New Mexico Centennial History

Santa Rita del Cobre is the story of the formative years (1801-1838) of a remarkable mine in southwestern New Mexico that has produced copper for more than 200 years. Records of the Spanish Colonial and early Mexican period have yielded intriguing accounts of the people involved in the early development of the mines, the difficulties they encountered along the way, and the importance of this small settlement to the history of the frontier. Although the Santa Rita mines produced a fortune to the few men willing or able to invest money in their development, it was always a difficult and hazardous undertaking. Apaches, who inhabited much of southern New Mexico and Arizona at that time, created many problems for the miners. They had a strong influence over the success or failure of the Santa Rita mining operation. At times the hostility and depredations of these Indians overshadowed the remarkable success of the mines. Santa Rita was the center for military operations against the Apaches, and was referred to as the watchtower and guardian of the western frontier.

Water is the lifeblood of human existence. New Mexico's history provides a fascinating microcosm of the role water plays in the growth and development of a community. This book details many of the complex and messy fights, legal and otherwise, over precious water in a semiarid western state. Focusing on the past one hundred years constituting New Mexico's statehood, contributors describe the often convoluted and always intriguing stories that have shaped New Mexico's water past and that will, without doubt, influence its future history. Many of New Mexico's "movers and shakers" in the water community have contributed their water war stories to the book. From acclaimed water lawyers to historians to novelists to academicians, their stories reflect the broad legal, historic, traditional, religious, and community values of New Mexico's water culture. The celebration of New Mexico's centennial is made more complete with the telling of these exciting and colorful narratives of how water has and will shape our future.