Buy this book on-line

MARY ELLEN LAWRENCE : 1922 ORIGINAL CHARMING LETTER OF LIFE IN SMALL TOWN NEW MEXICO IN THE 1920s, REMARKING ON NATIVE AMERICANS TRADITIONS AND SPANISH COLONIALISM

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a thoroughly interesting and engrossing letter of two [2] separate pages, depicting life in early 20th century New Mexico state, from a Mary Elizabeth Lawrence, a recent newcomer to the small town of Jemez, New Mexico. The letter concerns a light plea for her niece, Miss Mildred Ross of San Antonio, Texas, to come join her in Jemez. “For a week I have been cleaning an old mud house up and moving into it.” she writes at the beginning. “There is plenty of room for you and I do hope you come to see us soon.” “Try to be here August 2. That is when one of the big Indian dances comes off.” This day is the Feast Day of the Jemez Pueblo People. “They are worth seeing once. Try to get here at least a week before the dance so you will get used to Indians and not be scared to death when you see them dancing with almost no clothing on!” “I hope you can come,” she writes latter on, “you will certainly see something different and it will be well worth your while.” Ms. Lawrence then continues on to describe the gradually decreasing difficulty of getting to Jemez. Now, as opposed to three years before (1919), there is a “fair good road from Albuquerque - at least it is passable for autos,” and a stage coach now makes the round trip from Albuquerque to Jemez Springs, a summer resort nearby, once a day. In the last part of the letter, Ms. Lawrence begins to reveal her thoughts about her present locations, and describes Jemez as “the deadest place you ever dream of. In fact you could not imagine it from any description.” “There is nothing to see except Indians and Mexicans and you will soon see all you want of these.” She then surmises that, if her friend visits, they can go and visit Jemez Springs. “I would like to see their excavation at the old - old mission that has been buried so long and they are now digging out.” She is referring to the 17th century San Jose de los Jemez Mission Church, built between 1621 and 1625 by Franciscan monks. In 1921 and 1922, the church was being excavated, along with an adjacent pueblo. Finally the letter presents a list of “good hotels in Albuquerque” for Mildred to stay in if she comes, and some other quick options for reaching Jemez from Albuquerque. The two letters are in excellent shape, with only a small tear on the top of one of the letters that does not impede comprehension. The handwriting is exceptionally easy to read. This letter is an easy and engaging look into life in rural New Mexico in the early 20th century, only ten years after New Mexico had become an official American state. (Background: Jemez Pueblo is located in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,953 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is named after the pueblo at its center. Among Pueblo members it is known as Walatowa; The Jemez Historic Site (formerly Jemez State Monument) is a state-operated historic site in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. The site preserves the archaeological remains of the 16th-century Native American Gíusewa Pueblo And the 17th-century Spanish colonial mission called San Jose de los Jemez. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and in 2012 it was designated as a National Historic Landmark. It is considered an ancestral site of the Jemez Pueblo people who live nearby.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.