Posts by Victor Macias
Las Golondrinas Heroes Make Masks, Clean Up Los Pinos
To say that our volunteers are itching to get out of quarantine and back to the museum is an understatement. The Las Golondrinas staff has been coming up with some creative ways that they can do some good and keep busy. Longtime volunteer Liz Trujillo has been firing up her sewing machine and making masks…
Read MoreCurator’s Corner: George McJunkin, Unsung Archaeology Hero
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections George McJunkin was born a slave in Midway, Texas. When he was about 10, the Civil War ended and he and his family were freed. He was born into a ranch and cowboy life and spent most of his life in the saddle. Mr. McJunkin worked at several ranches…
Read MoreHistory Herald: Smokey Bear, a New Mexico Hero!
by Laura Gonzales, Education & Volunteer Manager Hello from your History Herald! Did you know that in 1950, in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, crews discovered a major wildfire driven by strong wind? As the crew battled to contain the blaze they received a report of a lone bear cub seen wandering near the…
Read MoreBooks About New Mexico Heroes
The Life and Legend of George McJunkin, Black Cowboy by Franklin Folsom This book is a great introduction to the history of black cowboys in New Mexico. McJunkin was a former slave who went on to make an instrumental archaelogical find in northern New Mexico — read more about this amazing man in our Curator’s…
Read MoreLas Golondrinas Heroes: Louann Jordan and Pat Kuhlhoff
Every once in a while, someone comes along that makes a big impression. Here at Las Golondrinas, we have been blessed with so many wonderful volunteers, staff members and members that we have decided to feature them from time to time via our Las Golondrinas Heroes column. Two of our biggest heroes who have left…
Read MoreAdopt an Animal!
Did you know that it costs approximately $300 a year to feed, house and care for just one of our churro sheep, burros or goats? If you want to have a direct impact on our most popular ranch residents, we hope you will ADOPT an ANIMAL today — our latest addition of an adorable baby…
Read MoreCurator’s Corner: Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert – NM Foodways Pioneer
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections Today for my book “report”” as it may be I would like to do something a bit unusual, emphasize just one author. Her name was Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert, she lived almost 100 years and was one of the great advocates for New Mexico’s rural people and it’s…
Read MoreCurator’s Corner: Chile
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections There are certain cuisines and specific foods that are almost impossible to imagine without chile. Thai and Chinese cuisine, pasta arrabiata, I mean what did they even do in Szechuan before they had chiles? Before contact, there wasn’t any chile to be had outside of the Americas. It’s hard…
Read MoreVOLUNTEER VOICE: Keith Austin
by Laura Gonzales, Education and Volunteer Manager If you have enjoyed the homemade muffins, turnovers and other baked treats that appear on the kitchen table in the Volunteer Casita when Keith Austin is at the Ranch, you may thank a decision he made many years ago. Born in Mount Ayr, Iowa, he was soon transported…
Read MoreRollin’ Bones: The History of Dice
by Laura Gonzales, Education & Volunteer Manager Hello from your History Herald! “Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein. When you were a kid did you ever play “bones”? Ever wonder why dice (and often dominoes, which are also called “tiles”) are called “bones”? You guessed it! Because they were originally made…
Read More