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I have had a life long interest in the many stories told about the former mining town of Orogrande in southern New Mexico. For others with an interest in southern New Mexico history, old ghost towns, gold bonanzas and such, here are two pertinent stories - one recent and the other cautionary.
Today the old town is as dried up and decrepit as it's been in my long lifetime of traveling through. There are currently no services available with both gas stations and the only convenience store out of business, and no other reason for passerby to stop there. It appears the post office is still in business, serving the few people who still live scattered around the town site.
I like the story with Mike Musgrove. I vaguely remember the daughter saying her parents bought the bar but that's going back to maybe 1974? I remember Mike feeding a guy who had no money but offered to do some work. I also remember talking to Mike about going to Carlsbad Caverns and Mike made it VERY clear to me he did not like the park rangers at all. Too bad about the daughter.
Neither of the TWO service stations have been open in several years now. In fact I don't see another single business of any kind now open, other than the post office. And I suspect it's only open during certain times of the day, and perhaps not even daily.
When I passed through yesterday it looked like the Otero sheriff was operating a speed trap. One patrol car was parked at the closed service station and another had a car pulled over at the north end of town. In spite of absolutely nothing going on, there is still a 35mph speed limit through the town.
Joqua, do you remember the incident at the filling station in Orogrande? 1972 I believe it was.
You're undoubtedly referring to this incident which garnered international attention because it was related to the La Raza movement at the culmination of the Civil Rights era:
Quote:
The law suit was filed by Prescilla Lujan Falcon, the widow of Ricardo Falcon. Ricardo was murdered in cold blood by (Orogrande) service station owner Brunson after an argument over water on August 30, 1972.
Ricardo Falcon was killed while on his way to the first national convention of La Raza Unida Party being held in El Paso, Texas in September of 72. He was a member of the Colorado state delegation.
In a subsequent trial held in Alamogordo two months later, Brunson was found not guilty of manslaughter charges in a circus like proceeding with Norman Bloom, representing the state, and Judge "Senile" Sanders being close personal friends of the accused. The trial site resembled a police state with state police under, around and on top of all nearby buildings. Local John Birchers and racist rednecks were also mobilized to create hysteria.
I found a couple of more old articles "from the morgue" that once appeared in the daily El Paso Times that might be of interest:
More recently, in 2013, there was a headline incident involving a child's murder and subsequent disposal of the body in the immediate vicinity of Orogrande. The parent's were charged but their trial keeps being postponed and is still "pending."
Quote:
Individual trials, previously scheduled for late 2014, were later cancelled and a joint trial was set for March 20, 2015 in El Paso. The joint trial has since been cancelled.
Jenna Farrey's trial is now scheduled to begin Aug. 14, 2015. Jeffrey Farrey's trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 16, 2015.
When I was in the Air Force at Holloman I was told a completely different story and that was five Mexicans in a car refused to pay for gas and were shot by the station owner.
When I was in the Air Force at Holloman I was told a completely different story and that was five Mexicans in a car refused to pay for gas and were shot by the station owner.
Falcon was one of a group traveling in several cars, which may have led to what you heard at the time. Here is a clip from one article about the circumstances of the event, and it was an argument over paying for water for the car radiator, and not gas, that led to the shooting.
Quote:
In late August 1972, Falcon and other Chicano leaders in Colorado set out in several cars for El Paso, Texas, to attend a meeting of the La Raza Unida Party.
The radiator of Falcon's car started overheating while going through New Mexico so they they pulled into a gas station in the town of Orogrande to fill it up with water. The date was Aug. 30, 1972.
Gas station owner Perry Brunson, a member of the segregationist American Independent Party, said he would only sell them the water. They wouldn't get it unless they paid for it.
Falcon and Brunson argued and the owner fired four shots. Two of them hit the young Chicano leader, who died shortly afterwards.
Brunson was tried for manslaughter but the jury acquitted him.
I just found out Judge Bradley (Do you remember him?) died of a heart attack at Elephant Butt lake. What year was that, roughly?
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