USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume II > Part 3
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In 1851 he married Josefa Yrisarri, daughter of Mariano Yrisarri, a native of Los Ranchos. They had one son, Charles H., now deceased, who was for several years engaged in business in Las Cruces.
Don Justo R. Armijo, the youngest son of Colonel Juan Cristobal Armijo, who is now county treasurer and collector of Bernalillo county, residing in Albuquerque, was born on his father's ranch, September 20, 1852. After attending the schools of Albuquerque he entered St. Louis University, but a short time prior to the graduation of his class he went to New York city and entered the well known banking house of Northrup & Chick, where he filled a clerical position for two years. The following two years he was employed as a clerk in a mercantile house in St. Louis.
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He made several voyages from New York to Vera Cruz as purser on the Red D line of steamers, and desiring further knowledge of the West Indies and their inhabitants, he spent eighteen months as bookkeeper in a hotel in Havana, Cuba.
Upon his return to his home he located in Bernalillo, where for seven- teen years he was engaged in the sheep business. Always actively inter- ested in public affairs, he was twice elected probate judge of Bernalillo county as the nominee of the Republican party, and was twice elected to the board of county commissioners. Upon the death of his brother, Nicolas T. Armijo, in 1892, he removed to Albuquerque to administer the latter's estate, in which capacity he served for seven years. During that time he erected the N. T. Armijo building, one of the most substantial business blocks in Albuquerque. Upon the completion of his labors as manager of this large estate he engaged in the fire and life insurance business. From 1891 to 1893 he served as a member of the board of peni- tentiary commissioners. On September 9, 1905, he received from Gov- ernor Otero a commission as county treasurer and collector of Bernalillo county to succeed Frank A. Hubbell, who was removed by the governor. It was not until November 9th following that he secured possession of the office, after one of the most bitter political contests in the history of the Territory.
Don Justo R. Armijo is highly regarded by the citizens of New Mexico, by whom he is recognized as a man of the strictest integrity. He has always exhibited a keen and intelligent interest in matters pertain- ing to the welfare of the community in which he has resided practically all his life, and such confidences as his fellow citizens have reposed in him have never been violated.
Colonel Perfecto Armijo, sheriff of Albuquerque, is a son of Am- brosia Armijo, who was born at Ranches of Albuquerque. He was pro- bate judge for many years and served as a colonel of the militia during the Civil war. Prominent in public life, he was treasurer of the county at the time of his death, which occurred in 1884. His political allegiance was given the Republican party. He married Candelario Otero, a daughter of Vicente Otero.
Colonel Perfecto Armijo was born in Valencia county, New Mexico, February 20, 1845, and supplemented his preliminary education by four years' study in St. Louis University, being a student there at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. He was active in various military drills there with the boys at school, but did not enlist. About 1862 he returned to New Mexico, and for a number of years engaged in freighting to Leavenworth, Kansas City, Chihuahua, El Paso, Tucson, Prescott and other points, during which time he had much trouble with the Indians, who were numerous upon the frontier and committed many depredations against the white settlers, who were trying to found homes and engage in business in this part of the country. At Las Cruces he established a store in connection with his brother, Jesus Armijo. Later he freighted again until 1880, when the railroad was built, and rendering his business unremunerative, he sold his teams and other paraphernalia of the freight- ing outfits. At that time he turned his attention to merchandising in Old Albuquerque, where he conducted business for several years. He was appointed sheriff of the county and served for one year, after which he
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was elected on the Republican ticket to the office of sheriff of the county. He was also alderman of Albuquerque and was a delegate to the last con- stitutional convention. On the Ist of September, 1905, he was appointed sheriff to succeed Thomas S. Hubbell, and after a hard contest, which is now historic, gained the office. The above contains the epochal events in his history and indicates his prominence in public life. He has been in- fluential in public affairs, and his official service has been characterized by unfaltering fidelity to duty in all relations. He now owns a farming ranch and stock at Ranches of Albuquerque.
Colonel Armijo was married in 1868 to Miss Febronia Garcia, a daughter of Pedro Garcia, of Dona Aña county. They had nine children, two of whom have passed away. The living are Victoriano, the wife of Captain A. W. Kimball, quartermaster at Fort Snelling, Minnesota ; David, of the City of Mexico; Candelario, the wife of Alfredo Otero; Solomon, a resident of Colorado; Chonah and Perfecto, both at home, and Juanita, the wife of Dr. Rogers Haynes, at El Vado, New Mexico.
The Baca family in New Mexico is a large one, numerically, and many of its representatives have attained distinction in the political under- takings of the Territory. The family of which Major Jesus M. A. Baca and Salazar was a member traces its descent from ancient Spanish stock. Born in Santa Fé in 1820, Major Baca served in young manhood as sheriff of Santa Fe county for about ten years. Soon after the outbreak of the Civil war he was made major of the Second Regiment of New Mexico Volunteers and afterward was commissioned colonel of the regi- ment. He participated in the battle of Val Verde, and on his way home was captured, in company with Nicholas Pino, but subsequently was ex- changed. He was the first United States collector of internal revenue for New Mexico. He died on his ranch near Glorieta, Pecos town, April 7, 1872.
Santiago Baca, who is now living in retirement in Albuquerque, was born in Santa Fé in 1844, a son of Major Jesus M. A. Baca y Salazar, and was educated in the school in charge of Bishop Lamy. In 1861, at the age of seventeen years, he was elected chief clerk of the territorial council. During the Civil war he was appointed second lieutenant in the militia, but saw no active service. In 1864 he removed to Albuquerque, where he was engaged in business with his father-in-law, Salvador Armijo. From 1870 until 1877 he was a resident of the town of Pecos, San Miguel county, and while residing there was elected to the council in the legisla- ture from San Miguel county, serving in the twenty-first legislative as- sembly in 1873. He also served two terms in the council from Bernalillo county-1878 and 1882-and was chosen president of that body in 1878 in the twenty-third legislative assembly. In Bernalillo county he served as probate clerk, assessor, sheriff, and collector, and during his incum- bency in the latter office the present court house was erected. For four years he served as postmaster of Albuquerque. Mr. Baca at one time received the most unqualified endorsement of the majority of the voters of New Mexico, regardless of politics. for the responsible post of United States marshal for the New Mexico district, but President Cleveland saw fit to appoint a non-resident of the Territory. He has always been a stanch Democrat, although he has taken a liberal view of local political matters.
C Grant
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At the age of nineteen Mr. Baca married Piedad Armijo, daughter of Salvador Armijo, a nephew of General Manuel Armijo. Their children are Francisca, wife of Milton Chavez, of the First National Bank of Albuquerque ; Bernardino and Aurelia Baca, wife of Flavio Sandrae, from Seboveto, Valencia county.
F. H. Kent, who became well known in connection with the develop- ment of the old town of Albuquerque, settling there in 1878, in which year he opened a drug store, was born in Massachusetts, in 1851, and the first ten years of his life were spent in Boston. In 1861 he was taken to Kansas by his parents, and from 1874 until the year of his removal to Albuquerque, he resided in Colorado. In 1881, soon after the founding of the present town, he established himself in the same business on the east side of Third street, south of Railroad avenue, this enterprise being the first drug store in the new town. In 1882 he succeeded Major Harry R. Whiting as agent for the New Mexico Town Company, looking after the interests of that important promotion company until 1892. This com- pany, of which Henry L. Waldo was president, and Colonel William Breeden, secretary, owned not only the Albuquerque town site, but also the town sites of Raton, Springer, Lamy, Socorro and Las Cruces. E. S. Stover, W. E. Talbert, Mariano Armijo, Judge W. C. Hazledine, Franz Huning, were also among the stockholders.
When the Albuquerque postoffice was established in the new town of Albuquerque, in 1881, Mr. Kent became the first postmaster, his commis- sion bearing date February 19, 1881. When he took charge of the affairs of the Town Company he closed out his drug business and opened a real estate and insurance office,-the oldest in the city. His only predecessors in this line were Charles Etheridge and Jesse M. Wheelock. In 1886 Mr. Kent was elected probate clerk of Bernalillo county, holding the office two years. In politics he has always been a Republican, and has been a recognized leader in the local ranks of his party. He was made a Mason in Temple lodge, has passed all the chairs in that body, is a member of the local commandery and is past grand master of the grand lodge of New Mexico. He still conducts the real estate and insurance business which he founded, and is one of the oldest business men of Albuquer- que in point of years of residence in that city.
One of the founders of the modern town of Albuquerque and the greatest individual developer of the city during its first decade, was Angus A. Grant, who first came to the town in 1880 as bridge contractor for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. In partnership with Joseph Hampson, under the firm name of Grant & Hampson, he made Albuquerque his headquarters for construction work until 1886, when Mr. Hampson removed to Mexico, and Mr. Grant's brothers, Lewis A., now deceased, and John R .. now a resident of Los Angeles, both of whom had accompanied the firm here in 1880, entered the firm, which was then known as Grant Brothers. Soon after the organization of the latter firm Mr. Grant made San Francisco his family residence, though in no manner allowing his interest in Albuquerque affairs to abate.
From the founding of the town he made heavy investments in real estate, toward the improvement of which he devoted his energies. He also became interested immediately in public utilities. With Mariano Armijo and others, in 1882, he purchased the Albuquerque Water Com-
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
pany, which he at once began to improve and develop to meet the require- ments of the rapidly growing town. Three different companies had been organized-the Albuquerque Water Company, chartered August 25, 1882; the Albuquerque Water Supply Company, chartered March 29, 1882; and the Albuquerque Water Works Company, chartered March 4, 1882. On September 18, 1882, the Albuquerque Consolidated Water Works Company was incorporated.
In 1882 lie began the work of constructing an electric light system for the city, a charter having been conferred upon the Albuquerque Electric Light Company March 10, 1881. In 1895 he purchased the property of the Albuquerque Gas Company, which had been incorporated December 31, 1880. All these interests he maintained until his death, devoting many thousands of dollars to their improvement as the town grew larger. In 1882 he erected the first theatre in town, a brick building known as the Grant Opera House, which occupied the site of the Grant building on the northwest corner of Third street and Railroad avenue. This was de- stroyed by fire in 1898, and the present building erected upon its ruins and completed within six months. He also owned and improved consid- erable property in town beside that mentioned. He was one of the early stockholders in the First National Bank, in which he was a director up to the time of his death. In 1890 he assisted in the organization of the Crystal Ice Company, which was incorporated September 24th of that year. He also had important stock interests. In 1895 he purchased the Albuquerque Democrat, which he leased to others. (See history of jour- nalism.) The company of which he was for so long a period the head ultimately became known as the Grant Brothers' Construction Company, with headquarters in Los Angeles, and is now one of the most important contracting concerns in the United States.
Mr. Grant was born in Ontario, Canada, October 4. 1843, of High- land Scotch ancestry. He began his career as a bridge builder in 1866 on the Kansas Pacific Railway, was afterward engaged in mining in Ne- vada, and still later built bridges for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. From 1870 to 1878 his time was diversified in mining and railroad con- tracting in California. His connection with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad began in 1870 and continued until his death, which occurred at Los Angeles, California, in 1901. As this brief outline of his opera- tions shows, he was one of the most extensive practical upbuilders of the greatest city in New Mexico, and is entitled to a permanent place in the history of the Territory.
The extensive interests of the A. A. Grant estate in Albuquerque are now and for several years have been administered by Daniel A. Mac- pherson, a nephew of Mr. Grant and, like him, a native of Canada. He was born in Glengarry county, Ontario, in 1869. In 1887 he went to California as head bookkeeper for the Grant Brothers' Construction Com- pany of Los Angeles, remaining with that concern until 1899, when he came to Albuquerque at the request of A. A. Grant as the latter's per- sonal representative in the various companies which he had organized and still controlled there. He was at once elected secretary and treasurer of the water company, the electric light company and the gas company, the affairs of which he administered until the death of Mr. Grant. At that time he was made one of the three executors of Mr. Grant's will, and con-
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LOCAL HISTORIES
tinued the management of these properties until, between 1903 and 1905, all had been disposed of. In 1903 he assumed personal charge of the Al- buquerque Morning Journal, having been president of the publishing company since 1901. In 1904 and 1905 he erected, for the estate, the building since occupied by the Economist dry goods house. February 28, 1905, he effected the sale of the water works system to M. W. Flournoy, W. R. Whitney, Frank A. Hubbell, W. H. Gillenwater and A. B. Mc- Millen, all of Albuquerque. He was one of the organizers of the State National Bank of Albuquerque, of which he was vice-president until Janu- ary, 1906.
George F. Albright, county assessor of Bernalillo county, came to Albuquerque in 1882, but had located in Santa Fé in 1880, being there employed on the Santa Fe Democrat. He was connected there with his brother, J. G. Albright, and removing the paper here he was identified with it through various changes until March, 1903. He was then appointed county assessor on the division of the county. He had previously been elected to the territorial council in 1902 and served for one term. In the fall of 1904 he was elected county assessor. He served as a member of the school board of Albuquerque in 1893-4, and thus in various official positions, has embraced his opportunity of doing effective, able and valu- able service for his fellow citizens. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent Order of Elks. He was born in Ohio in 1859, but the entire period of his manhood has been passed in New Mexico, where he arrived when twenty-one years of age.
Manuel R. Springer, merchant and county commissioner at Old Al- buquerque, was born here November 29, 1871. He is a son of Henry Springer, now deceased, who was born in Würtemberg, Germany, and with his brother, Levi, was brought to the United States by their parents in their childhood days. Their parents died in Lexington, Missouri, in the '50s. Henry Springer came to New Mexico in 1861, making his way to Santa Fé, where he conducted a hotel for a year or two. Later he re- moved to Albuquerque and opened a store about 1863 or 1864. He spent his remaining days here, being closely identified with its business and public interests, and through the careful manipulation of his commercial affairs he became quite wealthy. He also had a store in Springfield, Arizona, but made his home in Albuquerque. At one time he owned the Springer addition to New Albuquerque, which he laid out into seventy- four town lots. He had an extensive store, which he conducted success- fully for years, but he lost about thirty thousand dollars in 1875 or 1876 on a government contract for barley. Subsequently, however, he largely recuperated his losses. He married Placida Saabedra, and his death oc- curred in 1882, while his wife passed away in 1879. She was a grand- daughter of Jose Antonio Garcia, who lived to the advanced age of ninety- nine years, and up to the time of his death worked in his garden. He was a member of the first legislature after the Mexican war. He had twenty-five children and three hundred grandchildren. The father of Mrs. Springer was Francisco Saabedra.
Manual R. Springer started out in business life for himself when about fifteen years of age, and for four and a half years was in the new town of Albuquerque. He was married on the 16th of May. 1892, to Miss Carlotta Garcia, a daughter of Manuel Garcia, once sheriff of Bernalillo
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
county. They have the following children : Climaco, Flora, Mary, Henry and Alfred.
In 1895 Mr. Springer established a mercantile business in the old town and has since conducted his store, which is well equipped with a large line of goods. He receives a generous patronage and is prospering in his undertakings. In his political views he is a stalwart Republican, and in November, 1904. was appointed county commissioner to succeed Thomas C. Gutierrez. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus.
George E. Denny, postmaster and merchant in the old town of Albu- querque, was called to the office on the 24th of May, 1888. The post- office was originally called Armijo, after the first change in the city gov- ernment, two offices being established-Albuquerque and Armijo. At the present time, however, it is known as Old Albuquerque. Mr. Denny was born near Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1856, and was reared and educated in Philadelphia. After his school life was ended he was engaged in the tobacco business there for four years, and in 1884 he re- moved from Pennsylvania to New Mexico, where he was first engaged in buying wool, pelts and hides, devoting four years to that business. Since 1888 he has engaged in general merchandising and has a well-ap- pointed store. In the same year he became postmaster and has filled the office continuously since. He is a member of the New Mexico So- ciety, No. I, of Old Albuquerque, a mutual protective society, which was organized about 1896,
The death of Mariano S. Otero, on February 1. 1904, removed from Albuquerque one of the strong characters in the life of that city. For many years he had been one of the most influential of the native-born citizens of New Mexico. He was born at Peralta. Valencia county, in August, 1844, and was a representative of one of the most prominent of the old Spanish families in the territory. He received a liberal English education in St. Louis University, after which he began freighting be- tween Albuquerque and Missouri. While still a young man he engaged in the stock industry, making his home in Bernalillo until 1893. when he removed to Albuquerque. He was financially interested in many under- takings of importance. Soon after the discovery of the great coal fields at and near Gallup he became associated with a number of other men in the organization of the Caledonia Coal Company, which for several years was the most important developer of those interests in western New Mexico.
Reference to the history of banking in this territory will show that Mr. Otero had varied interests in this direction in Albuquerque and else- where, notably in the Central (now the First National) Bank of Albu- querque, which was succeeded by the Bank of Commerce, and the San Miguel National Bank of Las Vegas, in the organization of all of which he was a central figure. He was regarded as a man of unusual financial ability and of integrity of character. He had interests in a number of land grants, notably in the Baca grant, and in the Lagunitas grant. in Sando- val county, which he procured by purchase in the early '8os. He was also the owner of the famous Jemez Hot Springs and the Sulphur Spring in Sandoval county, in addition to which he possessed a large number of sheep ranches in various portions of the territory, and held other land interests.
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Mr. Otero exhibited a deep interest in educational affairs and was made one of the original board of regents of the University of New Mex- ico. He was one of the recognized leaders of the Republican party in this Territory, and was elected as delegate to the Forty-sixth congress, serving from 1879 until 1881. He occupied other public offices and positions of trust, including that of county commissioner of Bernalillo county, during which term of office he helped to build the present courthouse, and he also served as probate judge. During the later years of his life he took an active part in the development of Albuquerque and owned a three-eighthis interest in the Perea addition to the city, which was laid out by the Albu- querque Townsite Company in 1889 and 1891. This property was pur- chased by the company from the heirs of Jose L. Perea, of Bernalillo, whose daughter, Filomena, became the wife of Mr. Otero. Their chil- dren are: Mrs. George W. Harrison, of Albuquerque; Fred J., of Albu- querque ; Alfred J., of Jemez Hot Springs: Mrs. J. B. Burg, of Wash- ington, D. C .; and Mariano S., Jr., of Albuquerque. All except Fred J. Otero were educated in Notre Dame College, at Notre Dame, Indiana.
Fred J. Otero was born at Bernalillo in 1869 and was educated in Santa Clara College, in California, and the Georgetown University, in the District of Columbia. After leaving college he became manager of his father's landed interests, and upon his father's death the estate was left in trust to his widow, since which time Fred J. Otero has administered it. In this task he has exhibited splendid executive ability, having kept the entire estate intact and increasing its value year by year. He was the first sheriff of Sandoval county, where, in Bernalillo, he still maintains a handsome residence, though making Albuquerque his home.
Congregation Albert, of Albuquerque, was organized in 1897 and named in honor of Albert Grunsfeld, the highest contributor for that honor. The temple was not erected until 1899. Services had been held for some time previous to the organization of the society, but on holidays only. H. N. Jaffa was the first president of the congregation, and Sam- uel Neustadt the first secretary. The rabbis in charge have been William H. Greenberg, Pizer Jacobs and Jacob H. Kaplan. Dr. Kaplan has offi- ciated since 1902. He was born in Germany in 1874. At the age of eleven years he was brought to America by his parents and was reared in Buffalo. Entering the University of Cincinnati, he was graduated in the classical course in 1901, and from the Hebrew Union College in the same city in 1902, also holding a Ph.D. from University of Denver in 1906. His religious work has been confined to Albuquerque. Dr. Kaplan is president of the Associated Charities of Albuquerque, which he helped to organize in 1905, and is a Mason, having been initiated into the craft in Temple Lodge. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant public speak- ers in Albuquerque. For some time he was the editor of Sunshine, a weekly non-sectarian paper founded in 1904 by Charles S. Carter. In May, 1906, this paper was merged in a new monthly periodical founded at that time by Rev. E. E. Crawford, pastor of the Christian church, and Dr. Kaplan, and called The Barbarian, and is edited by them jointly.
The first Jewish organization in New Mexico was Albuquerque Lodge, No. 336. I. O. B. B. (B'nai B'rith), which was founded in 1882. Its members include practically the entire adult Jewish population of the city.
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