A look back at the week, June 17-23 (2024)

This Week in Local History

The following is a recap of local events for this time period throughout history.

25 years ago (1999)

San Juan Downs is expected to receive its gaming license today, bringing it one step closer to an early July opening. Eddie Fowler, the executive director of the state Gaming Commission, will tour the facility this morning before giving the company the final green light. “The Racing Commission voted to lift the remaining conditions on our license and have instructed (Fowler) to come to Farmington to visually inspect the remaining two (conditions),” said Ray Walters, president of Sunray Gaming. …The two conditions in question were the completion of the racetrack railing and some minor stable work. Sunray is still waiting on word from the state Gaming Commission for the OK to install 300 slot machines.

The Daily Times

50 years ago (1974)

A study of pictographs and petroglyphs from periods ranging from 700 A.D. to 1756 in the Del Gadito-Carrizo Canyon area near Blanco is underway this week by students participating in the second annual rock art field school of the Archeological Society of New Mexico. Sixteen persons are taking part in the school, which is under the direction of Col. James Bain, U.S. Army, retired. Col. Bain, of Albuquerque, records rock art surveys for the Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe. … Rock art is important in archeology because it traces and records various cultural aspects of Indian life, including religious symbolism, records of events and interpretations of legends.

The Daily Times

75 years ago (1949)

Bubonic plague-carrying fleas have been found in San Juan county, Dr. James R. Scott said today. Scott, state public health director, said a report was received from the U.S. plague suppressive laboratory at San Francisco saying infected fleas had been taken from mice in an area south of Bloomfield on state road 44.

Aztec Independent Review

100 years ago (1924)

Reckless and fast auto driving up and down and through the streets of Aztec will not be condoned, tolerated or approved by the county police. Bob Henderson, said to be a rig builder, gave Aztec residents an exhibition of reckless driving Tuesday afternoon, his car just missing several fleet-footed pedestrians. Bob’s festive program suddenly terminated by reason of interference by Deputy Sheriff Rippey, who took the speed demon into custody and awarded the law violator a cell in the county jail. … It is said Henderson was enroute to Colorado to build a rig for an oil company, intending to remain in Aztec only an hour or two. His driving exhibition here, however, prolonged his stay and established local belief that his troubles resulted from too much consumption of high-power booze.

San Juan Review

110 years ago (1914)

For some months a deal for the real estate known as the Wiley Mesa has been undergoing negotiations between Stalling Bros. and the people they represented on the one hand and Judge Hand and other eastern investors on the other. This week the whole matter was closed up and the cash and deeds turned over. While this means immediate development of one of the very best sections of our county, there is in it a matter of even greater interest. It is the manner in which this development has been secured. A few years ago the Stalling brothers came out here from Kentucky. They engaged in general farming and stock raising and were eminently successful. They then took up the matter of securing the lands and other settlers. They went back to their “Old Kentucky Home” and simply and plainly told what they had done and what other workers could do. The people believed them, and the result is that a number have responded with their cash. … These people are not coming here to speculate, they are coming to build homes, make silos, raise dairy herds and harvest alfalfa.

Farmington Times-Hustler

120 years ago (1904)

The town board of Farmington will pay $15 reward for evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of the party or parties that pulled up the small tree in front of the City Hall Saturday evening.

Farmington Times-Hustler

This Week in Local History is compiled by Debi Tracy Olsen, local journalist and member of the Aztec Museum Board of Directors. The stories are pulled from newspaper archives and are reprinted as they appeared, errors and all.