Tales of the Southwest: Yes, Arizona, You Were Once Part of New Mexico

            Historical fact:  New Mexico was once a huge hunk of real estate.  Portions of the original New Mexico Territory went to Nevada and Colorado.

            And…

The whole state of Arizona was once part of the New Mexico Territory.

            I have recently discovered in this age of talk radio, hyper-partisanship, situational reality and just plain ignorance that this fact has been apparently lost on some people.  I discovered this on a visit to Tombstone in the Grand Canyon State.

            The Lady of the House and I pulled into our motel.   It was evening and the proprietor of the place was hanging out with a few guests.

            The proprietor and I went inside so I could get registered and get a room key.

            As I came out a fellow struck up a conversation.

            “I heard you say you’re from the east side of New Mexico,” he said.  He had obviously overheard my transaction.

            “Yup, right up against Texas,” I said.  “You from Texas?”

            “Yes sir!” He said, “Born and raised in Dublin.”

“Dr. Pepper,” I said, referring to the town being the home of the Dr. Pepper made with pure cane sugar.  They’re not there anymore.

“New Mexico used to belong to Texas,” he said.

            “Yep, yep,” I said.  Did I sense this fellow was spoilin’ for some kind of fight?

            “Texas claimed everything to the Rio Grande.  Hell, there’s Texans still in Ruidoso who haven’t heard that yet, didn’t get the news, place is full of ‘em” I said with a smile.  “And the whole state of Arizona was part of the New Mexico Territory.”

            When I said this, conversations going on on the side stopped and all eyes were on me.

            “Naww,” said The Texan, “New Mexico was part of the Arizona Territory, Arizona didn’t want it.”

            I stood there and thought about the situation. 

Years ago when I had more vinegar and testosterone running through my veins I might’ve stood there and argued with this slightly inebriated fellow from The Lone Star State who didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.  The Lady of the House has said she’s glad she didn’t know me back then.

            “We’ll just have to agree to disagree, brother,” I smiled.

            “Well you’re wrong,” The Texan said, raising his voice a bit.

            “Y’all have a nice night,” I said smiling, touching my hand to my forehead in a slight salute.

            The next day on the way back from the motel office I encountered a fellow sitting in the sun and enjoying a refreshing brewski at about 9:30 in the morning.

            “You’re that guy who thinks Arizona was once part of New Mexico,” he said.  “It warn’t.  New Mexico was carved out of the Arizona Territory.”

            I stood there and thought about the situation.

            “Well, brother, The Lady of the House is waiting on me back in our room to make her a nice hot cup of tea, so I don’t have time to quibble.  But there are maps, there are history books full of facts.”

“Revisionist liberal horse sh*t, I’d bet,” he said.

“I’ll bet you like talk radio,” I said with a smile.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just a passing thought,” I said. “Who’re your favorite talkers?”

“Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh,” he said.  “I kinda like that Alex Jones too.”

“Simple fact…when the U.S. clobbered Mexico in the Mexican-American War in the 1840’s we grabbed about 3/5ths of Mexico…what would be California, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Colorado and the New Mexico Territory.  The New Mexico Territory was so huge that chunks of it went to Nevada and Colorado.  Then they carved out the Arizona Territory from it.”

  “Here’s something else,” I said, “In 1853 Santa Anna sold off a chunk of Mexico we called the Gadsden Purchase ‘cos he needed cash.  If that hadn’t happened we’d be standing in Mexico now.”

            “Sheesh,” he said.  “That’s bullsh*t.  Santa Anna was kilt at The Alamo.”

            “How do you know this?”

            “Saw it in the Alamo movie with John Wayne,” he said.

            “Are you sure?” I asked.

            “That’s what I remember,” said the fellow.

            “Santa Anna lived long after The Alamo,” I said.  “He didn’t die until 1876.  As a matter of fact he lived in New York City in exile from Mexico from 1869 to 1874.”

            “Well,” said the guy as he had another swig of his cerveza.  “Now that's a load of sh*t.”

            I smiled and walked back to my room.

            Sometimes there’s just no point in arguing.

                                                -30-