Museum Resources
LEARNING RESOURCES
The Three Wise Women of Santa Fe
by Laura Gonzales, Education & Volunteer Manager Hello from your History Herald! You may be familiar with the Paloheimo name, Leonora and Y.A., the founders of our museum, but did you know that Leonora comes from a line of pretty remarkable women? Eva Scott...
Curator’s Corner: The Pineapple
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections We continue on with our series about all good things that originated in the Western Hemisphere I present to you: the pineapple! The pineapple was indigenous to South America but spread wherever it could grow, which is a pretty...
History 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...
Curator’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...
Curator’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,...
Rollin’ 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...
Curator’s Corner: Yucca
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections We eat it, use it for fiber, use it for needles and awls, make sandals out of it, make soap out of it, we just love the many uses of Yucca! Yucca is the state plant of New Mexico — it grows throughout most of the Americas but...
Curator’s Corner: Spindle Whorls
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections Here is a little insight on an overlooked object, but one that helped keep us clothed for a very long time. Spindles are long sticks used to spin yarn, and the Spindle Whorl is the weighted piece at the end that helps maintain...
Curator’s Corner: Adobe—The Mud You Can Live In
by Amanda Mather, Curator of Collections Adobe — who doesn’t love the stuff? Talk about an easy-to-find resource — it’s literally everywhere. Adobe was the first construction material used by homo sapiens — to this day, 50% of the world’s people still live in some...
VOLUNTEER RESOURCES
Education in New Mexico and the Ratón Schoolhouse
This interpretation will concentrate upon the development of education in New Mexico from the 18th century through the late 19th century. Education was vital to New Mexico and there was a constant need for educators, Formal education at missions for Native...
La Tiendita, General Store
This little store would have served the needs of both ranch and local residents. After the opening of the Old Santa Fe Trail, residents were able to purchase some of the goods that had been previously absent or difficult to obtain—particularly tools and building...
Sorghum Presses and Mills
Presentation Goals Emphasize the theme of self-reliance among the region’s settlers during the colonial and territorial periods; Discuss the role of sorghum in the food supply of the ranch; Discuss (or illustrate and demonstrate) the extraction of juice from sorghum...
Where Buildings Came From
Country Store This building from Las Trampas, NM was acquired from Mr. Jose Martinez of Vallecito, NM in 1969. At one point in the early 1900s it was a store/post office (a common feature in rural New Mexico) run by Jose Medina. He sold the store to two brothers, Jose...
VIRTUAL LEARNING
Buffalo Gourd
This indigenous species from the squash family grows throughout Northern Mexico, Western and Southwestern United States. If you are lucky enough to live in the West then you have surely seen this plant. It grows on the side of the road all summer, sending out long...
El Bacin: The Chamber Pot
Chamber pots and privies! Were they used by the early Spaniards in the Southwest? To what degree did the colonial settlers imitate the Pueblo Indians in their careful removal of waste? Learn more about this "Unmentionable Subject"
Arbuckle’s Coffee
A display of Arbuckle’s can be found at our General Store, or "Tiendita,"" here at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. Arbuckle’s coffee would have been found in many a general store all over the country, but particularly in the West. Learn more about this "Cowboy Coffee"...
The Sunflower
The Helianthus annuus, or Annual Sunflower, loves to grow in disturbed soil, so you often see it in newly dug up land or on the side of the road. If you drive around New Mexico in August or September you are bound to see many of these wild sunflowers. Learn more...
Adobe
Synonymous with Santa Fe and known for staying cool in the summer and warm in the winter, Adobe was the first construction material used by humans, and to this day 50% of the world's population still live in some form of adobe housing! Learn about the history of Adobe.
The Spanish Barb Horse
The unusual history of this breed began in North Africa, the home of the Berbers. The long occupation of Spain by the invading warrior horsemen from North Africa brought about the creation of a superior horse. The agile desert bred African Barb horse was crossed with...
Churro Sheep
Here at El Rancho de las Golondrinas we have a large animal family. Our biggest group is our flock of Churro Sheep, who are key in our "sheep to blanket" program. Our talented weavers turn Churro wool into beautiful textile art using traditional techniques! The Churro...
Burros Glossary
Compiled by Volunteer, Larry Marken Burro taxonomically, Equus asinus; a burro is a smaller (usually) equine of African ancestry (probable descent from the Nubian wild ass) which has been an invaluable draft animal in the American Southwest, most notably as a cargo...
Bizcochitos: New Mexico’s State Cookie!
The New Mexico state cookie, an anise and cinnamon-scented delight, and is delicious during any season, but particularly around Christmas time! Learn more about this delicious treat! Try this recipe from New Mexico Magazine! Makes about 6 dozen medium-size cookies 5...
