Mesilla Blog

Friday, September 8th, 2006

San Albino Skyward

Another view of San Albino.

Thursday, September 7th, 2006

The Skilled Irrigator

Irrigation existed before civilization. Irrigation was one of the fathers (or mothers, if you prefer) of civilization.

The Skilled Irrigator was already a model of righteousness at the beginning of Sumerian civilization, around 8000 BC. The highest god in many early agricultural cultures was praised as “irrigator of all things.”

The root of irrigation means “to lead water to, to refresh.”

Unless you are in agriculture, you probably ignore irrigation, or maybe think about it only as a “consumer of water.”

But you are dependent upon irrigation for what you eat, and for much of what you wear.

Irrigation is close in Mesilla, which still has its partnership with the land. Many houses have 15 to 30 pecan trees and irrigation rights from the Rio Grande.

Irrigation canals thread the Village. Here’s some of what you can see if you look.

Cement canals prevent water loss into the ground, one of the goals of a Skilled Irrigator.

A control gate.

Canal and gate.

Gate control.

Tags: The Skilled Irrigator

Filed in: Agriculture, Irrigation | Comments

Monday, September 4th, 2006

Old Mesilla Courthouse

The Old Mesilla Courthouse is now a gift shop.

As indicated by the sign, the Courthouse dates from 1850.

Here’s a photo of the courthouse after it became the Elephant Butte Saloon, taken some time in the 1920s. The walls appear to be brick, but the bricks are painted, not real, except for the distinctive decorative brick along the roof, which you can see in both the old and the new photographs. Notice also that the corner of the building has been sliced off to make the current entrance.

Filed in: Billy the Kid, History, Mesilla, Mesilla Plaza | Comments

Saturday, September 2nd, 2006

Mesilla Plaza — Satellite View

Here’s a satellite shot of the Mesilla plaza.

You can see clearly the octagonal bandstand located in the center of the plaza. San Ablino is located north of the plaza, just above the three rows of parking cars.

Mesilla bandstand.

Tags: Mesilla Satellite Image

Filed in: Mesilla, Mesilla Plaza | Comments

Friday, September 1st, 2006

Hatch Chile Festival

In spite of the rain and flooding, the 2006 Hatch Valley Chile Festival will open as planned. The cost of the Festival is $5. One dollar of the fee goes to a non-profit fund for the victims of the recent flooding in Hatch.

Here’s the Saturday schedule:

Saturday — September 2
10 am — Parade Downtown Hatch
12 noon — 2006 Queen Coronation
1-3 pm — Music by Ginny Mac
All Afternoon Various Chile Contests, Booths, Food
4-7 pm — Music and Dance to “The Silver Bullet Band”

Here’s the Sunday schedule:

Sunday — September 3
12 pm — Cobre Folklorio Dancers
All Afternoon Various Chile Contests, Booths, Food
1-2 pm — Music by Scotty Fitch
2 pm — Queen’s Auction
3-5 pm — Music & Dance by Cameron the DJ

This is the 35th annual festival.

Official Festival Web Site

Tags: Hatch Chile Festival

Filed in: Chiles, Events, Hatch | Comments

Thursday, August 31st, 2006

Billy the Kid

Still standing in the southeast corner of the Mesilla plaza is the courthouse and jail where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to death by hanging.

The only authentic picture of Billy.

Billy had been captured December 23, 1880.

On March 28, 1881, he was transported to Rincon by train and from there to Mesilla by wagon for trial for the murders of Andrew “Buckshot” Roberts and Sheriff William Brady. The indictment for killing Roberts was a federal indictment. The indictment for killing Brady was a territorial indictment. The territorial district court handled both jurisdictions, with the federal cases tried first.

His trial for killing “Buckshot” Roberts began on March 30, 1881. The case against him in this trial was thrown-out on the grounds that the killing took place on private land, not public land, and the federal government thus had no standing to prosecute.

The trial for the killing of Sheriff Brady began April 8. The judge presiding, Judge Bristol, dismissed Billy’s defense attorney from the Roberts trial, probably because of the change in jurisdiction, and appointed John D. Bail and Albert Fountain to represent him.

On April 13. the jury brought in its verdict: guilty. The judge then sentenced Billy to death by hanging, to be carried out on May 13, 1881 in Lincoln, New Mexico.

In an interview later that day in the Mesilla News, Billy said the following:

“Well, I had intended at one time to not say a word in my own behalf, because persons would say, ‘Oh, he lied’; Newman gave me a rough deal; has created prejudice against me, and is trying to incite a mob to lynch me. He sent me a paper which shows it; I think it a dirty, mean advantage to take of me considering my situation and knowing I could not defend myself by word or act. But I suppose he thought he would give me a kick down hill. Newman came to see me the other day; I refused to talk to him or tell him anything; but I believe the News is always willing to give its readers both sides of a question.”

“If mob law is going to rule, better dismiss judge, sheriff, etc., and let all take chances alike. I expected to be lynched in going to Lincoln. Advise persons never to engage in killing.”

Three days later he was taken to Lincoln. It was from the Lincoln courthouse that Billy escaped on April 28, killing two deputies.

Filed in: Billy the Kid, History, Mesilla, Mesilla Plaza | 1 Comment

Thursday, August 31st, 2006

Pecans — The Cadillac of Nuts

Pecans are a huge agricultural industry around Mesilla. There are an estimated 18,000 acres of pecans in the county (DoÃ±a Ana).

Pecans, because of their wonderful flavor, have been called the Cadillac of nuts.

This is a wonderful time of the year to drive through the pecan groves. The trees are lush green and the patterns made by the sunlight, shadows, and rows of trees are dazzling.

The pecans in this area are irrigated primarily with water from the Rio Grande. As a result, there are many irrigation canals feeding the groves.

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Filed in: Agriculture, Irrigation, Pecans | Comments

Wednesday, August 30th, 2006

More on Gadsden Purchase

The Gadsden Purchase was signed in Mesilla on November 16, 1854. This is reflected in the Mexican name for the Purchase, the Treaty of Mesilla. A bronze plaque in the Mesilla plaza commemorates this agreement between the two countries.

Following the signing of the treaty, the Mexican flag was lowered and the American flag raised. The people of Mesilla, who had previously been citizens of Mexico, became citizens of the United States. The agreements between Mexico and the inhabitants of the Gadsden Purchase area were respected by the US Government, including all land grants made by Mexico that were eventually adjudicated as valid.