The New Mexico Genealogical Society, founded in 1960, is composed entirely of volunteers.
2008 is our 48th year of helping to provide networking opportunities for family historians.
Become a member of NMGS. Share with us our appreciation for New Mexico's long, colorful history.

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SANM reprinted!
The Spanish Archives of New Mexico by Ralph Emerson Twitchell have been reprinted by Sunstone Press and are now available for purchase. See NMGS Blog for full announcement. We have placed a picture of the cover at SANM.

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Hispanic History Month begins on September 15th. The New Mexico portion of the History Gallery will be exhibited at the KIMO Theater beginning this Saturday, August 23. It is a free exhibit and open to the public in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. It is coordinated by Ruben Salaz.

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World's largest equestrian sculpture:
In 1598 don Juan de Oñate was the founding governor of New Mexico under Spanish rule. John S. Houser, renowned sculptor, has made the world’s largest equestrian bronze sculpture, (a magnificent 36 foot high statue of don Juan de Oñate as a soldier on horseback), has a web site that no New Mexican should miss. In acknowledgment of criticisms, see also the artist's response to the controversy and historian's viewpoint from Marc Simmons, "Oñate and All of That -- 1598-1998" from the Journal of the West, July 1998, Vol 37 No 3f.

Lastly, we share a critique of the film, The Last Conquistador," by Dan Herrera of The Albuquerque Journal. Good points, all of them, and taken together give us an overview of the Oñate story.Here we are, all of us, and glad to be here.

Naturalization Records Project:
The Historical Society of New Mexico has awarded a $500 individual grant to NMGS member Karen Stein Daniel, CG^SM. The grant will assist in completing the third volume of Naturalization Records by New Mexico Courts. Volume III will be the docket books for Bernalillo County housed at the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives and will complete the entire project, which is expected to be completed in less than two years from May 2008. Karen was editor of the New Mexico Genealogist from 2000 to March 2006 and also serves as liaison for History Day activities in New Mexico.

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Nancy Brown of the Center for Southwest Research, UNM has forwarded this information to us:

Census Index 1790-1930 will be free online.
The Family History Library (Salt Lake City) announced today that it is putting up the entire 1790-1930 census index free online. It will work with The Generations Network (Ancestry) to swap indexes /images.
It has already received Ancestry's version of the 1920 census which FamilySearchIndexing is re-indexing. The FHL will re-index all of the census years 1790-1930 and put the indexes up for free online.

The Center for Southwest Research has opened the collection of United States Marshal (New Mexico) Records. The collection documents the activities of the United States Marshal Service in New Mexico, 1888-1950. The U.S. Marshals were the embodiment of government rule in New Mexico's early territorial days. By the 1880s, New Mexico's considerable but troubled growth increased demand for their services. In those days the Marshals were entrusted with breaking up rings of illicit whiskey sellers and capturing murderers of law enforcement officers. During the two world wars, the Marshals were viewed as the protectors of the home front, playing a part in the apprehension and internment of enemy aliens in camps at Santa Fe and Fort Stanton.

Included are legal documents, correspondence, procedure manuals, affidavits, prisoner commitment and release cards, fingerprints, and financial records. A complete description of the collection is available at the Rocky Mountain Online Archive <http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=nmumss322bc.xml>.

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Now on the NMGS Blog: - a list of the Spanish Land Grant Files from the Thomas B. Catron collection

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Albuquerque History:  This is an exhibit you don't want to miss -- A treat for everyone living in or near Albuquerque, or planning a trip here!

                         Three Hundred Years of Albuquerque History
                                       On exhibit through Sept. 6, 2008
                                          at Special Collections Library.

This special exhibit includes all of the books about Albuquerque published during the Tricentennial, including the newly-published genealogy of Alburquerque's founding families, "Aquì Se Comienza" by the New Mexico Genealogical Society. Also on display are documents and illustrations about early Albuquerque, loaned to Special Collections library by the Center for Southwest Research of the University of New Mexico. This is a large compilation of images and documents about life in Albuquerque from its founding in 1706 up to modern times."

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Remember -- you are joining in our efforts to help the Special Collections library when you use an Amazon.com link on this web site. (In the left column of each page, look for the Amazon.com link.) All earnings we receive are sent in full to the library. We also welcome suggestions on which books to add to the page. See: Bookstore.

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A Call for Papers, New Mexico:
Continuing our search to identify Alburquerque's Founding Families, a publication planned for early 2009 will expand on that book's chapters. Contact Russ Shaw, editor of the New Mexico Genealogist. Papers will be due January 1, 2009.

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A Call for Papers, Denver Conference. The Western History Association will hold its 2009 conference in Denver, CO. Coordinators are now accepting proposals for conference presentations, performances, workshops and moderated discussions. See WHA 2009 Conference. and Call for Papers.

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Now on the drawing board: a museum for Hispanics in our nation's capital: Senate Bill 500/ House of Representatives Bill 512 has passed both houses and was signed by the President on May 8, 2008. A bipartisan commission is being formed and charged with the responsibility to create a museum to honor the contributions Hispanics have made to the United States. Over a two year period the commission will consider the location, the cost of construction and maintenance, and the "presentation of art, history, politics, business and entertainment in American Latino life."

The Catholic Church Project: Always online, always free. Locating Catholic Church Records in New Mexico helps you find the Catholic church records that recorded your ancestors' birth, marriage, and death. For questions about the church project, send an email to webmaster@NMGS.org. Pat Esterly, Armando Sandoval, and/or Angela Lewis, can guide you. For help with general research questions in New Mexico, send an email to info@nmgs.org. Former NMGS President Nancy Anderson will know what to do!