Michael Swickard
This centennial year of New Mexico statehood, we must realize our history is primarily of people who made New Mexico what it is now. William McDonald was New Mexico’s first elected governor and owner of the Bar W Ranch outside of Carrizozo. His neighbor, Bill Gallacher, provides an interesting insight into that era.
In 1977, the 65th anniversary of New Mexico statehood, I decided to interview someone who was living in the state that statehood day. I wanted to get an eyewitness view from someone in the middle of the statehood celebration. I thought of Gallacher, a 1908 graduate from the college at Las Cruces. In January 1912, Gallacher had been living for four years on his ranch 20 miles from Carrizozo as he was still in 1977. He died years later at age 98.
Gallacher was an interesting New Mexico pioneer. From living in White Oaks before the turn of the century, he lived to see the landing of the space shuttle 60 miles from his ranch. He was 35 miles downwind of the first atomic explosion at Trinity Site, July 16, 1945. He was also one of the few people who could look up in the sky in 1986 and say, “Halley’s Comet, what do you know, there it is again.”
As I drove out to his ranch on a dirt road, which was dirt in 1912, 1977 and still is dirt, I pictured the celebrations: firecrackers going off, dogs barking, and people toasting statehood at the local bar while politician gave speeches. I was sure it was one big party to celebrate New Mexico statehood.
‘Too busy just trying to stay alive’
Bill greeted me warmly at the door and we sat over coffee at the kitchen table. We started off by discussing the happenings of the day. Bill was like that, more interested in today than yesterday. After a while I told him my perception about the huge celebrations in New Mexico to mark statehood, Saturday, Jan. 6, 1912. It must have been a big celebration since the first elected governor was his neighbor William McDonald.
He thought for a moment and then leaned closer, as a school master would a student who was a slow learner, “Celebrations?” He thought back all of those years.
“Michael, on the day we became a state I got up about an hour before dawn, had a little breakfast and at first light went out to tend to sick animals, kill coyotes and do all of chores that used up the entire day so that about an hour after sunset I came back and had a little supper and went to bed. I was cold, tired and hungry. I would not have gone into town for a celebration.
“The truth is most of the working folks back then never even noticed statehood for the first 25 years or so. We were too busy just trying to stay alive, to feed ourselves and to carve out a place that would become our home to notice any politicians, or even celebrate a fine man like McDonald. Every day I got up early and worked late. I had no other energy and did not come into town for months at a time.”
He noticed my lack of comprehension so he continued, “Politicians and celebrations were a luxury most of us working people back then could not afford. For 30 years on this land I worked with all of my energy. It was not 40 hours a week, it was all day long seven days a week or we just would not have made it. Only after the ranch was on solid footing did I notice the government and in fact became part of it as a member of the Lincoln County Commission and the school board.”
Just one more working day
I was thankful Bill brought me back to reality before I wrote something silly about the statehood celebrations by real New Mexicans. It was a hard time back then, more so than most of us can even realize. Jan. 6, 1912 was, for most of the citizens of New Mexico, just one more working day. The way to celebrate the anniversary correctly is by going to work early and working late.
Swickard is co-host of the radio talk show News New Mexico, which airs from 6 to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday on a number of New Mexico radio stations and through streaming. His e-mail address is michael@swickard.com.