New Mexico, USA 1910-1920

Question

BACKGROUND -- Significant number of families, from both sides (of my parents) went to New Mexico during this period of time 1910-1920.

I googled <history, new mexico, 1910-1920> and got umpty URL for (Old) Mexico and the 1910ff Mexican Revolution, which was not at all helpful.

I did discover that New Mexico became a State 6 Jan 1912, which may be a factor, and its economy was primarily dependent on mining and that according to Wikipedia the govt and officials were notoriously corrupt (great place for Black Sheep, maybe? ) . I do know there were extensive cattle herds there.  I have to suppose there were farms with crops, people have to eat. So I also suppose there was some land grants, warrants, something like that, cheap land for sale?

QUESTION -- does someone know what a major incentive -- other than cattle herding and mining jobs -- would be to move whole families and unmarried men to this Territory turned State?

Comments

Most likely the lure of free land.  New Mexico was open for homesteaders.

---

The free land had the same effect many places. Probably the most famous was the Oklahoma Land Rush but the same thing occurred many places.

---

It's also important to see how the borders of the New Mexico Territory moved hundreds and hundreds of miles over a rather short period of time. Here's an animated map of all US colonies and territories over time: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/us-territorial-expansion/

---

T STANTON THAT IS A TOTALLY COOL MAP 

THANK YOU

---

That must have kept the surveyors busy!

Answer 1

They grow a lot of chili peppers there. That's enough to make me want to move there.

Answer 2

Depending upon where your family went, look at the map and see where they would have shopped and worshipped. I have people living in Raton, New Mexico mentioned often in the Trinidad, Colorado papers since this was where the Santa Fe Trail went and it was one of the first railroad stops.  These newspapers are available on line through coloradohistoricnewspapers.com.

I looked at your question again.  The railroad was a major reason for people to head that direction. Follow how that develops.

Comments

I most surely will do that, Gurney, although to be frank, how much church going went on ... but who knows, I suppose my grandfather Warren Allen Smith-157196 MAY have been in a church a time or two ... you go look at HIM and you'd have some doubts also LOL

Answer 3

I just now found your post from about a year ago.  My grandfather, who lived in Missouri, had tuberculosis, and went to New Mexico for his health.  He homesteaded about 1908, some land in Torrence County, which is still in our family.  Mountain Air has a building with a very faded sign on the side that reads "Pinto bean capital of the world."   

The southern part of the state was still pretty wild.  Pancho Villa made a raid across the border during this time period, but didn't come that far north.  Lincoln County borders two sides of Torrance (at least in part) which is where Billy the Kid was active.  It was only 20-some years since Geronimo's final surrender.  Previous to that time he had raided both sides of the Mexican border, into both New Mexico and Arizona.

I asked the local Department of Natural Resources, and they said that dry land farming (as opposed to irrigation) was common until the 1930s when the climate changed.  Now the area where my mother lived as a child gets an average of 7 inches of precipitation a year mostly as snow.  This is 2 inches less than the Painted Desert in Arizona, which gets 9 inches a year.  My mother is listed with her family in the 1910 census of Torrance County.  A number of her close relatives joined them in the migration, but most of them came back between 1910 and 1920, and all eventually came back to Missouri before the climate change.  My grandfather died in Missouri in 1915.  

Perhaps this will help some.

Comments

Margaret, sounds like New Mexico had a lot to offer (although I can't imagine it, having images of a generally dry dusty and barren-ish landscape) but if people went there it stands to reason there were water ways and people tend to settle near the waters for personal and household use and farming etc use .. land for the asking (and some back breaking labor) was a good incentive ... I read somewhere there was mining operations although I don't recall for what ... ore of some sort I suppose ... and of course the railroad offered assurance if the worst came to worser (we can get on the train and go back home to Texas) ... and I suppose barring dust storms the dry climate would be beneficial to TB patients, asthmatics, and other respiratory difficulties ...