Juanita T. Toledo, Pha-wa-lulh-luh (Ring-Cloud Around the Moon)
In 1583, approximately two thousand people lived in the Pecos Pueblo, one of the most heavily populated pueblos. By 1838, disease and raids had drastically reduced the population. The last remaining seventeen Pecos residents packed up their belongings and relocated...
Josephine Cox “Grandma” Anderson
Josephine Cox Anderson was a lifelong artist who painted until she lost her eyesight late in life. She was also a nurse whose courageous work and kindness earned her many fond nicknames, including “The Angel of the Valley,” “The Angel of the Pecos,” and “The Angel of...
Maralyn Budke
Shortly out of college, Maralyn Budke joined the staff of New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee in 1959. Less than ten years later, she was appointed chief of staff for the State Governor. After two years as the Governor’s chief of staff, she became the first...
Inez Gill
Early in her career, Inez Bushner Gill impressed governors, legislators and journalists with her fiscal expertise. Among the original staff of the Legislative Council Service when it was founded in 1951, she served as fiscal analyst and principal staff for its finance...
Ida O. Jackson
When Mrs. Ida O. Jackson, a Black woman who was unable to find a teaching job in Waco, Texas, arrived in Clovis in 1926, schools were still segregated. The African-American community in Clovis had earlier appropriated rooms in a local Baptist church to create a school...
Helene Haack Allen
Helene Haack Allen and her family contributed in many ways to the development of Fort Sumner, including establishing and running businesses, museums, and a theater. Most notably, her gift of the family’s land provides a sobering reminder of the forced displacement and...
Harvey Girls
The Harvey Girls were the brain-child of Fred Harvey, an entrepreneurial spirit who envisioned a path of gentility, courtesy, and fine dining along railroads of the west. At a time when women had few options other than teacher or wife and little prospect of achieving...
Harriet Belle Amsden Sammons
Harriet B. Sammons, believed to be the first woman bank president in New Mexico, was instrumental in the development of Farmington, New Mexico, and San Juan County, and was an integral part of the Farmington community. An avid reader who loved to entertain friends and...