USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume II > Part 34
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northeast to Amarillo. About $2,500,000 was subscribed for these pur- poses. and then came a series of cumulative misfortunes.
In August, 1893, the Lake Avalon dam was carried out by a flood, with a loss of $500,000, and the panic and hard times of that year are matters of stern history. But, though floods came and subscribers failed to pay, the road was opened to Roswell in October, 1894-and there stopped. The period of financial depression which covered the country simply par- alyzed the Pecos valley. Capitalists were making no further investments, there was no demand for cattle, sheep or agricultural products and the farm- ers could not even pay water rent on their land. Being absolutely without incomes, both the irrigation company and the railroad company went into bankruptcy.
In 1896 the Pecos Valley Railroad went into the hands of a receiver, and was reorganized in 1897 under the name of the Pecos Valley and Northeastern Railway Company, with power under its charter to extend its line to Amarillo. The irrigation company failed in 1898. All the prop- erty of the old company in Eddy county was sold to the Pecos Irrigation Company, which now owns it, and all of its property in Chaves county, including the Northern canal and the water of the Hondo river and its tributaries, was sold to J. J. Hagerman. Within late years the development of the irrigation systems, as inaugurated by Messrs. Eddy and Hagerman, has been more pronounced in the Northern Pecos valley, with Roswell as its center.
Charles W. Green, on being superseded as manager of the irrigation company by Mr. Eddy, undertook several quite extensive projects con- nected with the direct cultivation of the land. After interesting eastern capitalists, he bought a 640-acre tract three miles south of Carlsbad and converted it into a vineyard. He also improved another square mile west of that point, but later located at what is now known as the Greenfield farm, twenty miles southeast of Roswell. There he obtained irrigation from the Northern canal, and developed a large alfalfa project. Alto- gether Mr. Green did excellent work, and deserved much credit for dem- onstrating the practical possibilities of the valley in many different direc- tions.
County Officers .- Both Chaves and Eddy counties were portions of Lincoln, and were set off in 1889. Since 1891 the officers of Eddy county have been as follows :
1891-2 :- Probate judge, : clerk, Thomas Fennessey ; sheriff, David L. Kemp; treasurer. W. F. Cochran; assessor, J. D. Walker ; county com- missioners, Daniel H. Lucas (chairman). Bart T. Whitaker (Harry S. Church ap- pointed to succeed Whitaker in May, 1891), C. H. McLenathan.
1893-4 :- Judge. James A. Tomlinson; clerk, Thomas Fennessey; sheriff, David L. Kemp; assessor, John D. Walker; treasurer, Harry P. Brown; commissoners, William A. Finley (chairman). Thomas Gardner, George W. Witt.
1895-6 :- Judge, Ananias Green; clerk, W. R. Owen: sheriff. J. D. Walker; assessor, W. F. Cochran; treasurer, S. T. Bitting; commissioners, R. S. Cameron (chairman; resigned in October, 1895), U. S. Bateman (appointed to succeed Cam- eron ; elected chairman), Frank Reinholdt, George M. Monroe.
1897-8 :- Judge, Ananias Green; clerk, W. R. Owen; sheriff, J. L. Dow; as- sessor, W. F. Cochran; treasurer, S. T. Bitting; commissioners, N. Cunningham (chairman). Frank Reinholdt, George M. Monroe.
1899-1900 :- Judge, Ananias Green; clerk, W. R. Owen; sheriff, M. C. Stewart; assessor, W. F. Cochran ; treasurer, John F. Matheson; commissioners, N. Cunning- ham (chairman), George Wilcox, N. W. Weaver.
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1901-2 :- Judge, Ananias Green; clerk, W. R. Owen; sheriff, M. C. Stewart ; assessor, Joseph T. Fanning; treasurer, J. D. Walker; commissioners, J. H. James (chairman), George Wilcox, N. W. Weaver.
1903-4 :- Judge, Ananias Green; clerk, W. R. Owen; sheriff, N. C. Stewart ; assessor, John O. McKeen; treasurer, J. D. Walker; commissioners, J. H. James (chairman), George Wilcox, N. W. Weaver.
1905-6 :- Judge, Ananias Green; clerk, W. R. Owen; sheriff, M. C. Stewart, assessor, J. L. Emerson; treasurer, J. D. Walker; commissioners, Allen C. Heard (chairman), George Wilcox, N. W. Weaver.
Towns .- The principal towns of the county lie in the rich valley of the Pecos, on the line of the Pecos Valley and Northeastern Railroad, and in the midst of a productive agricultural district. In fact, it is doubt- ful whether there is a finer agricultural country in the Territory than about Carlsbad (formerly Eddy), the county seat ; Lake View, Dayton, Lake- wood and the valleys of Black, Seven and Peñasco rivers generally.
Carlsbad is a well built and regulated town of about 1,500 people, its site being a rolling mesa. It contains substantial business blocks, graded streets, mile upon mile of shade trees and irrigation ditches, and a model court house, costing $30,000. When the town site company laid out the place the first pressing business was the location and building of school houses, and its several commodious structures devoted to the cause of public education indicate that practical interest in this municipal department has not flagged. Perhaps the greatest source of pride, after its irrigation and public school systems, is in the matter of shade trees.
Seven Rivers, the oldest town in the county, was moved to McMillan, at the mouth of Seven rivers, in 1894. Later McMillan was rechristened Lakewood, which is also called the White Town. Among other attractions which it presents to visitors is a large artificial lake to the east, formed by damning the Pecos river, which abounds in fish, although its primary object is to irrigate the adjacent lands.
About four miles from Lakewood is the old town and settlement of Seven Rivers, which was established in 1878. Seven Rivers is noted in the history of the Territory because of the Indian fights which occurred there in 1882-83, also of its connection with the notorious outlaw, "Billy the Kid." The raids of both parties were a great disturbance to the peace of this part of the country at that time. A militia company was formed for protection against them, and the ruins may yet be seen of the old adobe house which they used for a fort and for the storage of guns and ammuni- tion. Three members of the company still live in the vicinity of Lakewood.
Eight miles south of Artesia, near the confluence of the Peñasco with the Pecos and on the line of the railroad, is the rapidly growing little city of Dayton. Although it was only three years ago that J. C. Day filed upon the tract of government land which is now the town site, the place has two churches, a public school, a good hotel, a weekly newspaper, and all the business and social accessories of a flourishing community. It is in the artesian belt, but the surrounding farms are not dependent upon its wells for irrigation, as the waters of the Peñasco are already "ditched" and systematically utilized.
The name of John Richey is closely associated with the material prog- ress and substantial advancement of the town of Artesia. He came to the Territory in 1895 from Kansas and located at Roswell, and in May, 1896,
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he took a desert claim six miles from what is now Artesia, where he en- gaged in farmning until taking up his abode in the new town.
The first record of settlement here is that of a man of the name of J. T. Truitt, who was a Union soldier and had a homestead embracing the pres- ent town site. He proved up after a year's residence here and sold the property to Frank Rheinboldt, who afterward sold it to Mrs. Robert on the 18th of January, 1900. In 1901 Messrs. Richey, Hamilton Maddox and J. Mack Smith purchased eighty acres from J. R. Ray and later laid out the town of Artesia in January, 1903. The land was platted and the work of building the town and securing immigration was begun. There was an old siding on the railroad called Miller and the postoffice, when estab- lished, was named Stegman, but the town was called Artesia and later all took the last name. Mr. Richey was president of the company, suggested the name and is called "the father of Artesia." The newly organized com- pany was known as the Artesia Town Site Company, with Mr. Richey as president, Harry Hamilton as treasurer and J. Mack Smith secretary. A short time after the organization of this company another company bought one hundred and sixty acres west of this property, operating under the name of the Artesia Improvement Company, the incorporators being E. A. Clayton, John Hodges, J. A. Cottingham and S. P. Denning. These two companies together drilled the first well of the town site, it being com- pleted in July, 1903. This gave life to the town, which has steadily grown from that time forward until there is now a population of about fourteen hundred. Drilling for water was purely an experiment at that time and has proved not only a great boon to Artesia, but to the surrounding country as well, showing that water could be obtained in that way in this district. A company known as the El Verde Grande Improvement Company, of which John Richey was president, had drilled a well in 1901 on Dr. Breman's land, seven miles northeast of Artesia. A large flow was obtained. A good portion of this flow was lost by losing the tools in the well. This well demonstrated that a large flow could be obtained in that portion of the valley. This well was nine hundred and seventy-two feet deep.
The town of Artesia was incorporated in January, 1905, and the first town board elected was A. V. Logan, chairman, who later resigned and was succeeded by Mr. Richey; J. C. Gage, George P. Cleveland and E. B. Kemp. This board was first appointed and in April, 1905, the election was held and the above named were chosen by regular ballot. The election of April, 1906, resulted in the choice of J. C. Beckham as chairman, while Messrs. Crandall, Enfield, McBride and Baskom became trustees.
As has been indicated, Mr. Richey has been closely associated with the development -and improvement of the town from its inception. He is president of the Pecos Valley Immigration Company, with offices in Artesia, which has done much for the building of the town by setting forth the natural resources and advantages of the district and inducing immigrants to locate here. He has brought over twelve hundred people to the town on excursions since the fall of 1905 and is laboring earnestly and effectively toward making the country known, that settlers may be induced to locate here and develop its rich agricultural and horticultural resources and re- claim the once wild district for the uses of civilization.
H. W. Hamilton was one of the owners of the original town site of Artesia of eighty acres, having individually thirty acres, while John Richey
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owned ten acres and J. Mack Smith forty acres. On the 15th of January, 1903, these three gentlemen laid out the town of Artesia and before the plat had been completed they had sold lots to the value of one thousand dollars. Mr. Hamilton had previously been in Colorado as manager for the Carnegie Phipps works at Alamosa, where he spent nine years, and in 1896 he made his way to Carlsbad, New Mexico, to look at the country and determine upon its attractiveness as a place of location and investment. He settled at Roswell on the Cunningham farm, which was later pur- chased by George M. Slaughter, and in 1897 he invested near the present site of Artesia on what was then known as the Miller switch. Ten men pooled interests and together sent to Chicago, purchasing a $3,500 well rig. They put down a well on Dr. Breeman's claim, got water, and after that the well rig continued to drill in the vicinity. Being assured of the artesian belt from indications already found, Mr. Hamilton and his associ- ates determined to build a town here and organized the Artesia Town Site Company, with Mr. Hamilton as its president, John Richey vice-president, and J. Mack Smith secretary and treasurer. The Artesia Town Site Com- pany combined with the Artesia Improvement Company, which owned all of the city west of Rose avenue, in putting down the town well in 1903, and together they organized the Artesia Water, Power and Light Company. Mr. Hamilton acted as president of this company for some time, or until recently. when he sold his interest therein and became a leading stockholder in the Artesia Telephone Company, which was organized by the two town site companies and has the following officers: H. W. Hamilton, president ; D. W. Runyan, vice-president ; and Floy Richey Hamilton, secretary and treasurer. The company has established a system throughout the city with one hundred and sixty 'phones and long distance connections with Carls- bad and Roswell. They also own a line to Hope, to be extended to Cloud- croft for El Paso connections. Mr. Hamilton was manager of the Slaughter ranch, near Roswell, for seven years, but since November, 1904, has re- sided in Artesia and has brought to bear the forces of an enterprising, progressive nature in the development of the town into which he and his associates are introducing every modern improvement and equipment, un- til the town vies in its conveniences and advantages with the old towns of the east, and. in fact, is in many respects superior to municipal- ities of long standing.
Mr. Hamilton was married April 15, 1896, at Roswell to Miss Floy Richey. daughter of John Richey. Their children are: William R., Har- ry B., John C. and a baby.
John R. Hodges, secretary and treasurer of the Artesia Improvement Company, has been an important factor in the work of general improve- ment and in Artesia and various localities are seen tangible evidences of his life of activity and the results of his business discernment and enterprise. In the fall of 1897 he came from Texas to New Mexico, settling at Ros- well, where he entered the employ of R. L. Moss, a druggist, with whom he continued for a year as a clerk, when he purchased the store and there developed a good business, which he conducted until 1903, when he sold to Daniel Brothers. He was graduated from the University of Texas in the pharmaceutical department in 1896, and was thus well qualified for his mercantile operations. On selling his store he became connected with the Artesia Improvement Company, which was organized July 25, 1903, and
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incorporated under the laws of the Territory. This company purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, constituting the former homestead of · John F. Boyle, lying west of Ross avenue. After securing this land the company laid it off as a town site in conjunction with the similar work of the Artesia Town Site Company. They first subdivided forty acres into town lots, called the Clayton and Stegman addition, but the rapid growth of the town caused them soon to lay off the one hundred and twenty acres as the Artesia Improvement Company addition. The officers of this com- pany are: J. A. Cottingham, president ; S. P. Denning, vice-president ; John R. Hodges, secretary and treasurer; and E. A. Clayton, manager. They were all Roswell people, who came to Artesia when they saw the advantages of the country and recognized its possibilities for development. The two land companies in Artesia organized a company known as the Artesia Water, Power and Light Company and put down the town well, which was the second well put down in this part of the valley, which was a great boon to the entire countryside. There was little promise for rapid or substantial development in the town before water was struck, but this gave great impetus to its growth. People flocked in here in great num- bers and the town has enjoyed a rapid and substantial advancement. At the present time Mr. Hodges is engaged in developing Lake Arthur, a town nine miles north of Artesia. He went to that locality in the fall of 1904 and was one of the organizers of the town. The Lake Arthur Town Site Company was formed by Mr. Hodges, C. L. Higday, E. C. Cook, J. S. Venable, J. R. Blair and H. H. Sigman; the present members of the com- pany are H. H. Sigman, Elizabeth Hodges and John R. Hodges. The work has been carried on at Lake Arthur in the same manner as it was in Ar- tesia in the early days of this town. The company first put down a town well. going down ten hundred and twenty-four feet for water. The town site was the original desert entry of Tillman Furr. Mr. Hodges is now suc- cessfully engaged in disposing of town lots in Lake Arthur, and as a pro- moter has done effective and far-reaching work for the Territory. He is also the secretary, treasurer and manager of the Artesia Water, Power and Light Company, of which J. Mack Smith is president and S. P. Denning vice-president. Mr. Hodges has made a close study of town building, has thoroughly acquainted himself with the natural resources of the country and its possibilities and his efforts have been directed along practical lines, producing excellent results.
George P. Cleveland, whose advent in the Territory dates from 1869, in that year drove to New Mexico a bunch of cattle from Blanco county, Texas, after which he returned to the Lone Star state. In 1893 he again came to the valley from Coleman county, Texas, but found no sufficient water supply and so returned to Texas; but in 1900, after the artesian belt had been assured, he came again and located at Roswell. He was engaged in business in that vicinity until October 16, 1902, when he located at Arte- sia, one mile east of where the town now stands. He took up three hun- dred and twenty acres of land and began improvements there. In March, 1903, he established a real estate business under the name of the Cleveland Land Agency, and has since devoted his energies to the purchase and sale of property, negotiating many important realty transfers. He has five hundred and sixty acres of land six miles south of Artesia, which he is actively engaged in improving, and has already transformed it into a pro-
Sallie L. Robert,
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ductive property, which is constantly appreciating in value. He has made a careful study of the artesian supply from a geological standpoint and has prepared an article showing the result of his studies, which is found on another page of this work.
Among Artesia's residents is numbered J. A. Bruce, who came to the Territory in 1898, locating first at Roswell, but soon afterward he removed to his present place, two miles east of the town of Artesia. On the Ist of May, 1901, he began drilling a well and struck water on the 13th of Sep- tember, 1902. This was the first deep well in the Artesia country and was a visible demonstration to people of the fact that the artesian belt crossed this locality. After this well was found people began to flock in large numbers to the district and the country became thickly settled. When the well was struck there was only one little store and a house in Artesia, but now it is a thriving and rapidly growing town. Previous to that time Mr. Bruce had used the surrounding country as a range for his cattle and he killed antelopes as late as 1899 on the town site of Artesia. His wife and mother-in-law also took up eight hundred acres of land, two miles east of Artesia, and the family still own all of this property. At the time the arte- sian well was demonstrated to be a success Mr. Bruce ceased to engage in stock-raising and turned his attention to farming. He has seventy acres in orchards and sixty acres in alfalfa, while altogether he has two hundred acres under cultivation. It required seventeen months to drill the well, but no other element has proven so valuable a factor in the settlement and upbuilding of this district, and Mr. Bruce certainly deserves the gratitude of his fellow townsmen, proving that water could be obtained here and thus making possible the irrigation and fertilization of the arid soil.
The many prosperous sites now found in the Pecos valley are the result of pioneering. Water was found beneath the surface in ample quan- tities, and then quickly followed a blossoming of the land with all the fruits of the clime. But the preliminary work involved sacrifice and toil, and the results of the present are the actual monuments commemorating what those still living labored hard to produce. It is of especial interest to find one of the so-called weaker sex among the hardy pioneer class. But in the history of the beginning and development of Artesia a singular record of tribute must be paid to Mrs. Sallie L. Robert, who was one of the first to reside on the town site of Artesia.
She is a daughter of James Chisum and the niece of John Chisum, names well known in the Territory and inseparably connected with its an- nals. The first settler upon the land which she later owned was John Truitt, a Federal soldier. He sold it to Frank Rheinboldt, who sold eighty acres to J. R. Ray and eighty acres to Mrs. Sallie Robert on the 18th of January, 1896. On January 30th, in 1890, she filed on the homestead, which is now within the corporation limits of Artesia. In the fall of 1890 Mrs. Robert put down an artesian well one hundred and twenty-four feet deep. This was the second well in the entire valley and the first one in this part of the valley. She resided upon the place as her homestead property from 1890, and, as she prospered in her undertakings, bought much land in this vicin- ity. She was for some time engaged in entertaining travelers, as the old stage line from Carlsbad to Roswell passed by her home. In 1894 there was a cloudburst just west of her home and in a few moments her place was under water, the adobe house and all of its contents being destroyed.
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With great energy and determination-traits which have ever been char- acteristic of the Chisum family-she sent to Carlsbad for material and re- built her home on the same spot. In those days she had nothing to depend upon but her stock interests, but eventually she acquired property interests and is today disposing of her land in city lots and also selling farm prop- erty for one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre, her realty interests having greatly appreciated in value, so that she is now reaping a very grat- ifying financial return as the reward of her earlier labors and close applica- tion. She has lived to see a good town spring up here and has benefited by the rapid development of the district.
James Chisum, who is extensively engaged in raising goats, which has become one of the important industries of the southwest, is located at Artesia, Eddy county. He was born in Hardeman county, Tennessee, September 25, 1827, and for many years was closely connected with bus- iness interests with his brother. John S. Chisum, one of the distinguished pioneer settlers and stock-raisers of the Territory, now deceased. John S. Chisum, however, preceded his brother to New Mexico. James Chisum has devoted his entire life to farming and live-stock interests and in 1877 came to New Mexico at the request of his brother. He and his two sons re- mained on the ranch of John Chisum until the latter's death and then con- tinued in charge of the ranch until 1892. In that year they disposed of the cattle raising interests and James Chisum turned his attention to sheep raising industry, from which he eventually worked into the business of raising goats, which has become an important business enterprise of the Territory in recent years. He has made his home continuously at Artesia, Eddy county, since 1892, and is regarded as one of the prominent and rep- resentative stock raisers and dealers in this part of the country. He has lived here from pioneer times and has not only been a witness but a partici- pant in many events which have had direct and important bearing upon the history of the Territory, its development and progress. His daughter, Mrs. Sallie L. Robert, now lives with him.
James Chisum was married to Miss Ara Josephine Wright, who was born in Hardeman county. Tennessee, and with her parents came to New Mexico in the year which witnessed the arrival of the Chisums. Her father, Dr. Wright, was of a very prominent and wealthy family. Mrs. Chisum died March 11, 1875. The children of this marriage are: Mary Branch, who died in 1873; Sallie L., who is the widow of William Robert and re- sides with her father ; Walter P .. a farmer of Roswell ; and William J., who is engaged in the real estate business at Roswell.
Walter P. Chisum, the elder son, was born' in Denton county, Texas, September 25. 1861, and throughout his entire life has been engaged in ranching and farming, which pursuit has proved to be a profitable one. He came with his parents to Texas and for a number of years resided upon the ranch owned by his uncle, John Chisum, but now makes his home in Roswell.
On the 15th of November. 1887. Walter P. Chisum was married at Dodge City, Kansas, to Miss Inez V. Simpson, and their children are: Jamie W., born February 28, 1889: and Ara B. and Oscar W., twins, born June 9, 1892. Walter Chisum is a stalwart Democrat, active and influential in the councils of his party, and has served as county commissioner of Chaves county. He is a prominent Mason, belonging to the Blue lodge,
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