Statehood celebrations have begun

Most New Mexicans likely are aware that New Mexico celebrates its 100th birthday on January 6. Few New Mexicans, at this point, seem aware that the centennial celebration already has started. That's the way it usually happens. To avoid a one-day celebration, start early and keep it going for a year or more. New Mexico is no exception. Gov. Susana Martinez kicked off the festivities in Las Cruces back on the 28th of August. That was followed by an executive order on September 1 directing all state agencies to promote the centennial. Union Pacific is adding to the celebration by sending one of its vintage locomotives steaming through New Mexico Nov. 4 through Nov. 9 from Tucumcari to Lordsburg. We know that special ceremonies were planned in those communities and we've seen that Alamogordo also had a celebration last Sunday when the steam engine came through. But the biggest New Mexico celebration ever took place in the summer of 1883, soon after railroads had spread through New Mexico. The railroad companies wanted easterners to learn about our unique cultures and scenic beauty. They slashed their rates, marketed to large clubs and gave free rides to travel writers. There was no event to celebrate so the railroads created one. It was the Tertio-Millennial celebration of the first European exploration of the West. No one bothered arguing with the dates or the title. The event was supposed to last three weeks. It went on all summer. There were trips to the pueblos, Indian dances every afternoon. And the oval we call Federal Place was created as a horse track. It was a public-private partnership that worked quite well. Word is slowly filtering up from the South about events down there. A longhorn cattle drive from Hobbs to Carlsbad will be staged May 9-11, 2012. The Roswell Museum and Art Center will feature a year-long exhibit of accomplishments in the community. And Sierra County will feature tours of the Elephant Butte Dam Site all year long...more