Before shopping malls, big box emporiums, and Amazon, Santa Fe stores like Sebastian's Firestone and Cartwright's Hardware carried a wide diversity of products.  In addition to tires, Sebastian's sold appliances, kitchen implements, toys, Lionel trains, fishing equipment, dishes, glassware, American Flyer bicycles, and Zenith radios and television sets.  The biggest downtown store was Sears, which sold everything.

I worked for Sebastian's Firestone store in 1960, when I was 15.  During the week before Thanksgiving, all of the Santa Fe downtown merchants covered their display windows on the inside and prepared for Christmas. That year, I was given the job of preparing the windows. Sebastian's had 2 of them and I was given free rein, as long as I presented a cross-section of what was inside. On one side I displayed snow tires, tire chains, a pyramid of motor oil cans, tools, windshield ice scrapers, an assortment of auto parts, and a bicycle.  Ah, but the other side was the most fun.  On the floor was a Christmas tree,surrounded by a running Lionel train set, complete with smoke coming out of the stack.  I leaned a Flexible Flyer sled against the wall and suspended model airplanes from the ceiling in an imaginary dogfight (Revell would send completed versions of their models with Christmas orders). There was a small table set with Christmas themed dishware, a corner with a fishing rod and lures, and as many of the season's most popular toys as possible.  A Barbie doll, an Easy-Bake oven, a Chatty Cathy doll, an Erector Set, a Radio Flyer wagon, and a set of Roy Rogers pistols.  In the center was the latest TV set from Zenith, which had a free-standing picture tube above the cabinet that contained the electronics.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, the windows were uncovered and Santa Fe came out to look.  I was in the window putting the train back on the tracks when some of my friends from St. Mike's came by and started giving me a hard time.  I went into the store, got one of the brand-new GI Joe dolls, and put him and Barbie in what you could describe as a compromising position.  They started laughing, not because I was so clever, but because they could see Mr. Sebastian behind me with a scowl on his face.  He was not amused and almost fired me on the spot.  But he chewed me out and I promised not to do it again.

One of the benefits of working there was that I learned how to assemble things.  Bikes, wagons, doll houses, trains, and the afore-mentioned TV set all came in boxes and had to be put together.  I was able to market my skills to my parent's friends and, for the next few years I spent Christmas Eve assembling the toys that they bought for their kids.  I would start around 10:00 and finish at 4:00 in the morning.

The Friday after Thanksgiving wasn't black like it is today. 

It was magical!

My mother JoAnn Vogt Davis was born at the Vogt Ranch near Ramah, NM on December 30, 1922, the daughter of Shirley Bergman and Evon Zartman Vogt. She was the third of five siblings, the eldest having died as a baby. She grew up among Navajos, Zunis, Mexicans, artists, anthropologists, educators and celebrities that visited the Vogt Ranch. She attended secretarial college in Albuquerque. She married Lieutenant Paul Davis of Ramah under the pines in 1942, living in San Antonio TX, Fort Polk, LA while he was training. When he was discharged as a Major after WWII, they moved back to the Vogt Ranch where they made their own adobes and built a home near her parent's house. Pamela Kay was born in 1946, Kristeen in 1948, and Anita in 1949. Paul and JoAnn helped establish Ramah Land and Cattle Company with other local veterans purchasing 33 square
miles of land at the foot of the Zuni Mountains. Paul also ran the Davis Repair Shop and later established Davis Tractor Sales in Gallup, driving 90 miles every day to work for over 30 years. My mother did the bookkeeping for these enterprises while helping my grandmother with the Vogt Guest Ranch, serving as tour guide and horse wrangler. Like her father, who was a sheep rancher, Editor of the Gallup Gazette, photographer, and first Custodian of El Morro National Monument, Jo Ann was very interested in people and history. She took us on camping trips, where she and my father would strum up a two man band with violin and guitar and play Mexican and cowboy songs around the campfire. She took us on driving trips, hikes, picnics, horseback rides, swims in cow tanks or the lake, ice skating, art outings, and anything else she could think up to make life enjoyable. She liked to paint watercolor scenes and always had fresh flowers on the table. Her favorites were sweet peas and roses. She made bread every few days, worked in the vegetable garden, canned and preserved produce, sewed our clothes, took care of her mother and Grandpa Davis and still found time to entertain, give violin lessons, and lead a Boy Scout troup. She was also a knowledgeable rancher. She played violin in the Gallup Symphony Orchestra. She lived a life of inspiration and creativity and encouraged us to pursue our artistic talents. She and my father were excellent dancers. They traveled the world in their later years, visiting over 50 countries. She died in 2003 after complications from colon surgery. The day before the surgery, she was riding a horse to El Morro with the Conquistador reenactment group. She was laid to rest at the base of a glorious mesa here on the ranch.

Remember in Albuquerque how we anxiously awaited the Annual NM State Fair which was held on the State Fair Grounds? A parade was held the Saturday before the fair started with high school bands playing; lots of drill squads; cowboys riding horses; colorful floats, and happy children sitting on the curbs at awe with what they saw! We had no Ballon Fiestas in those yesteryears! Those fiestas came many, many years later! We started early to decide what to wear to the fair! I really should say, our mothers had to decide what we would wear to the fair! We had to have a pair of cowboy boots; a pair of Levis; a Western shirt or crisp white shirt; a concho belt to wear with our Levis, and finally a cowboy hat. My mother was a fanatic when it came to everything being clean...our clothing, our home, everything! Grandma use to say "no matter if you are poor, you must always wear clean clothes"! We do whatever mothers and grandmothers want! Right! Anyway that is how we were raised! My job was to take care of my siblings when we went to the fair! We visited the stables where the horses were kept, the pigs, roosters, and basically went to as many places that we could which also included the many pavilions that were strategically places throughout the fair grounds. My favorite pavilions were the ones that had all the beautiful flowers and the Arts and Crafts displays! We ate Indian fried bread with lots of honey; corndogs, and ice cream on a stick. Now remember! In those years you had lots of money to spend if you had two dollars to take to the fair! We finished up the day by going to the amusement park where I always tried to win a gold fish! Some years I did and other years I did not! Would have been cheaper to buy one, but why miss out on the fun! It would have ruin my day. Those darn fishes never lived very long in those days! Maybe I overfed them, I am thinking now! All in all we had a great time and went home happy with a special memory of spending a great day together as a family! Slept pretty good that night too!

One of the tragedies and ironies of the way history is written is that we seldom hear much about the real frontiersmen who did so much to make New Mexico the fascinating place it is today. If you look through the shelves of books and articles on scouts and so called frontiersmen, you will probably not find the name of Tomás Chacón. Yet, numerous documents and reports of the period show that for more than tree decades, he was one of northern New Mexico's most sought after interpreters and guides.

We know little about Chacóns early life. The records of Abiquiu baptisms show one Tomás de Jesus Chacón was baptized on December 23, 1793, the son of Jose Antonio Chacón and Maria Juana Guadalupe Archuleta. If this baptismal record is the correct one, for the Tomás Chacón of frontier New Mexico fame, then it is likely he is the same person listed in the 1850 United States census for Rio Arriba County at age 59 with his wife Maria and three children.

During his life along the rugged frontier of northwestern New Mexico, Tomás Chacón developed an intimate relationship with the Utes of that region. That relationship and his role in society is reflected in the baptismal records of Santo Tomás Apostol de Abiquiú. Between 1832 and 1841, there are at least eight baptisms of Ute children listed as "servants of Tomás Chacón." This clearly indicates that he, like many of his time, was deeply involved in the trade and raising of cautivos (captive Indian children), that was so prevalent in New Mexico at the time.

Chacón begins to show up frequently in contemporary historical records of 1850. That year he served as a guide and interpreter for the William Angny expedition that traveled to California over the Old Spanish Trail. The journal of this expedition notes that his "intimate acquaintance with the Ute Territory and it's wild inhabitants and their language was of no small service to us." Daniel Jones's book "Forty Years Among the Indians" chronicles the same journey. He credits "Old Thomas" with seeing them through close calls because he was always able to "talk the Indians into peace." Jones credits Chacón with saving his life on more than one occasion.

In 1851 Chacón is reported trading with the Indians along the San Juan River. That same year he led the pursuit of a band of Jicarilla Apaches who raided Abiquiú and El Rito. His knowledge of their language was instrumental in return of livestock the Jicarilla had taken from the settlements.

Tomás Chacón also played a prominent role in the William Arny expedition that negotiated a treaty with the Utes at the San Juan River in 1868. Chacón not only served as the guide and interpreter for the expedition, but appears as one of the witnesses and signatories of the treaty Arny negotiated with the Utes. What may be best known about this 1868 expedition is the photograph taken of Arny with a group of Ute and Jicarilla leaders. The photograph shows Chacón peering from the back row between two Ute chiefs. A woodcut of that famous photograph that appeared in the August 22, 1868 issue of Harper's Weekly illustrates the earlier story of Sobita, the Ute chief.

The final entry I have found for Tomás Chacón is the service he provided as the interpreter for the US Army when they attempted to negotiate an agreement with Sobita and his Capote band of Utes at Las Nutrias (present day Tierra Amarilla) in 1872. When negotiations broke down, the commanding officer sent Chacón to talk to Sobita and convince him to return. One report indicates that this time, Chacóns power of persuasion apparently failed. The angry Utes "horsewhipped" Chacón and sent him back to inform the troops that they wanted to fight. The pitched battle between the Utes and the US cavalry that ensued eventually led to the capitulation of the Utes and their removal to a reservation in Colorado.

Tomás Chacón disappears from the historical record after 1872. If he was in fact born in 1793, Chacón was nearly 80 years old when called into his final service for the US government. He did his duty, returned to his home in the Abiquiú region and quietly melted into undeserved anonymity. In his own time, Tomás Chacón was as well known as any of the more famous personages of frontier New Mexico. I hope his descendants (of which I am one) realize the important role he played in our history.

From the book: UFO's over Galisteo and other stories of New Mexico's History

Tomás Chacón is #12 in this photo.

Yá'át'ééh Aak'ei! Aak'eego Hoo'ah! Today is the Autumnal Equinox which signals the first day of the fall season. The celestial stars above and sun shows us that the cold time is coming. The Yeii are now practicing for the upcoming Tłéjé Hatáał (The Nine Night Chant Ceremony), Dinétah will soon be blessed once again with the dancing and singing of our Diné Deities. This is the time when Náhasdzáán Shimá prepares to rest and certain animals prepare for hibernation, the summer ceremonies are still taking place but will soon be coming to an end for the season. Our Diné Winter stories and ceremonies are around the corner! Enjoy the last part of our harvest season, Shi Diné'é!

Neeshch’íí’ (Pinon) has a special story coming from our Dine oral stories as it relates to White Shell Woman, also known as Changing Woman. When White Shell Woman returned home to the West she left behind Pinons for the people and animals to eat as part of their food intake. The Pinons resembles the nipple part of the breast of White Shell Woman, and the seed inside resembles the milk coming from her breast that then feeds the people/animals with nutrition and a good health. There are many other Navajo/Tribal stories in relations to Pinons, but this is one that I was once told.

Also, when picking we were instructed to never shake the Pinon trees, and that only the bears were allowed to shake the trees for Pinons. It is said, that when people eat Pinons from the trees that were shaken down the people will become stubborn, impatient, and easily angered. They say their behavior will then begin to resemble that of a bear. Maybe this explains why our people have behavioral issues and mental health conditions today? Just a food for thought.

In addition, there are proper ways to picking Pinons, such as one may use a thin branch to tap gently at the tree for a few pinons to fall, but not to much. Also, we are told to never lay down when picking pinons and only bears lay down when getting pinons. Just to add, when you shake and break off branches and the pine cones this effects the seasonal crops causing the Pinon trees to take a longer time period to redevelop its branches and pine cones were Pinons grow. So be aware on how you go about picking.

I hope everyone enjoys this time of the season. I just wanted to share a few stories related to Pinon season and picking that I got to learn from different people over the years. Also, please continue to follow safety precautions by practicing social distancing, use proper sanitization and PPE (if needed), and clean up after yourself after picking!

My View Oliver La Farge

Obelisk is a part of 'real' Santa Fe past

• By Oliver La Farge
• Jun 27, 2020

In the 1950s and early '60s, my father, Oliver La Farge, had a weekly column in The New Mexican under Robert McKinney. For those who have forgotten, by that time, my father had been fighting for Indian rights, for their decent treatment and for the honoring of treaties for decades. As an anthropologist and advocate, he was widely considered America's foremost authority on Indian society and culture, which is one reason he decided to live in New Mexico, aside from the fact it was my mother's ancestral home.

The question of the obelisk first came up in the 1950s. This is what he had to say in 1961, taken from the book of his columns, The Man with the Calabash Pipe, edited by poet Winfield Townley Scott.

John Pen La Farge

"Some Folklore and a Monument"

From several sources I hear of a peculiar folklore of misinformation about the obelisk in the center of the Plaza. It is important that the truth be made known …

One false belief is that the monument landed in the Plaza because it was unwanted and there was nowhere else to stick it. This is obviously absurd. The monument was authorized by the territorial Legislature to celebrate the outcome of two serious wars; its cornerstone was laid in November 1867, with great pomp and ceremony, and it was carefully placed in the most honorable spot in New Mexico, in the center of the capital's Plaza, fronting what was then both the governor's mansion and the territorial capitol.

The other is that this monument celebrates Anglo-American achievements and has no meaning to Spanish-Americans. This belief is also entirely false. Its currency shows that too many of our Spanish-Americans have forgotten a proud chapter in their own history.

The monument is dedicated on two sides to those who died in the Civil War fighting for the Union, on the third side to those who died fighting the "savage Indians," meaning Navajos and Apaches.

Both wars were fought simultaneously. At the beginning of the Civil War, the bulk of regular army troops were withdrawn, to be replaced by volunteers. In short order New Mexico found itself in a pincers movement, with the Confederates striking from the southeast, the Navajos from the southwest, and the Mescaleros operating in between. … The bulk of the forces were Spanish-American, not only the enlisted men but the officers, of whom the highest was Lt. Col. J. Francisco Chaves.

 [V]olunteer they did, fought bravely against the "rebels" and provided the manpower that defeated them at Glorieta.

They went on fighting equally bravely under Chaves, Kit Carson, and others, in the long and difficult campaigns that pacified both the Mescaleros and the powerful Navajos, against whom the efforts of regulars had been unavailing …

On February 6, 1864, The New Mexican reported, "We have often and with much pleasure, received much warm recommendations … of volunteer (Spanish-American) soldiers … These men deserve high credit and consideration …"

Most of these men were born citizens of Mexico. In a time of crisis, they showed how completely they had adopted the United States … they established a glorious tradition, which they have continued in full force in the Spanish-American War, when they poured into the Rough Riders, the two World Wars, and the Korean War.

This, then, is what that little monument stands for. ...

I can see why a Texan might not be fond of this monument. A southerner or a Navajo might object to "rebel" and "savage" — expressions of the time, mementos of the honest feelings of that age. To Spanish-Americans, it should be one of their most cherished monuments, for it is they, above all, whom it celebrates.

Newcomers might be confused, but I am surprised that an old-timer … should think for a moment that the "savage Indians" referred to so sincerely … meant the Pueblos. So far as I know, hostilities with the Pueblos ended not long after the bloody (not "bloodless" as so often advertised) reconquest of New Mexico. From then until the Navajos were broken and signed the Treaty of 1868, Santa Fe and all New Mexico, including the Pueblos, were relentlessly harried, threatened with extinction, many settlements and pueblos wiped out by Navajos, Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanches…

These were the "savage Indians." No one even faintly conversant with New Mexico history could doubt to whom the territorial legislature was referring, or forget that Pueblo Indians were among the "heroes" who fought and are commemorated on the slab.

Under the Madison Avenue influence, we are getting to where we want even our history mad bland, sweetened, suited for consumption without any sensation whatsoever. The plaza monument is something else again, an authentic survival of frontier days, of the conditions of those times, of their simplicity and even other crudity.

You can decide to bury all traces of what Santa Fe once was and forget New Mexico's history was full of storms and violence. Personally, I prefer to keep a little of the real thing, to counterbalance the next ballet of whiskers and poke bonnets when we confuse our anniversaries with those of Square Corners, Ioway.

The monument refers to "savage Indians," it means exactly what it says, and furthermore, the term is accurate. That the white men … were often equally savage is beside the point…

The monument refers to "Rebels" in the same forthright manner….the word in their minds must have been "Tejanos". The common people of New Mexico were bitterly anti-Texan, hence devotedly pro-Union…

The monument is authentic, it is unpretentious, it is a true record of the important passage in New Mexico history. It is altogether too easy to brush such simple things aside, brushing our predecessors aside along with them…

For heaven's sake you who want to keep a little of the real Santa Fe, resist every move to remove these stones as you would resist having the bones of your ancestors ground into fertilizer for the capitol gardens.

Bernardo C de Baca While I lived in the Agua Fria neighborhood. this was totally new to me. Corner of Agua Fria and Hickox...Anybody?

THE PLACE OF THE ALBINO PEREZ ASSASSINATION MONUMENT

The Albino Perez monument, “a small boulder with a polished face and inscription lies enclosed within a rusting iron fence in the 1400 block of Agua Fria Street. The words carved in stone read: Governor Perez was assassinated on this spot on Aug. 9, 1837. Erected by sunshine Chapter, DAR, 1901”.

Celina Rael Garcia We grew up knowing what the marker was for. As kids walking home after dark we ran past the marker.

Celina Rael Garcia Several people told of El Hombre Largo. Have you heard that one? Folks had encounters with an apparition that carried a noose and as he approached you he grew to gigantic proportions. That was most common. Also back in the day when cars had running boards there was a man who swore that a figure jumped onto the running board as he was going down past the marker on Agua Fria, when he turned to look at it it had the face of a skeleton. The bar at the corner was owned by someone name Elias. Some of his customers told of encountering La Llorona there. I’ll try to dredge up more memories. Maybe I’ll publish something entitled Growing Up Scared Out Your Wits in Santa Fe.

Gloria Valdez I have one, or two Celina. You remember the big tree at the bottom of the hill going toward our house on Velarfe Lane (off Agua Fria)? Folks used to say that a man had been hanged there years back. Apparently, on occasion people said he would appear there. I'm happy to day I never saw him. But, at night going home I would run past that tree as fast as I could. Just in case he decided to make an appearance. Lol Also, since we lived right by the santa fe river, there were always takes of appearances by the Llorona. Again, I never saw her, but was always terrified she might appear.

Celina Rael Garcia Gloria Valdez I remember the tree. It was always so dark down the joya, we broke records running home after dark. The first time I heard the story of El Hombre Largo was from Lydia and Tomasa. They had gone to a movie at the Arco Theater on Hickox. As they walked home he appeared at the marker and grew taller as he approached them. They ran and somehow Tomasa lost her shoe and just left it. Both Lydia and Tomasa died in the past 5 years and I wish I’d recorded them telling the story.

Celina Rael Garcia Gloria Valdez Tomasa was over 100 when she passed, Lydia was close to 90.

Gloria Valdez Celina Rael Garcia my mom was a born story teller. She'd let us build a bonfire outside and roast corn on the cob and apples while she narrated her stories. Besides the hanged man and Llorona, she had many witches tales, which she said happened in the Pecos area. She and her sisters would hide and watch their goings on on the mountains above my Tia's house. While scary, we were always enthralled with her tales. Very interesting.

Josie Byers I was maybe 14,and my aunt Angelina and I had gone to the movies. We came home in a taxie,as she didnt h as ve a car. We got out of the cab,were opening the lock ,and we heard something wierd,like someone crying. We stood at the door and the crying got closer. It was scary cause we couldn't see anyone..anyway the crying sounded like it was coming down the street and we could hear it like it was passing right in front of us and passed and went down the street..
At that time it was when La Llorona was heard .

Josie Byers Celina Rael Garcia yes but this happen on Torcido street where my grampa lived .I dont think my auntie was married to Armando .

Celina Rael Garcia Josie Byers the Acequia Madre ran through there. There are a lot of Llorona sitings along the Acequia.

Josie Byers Celina Rael Garcia no Torcido is off Cerrillos road and goes to the street that goes to St Annes church and the next street is Agua Fria . The Y. I forgot te name of the street

Celina Rael Garcia Josie Byers the Acequia Madre runs from uptown all the way down to Siler Road. The arroyo that cuts through Torcido now Baca Street is the Acequia Madre.

Gloria Valdez People up and down Agua Fria claimed to have heard her. Never heard of anyone seeing her, tho.

Gloria Valdez Josie Byers once we were parked alongside the river at night (with boys) and we heard what appeared to be wailing. The boys claimed it was the Llorona. We all got scared and got away fast.

In January 1847, while serving as territorial governor, Charles Bent traveled to his wife's hometown of Taos, without military protection. There, on January 19, he was scalped alive and murdered in his home by a group of Taos Pueblo Indian attackers, under the orders of Mexican conspirators, who started the Taos Revolt.

His daughter, Teresina Bent Scheurich, later recalled the event:

"He was killed in January 19, 1847 about six in the morning.  We were in bed when the Mesicans and Indians came to the house breaking the doors and some of them were on the top of the house tearing the roofs, so we got up and father step to the porch asking them what they wanted and they answered him, we want your head gringo, we do not want for any of you gringos to govern us, as we have come to kill you.  Father told them what wrong have I done to you, when you come to me for help I always helped you and your familys.  I have cure you people and never charged you anything.  Yes, you did but you have to die now so that no American is going to govern us, then they commenced to shoot him with the arrows and guns, while he was talking to them.  Mother went to him and said why don't you jump on one of those horses that you have in the corral and go somewhere.  Father told her would not do for a Governor to run away and leave his family in danger, if they want to kill me, they can kill me here with my family.  Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Boggs, and an Indian slave dug a hole to the next house, so between the four women they took him where they had dig out the wall.  So he commence to put all of us children first then Mrs. Carson, Mrs. Boggs.  He wanted my mother to go next, but she told him, you go first, but when he was to go through the arrows that he had in his head hurt him so he pull them our, and crushed them against the wall so he went through the hole to the next house.  Then mother was going, and an Indian had found where they went, he was going to shoot Mama, but the slave woman stood in front of mother and the poor Indian was killed.  Then he struck mother on the back with the butt of the gun.  Father went with all of us to a little room, and he sat and took his memorando book, suppose he wanted to write something, but by that time the whole crowd of Mesicans and Indians got to the room where we were so they commence to shoot at him and scalp him and strip him of his clothes and when they killed him, some of the crowd wanted to kill all the family, but some of the Mesicans said, no, woman folks and children we must not kill, but we will not help them in anything. So they left us about three o'clock.  A man by the name of Manuel Gregorio Martin came to see us, and ask mother what are you going to do about the burial of the Governor and she said I have nobody to see about it.  I have no clothes for him nor nothing, so this man told her that he had a pair of trousers and a vest, so he went to his house and brought the clothes and then he went to see if he would find someone to make the coffin, so next day, he had the coffin and buried him.  So we stayed in the Lashones house for three days till Mrs. Catalina Lovato de Valdez sent for us.  Before we went a man by the name of Juan Bautista Vigil, one of the best to do gentlemen, use to come to the house of Lashones about three o'clock in the morning and brought us provisions and clothes as we did not have anything, as they stole everything from our house and all of us were with our night gowns.  We stayed at the house of Mrs. Valdez till the Americans came, that was 15 days after father was killed and the American soldiers got here the 3rd of February 1847 and they went to fight the Mesicans and the Indians the 4th of February, they killed about 250 there in the Pueblo, had 6 Mesicans hanging here in the middle of the Plaza and if I am not mistaken, 16 Indians were hung too somewhere near Mr. Phillip's studio.  At the same time that father was killed they killed here in town Shirif Luis Estaven Lee, Cornilio Vigil, mother's uncle, Provost judge Lawyer Leal, Pablo Jaramillo, mother's brother, and Narcizo Beaubien.  In Arroyo Hondo they killed Turley the owner of the Distelary and seven men more that were working there.

This is my recollections, as a child of 5 years"

From the original transcript.  Grammar, spelling, and punctuation not corrected