The first business in Albuquerque

When the first train pulled into the area that would soon become New Albuquerque, there was nothing, literally nothing besides the converted boxcars that served as a makeshift depot, there. The Villa de Alburquerque, where people lived, where saloons and inns and the post office were located, lay a mile-and-a-half to the west of the rail line, and only a rough winding road traversed the empty, sand flat between them.

Within a day, that had changed. On April 23, 1880, an enterprising ne’er-do-well named Peter “Shorty” Parker (no relation) dug a hole in the ground... [continued at the Examiner]

The Lyon letters- On the road to New Albuquerque

Today- An omnibus north, a midnight meeting with Pat Garrett, the shysters of Socorro.

The Lyon letters are an on-going series on Albuquerque/New Mexico history as related through the letters of William B. Lyon to his fiancé Corie Bowman.

Once Corie Bowman had accepted his proposal of marriage, which occurred sometime between January and late February of 1882, Dr. William B. Lyon was ready to start a new life for himself and his imminent family. However, prospects for a successful physician's practice were dead in the water in the tiny town of La Mesilla, New Mexico, where he had lived for the past three years since retiring from the army, and where his bride-to-be's family resided. Lyon was ready to strike out on his own and make a success of himself in the frontier economy of the New Mexico territory, and in 1882 there was one obvious path for doing so: follow the railroad. [continued at the Examiner...]

Slightly Busy

A bunch of stuff going on this week has put a slight delay on the Lyon letters series. Check back next Tuesday!

The Lyon letters- Corie's answer

This is part of an ongoing series on Albuquerque history, based on the experiences of Dr. William B. Lyon and his fiance Corie Bowman, as related by them in letters sent in the years 1881-1882. Today's article features the resolution of their courtship, just prior to William Lyon's departure to New Albuquerque.

William Lyon had a hard time waiting for Corie Bowman's decision. She had told him that she would give an answer to his implicit marriage proposal “by spring". In the intervening months she discussed the matter with her parents and minister. William continued to visit the Bowman household during the month of December, but now his arrival caused consternation for not only Corie, but also her mother and father. [Continued at the Examiner...]

The Lyon Letters- The courtship begins

Dear Miss Corie,

I am going out [on] the Bermudes road about a mile, thence by a new trail I have found to Cruces, then home.

If you would like a horseback ride this glorious day, I will have Billy saddled up and call for you.

Yours,

WBL

With this short, undated note, Dr. William B. Lyon began his courtship of Corie Bowman in the town of La Mesilla, NM, sometime in early-to-mid November of 1881. It is not clear from the collected letters exactly how long the two had known each other previous to this invitation, but there is an air of familiarity in their early exchanges that hints at a long standing, if somewhat paternal, acquaintance. [Continued at the the Examiner...]

The Coming of the Railroad and Birth of New Town

A brief diversion from the Lyon Letters in order to set the stage. When Dr. Lyon arrived in Albuquerque in 1882, he was pursuing success in the town of New Albuquerque. This article is a brief introduction to how New Albuquerque came to be.

According to Erna Fergusson, patron saint of Albuquerque history, New Albuquerque was born with “one blast of a steam whistle". On April 22, 1880, almost exactly 174 years after the Villa de Alburquerque was founded two miles west, the first AT&SF train pulled up to a makeshift depot on newly laid track to the applause of a crowd that had gathered for the occaision in the barren sandhills that rose up from the middle Rio Grande valley and filled the expanse to the Sandia Mountains. [continued at the Examiner. . .]

The Lyon letters- A tale of two Albuquerques

This is part of an ongoing series on Albuquerque history, based on the experiences of Dr. William B. Lyon as related by him in letters to his fiance Corie Bowman.


Dr. William Lyon arrived in the bustling, rapidly growing town of New Albuquerque in the Spring of 1882, ready to start a new life for himself and his soon-to-be bride after having ended an 11 and a half year service in the US Army. Before delving into his experiences in the dusty railroad town, however, a word or two about Albuquerque as it was in 1882 is in order. Consider it setting the stage.

Most strikingly, it may surprise you to find that there were, in fact, two towns called "Albuquerque" (or something like it) at that time, approximately two miles away from each other.[Continued on the Examiner...]