Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm interested in doing some research on the older neighborhoods and historical buildings/houses around downtown. Will appreciate any info, resources, or stories anyone has. I'm particularly interested in the Mesquite and Alameda neighborhoods. Last year I saw a series of old pictures posted at the Downtown Mall, I think they were presented by the Branigan Cultural Center. I've never been there - do they have archives and material about the history of LC on display? Coas bookstore has a decent selection of books about LC - any recommendations? Anywhere else I can find out information and see pictures of old Las Cruces? Is there a way to find out the history about a particular building or house? (like when it was built, what it has housed over the years, etc)
I'm planning on going on a few more photo tours and will eventually post pictures here when I get everything organized.
The BCC had a great bunch of photos up last year.
The Alameda area now has a historic preservation plan, as of a couple weeks ago. You should check in with the two homeowner groups there to see what they've got.
The Alameda/Depot areas had pretty nice houses...most of Mesquite is older but are much more modest and plain, partially due to their being older I guess.
This site would be a good resource. I've dealt with some of the folks helping them research old documents in the courthouse and they're really nice people.
Thank you all for the info, now I have somewhere to start. I'm planning on doing a photo tour of "old Las Cruces" which I will eventually post here and on my own website. I'm in the midst of moving into an 80+ year old adobe downtown and can't wait to start exploring the area.
If there are any older folks here who have interesting tidbits of information about "old Las Cruces", please share your stories. I recently read something in the Sun News about the Mesquite neighborhood being platted with long leather straps which got wet and resulted in some crooked property lines. I love historical oddities like this.
The Assessor's office has two of the original maps of the downtown area and the county as a whole. Chas. Post was the county surveyor in 1911 (when we were still a territory) and he did a MASTERFUL job of creating some really beautiful maps by hand. As a geographer I am in awe of the work he did. If you go to the front and ask to talk with one of there mappers they'll be happy to show you the maps they have. There area also the original plats on linen in the clerks office and they're still available to see and touch.
There are some really, really cool artifacts and documents in the building on the NE corner of main and the I-10 exit but the Evan guy that runs the place (a controlled climate storage/archival facility) doesn't let many people in there. I had occasion to visit for work and it's truly amazing.
TKO, thank you. This is exactly why I posted this here - I don't even know about the Assesor's office or what they do. I wonder if photography is allowed? Of the old maps and drawings and such.
Thank you all for the info, now I have somewhere to start. I'm planning on doing a photo tour of "old Las Cruces" which I will eventually post here and on my own website. I'm in the midst of moving into an 80+ year old adobe downtown
Are you going to soon be a Mesquitero, fnord???
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 08-07-2009 at 05:33 PM..
Reason: Fixed quote
TKO, thank you. This is exactly why I posted this here - I don't even know about the Assesor's office or what they do. I wonder if photography is allowed? Of the old maps and drawings and such.
The Assessor's Office values your property for property tax purposes. Someone has to do it! Photography is allowed. If you're interested DM me and I'll give you the tour myself.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Rio Grande Historical Collections.
