, and Laiten L. Camien cers and a committee to draw up articles of in-
was a sociologist at NMSU. corporation.
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On October 3rd, articles of incorporation and the HSNM, and on November 25th, the Society app roved
following slate of officers were accepted: Presid ent Louis its first set of bylaws.5
E. Freudenthal, Vice President George Adlai Feather, By the time the bylaws were accepted, DACHS was
Recording Secretary J. Paul Taylor, Corresponding well established with a well defined purpose and thirty-
Secretary Helen Caffey, and Treas urer General Hugh
one members. New additions were Jay Weir, Jennalee
M. Milton II. Betty Bowen and David Streeter were
Clark, Sam Shomer, Mr. And Mrs. W. E. Flint, Colonel
named first and second alternates, respectively. In
Ralph Cruse, Jerome Hartger, John Hawley, George
addition, Milton was appointed acting custodian of all
Helfrich, Mary La Barre Hignett, Mrs. Earl Jones,
material belong ing to the newly formed DACHS. On
Chester Linscheid, Char lotte Priestley, Joe Priestley,
October 22nd, Freudenthal and Westphall signed the
Virginia Spruiell, and Richard White .6
offi cial affiliation agreement between DACHS and
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Part II
SAVING HISTORIC LANDMARKS
WHEN THE DACHS WAS FOUNDED IN 1963, saving Fort Selden, an old military post which
was moldering away from the effects of wind, rain, and vandalism a few miles north of Las
Cruces, was its primary purpose. In 1965, the Society began efforts to preserve old Fort Fillmore as
well. At that time, Fort Fillmore, which was situated on private land south of Mesilla Park, was about
to be plowed under for agricultural purposes. The following is the story of DACHS’s efforts to save
these two historic landmarks.
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