Governor Merritt C. Mechem Papers,
Collection
Identifier: 1959-098
Scope and Content
Collection consists of official papers of Governor Mechem. Correspondence concerns a variety of subjects, including conveyances of federal public lands, the fence controversy at Tesuque Pueblo, the possible creation of a national park on the Mescalero Indian Reservation, and Japanese immigration. Proclamations involve quarantines in response to several types of weevils. Special reports and investigations include the failure of the Santa Fe Bank, discrimination against Spanish-Americans at the Deming road camp, Ku Klux Klan activities, flood relief for Dona Ana County and the town of Lemitar, an alleged communist conspiracy at Clovis, and the Gallup coal strike. Penal papers include pardons, commutations, and paroles. Some pardons relate to Villistas involved in the raid on Columbus, New Mexico.
Dates
- 1908-1925 ( bulk 1921-1922)
Language of Materials
English.
Access Restrictions
None
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Biographical Note
Mechem was born at Ottawa, Kansas, October 10, 1870, the son of Homer and Martha Mechem. He attended Ottawa University, studied law at Kansas University, and was admitted to the bar at Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1895. Mechem migrated to New Mexico in 1903 and settled at Tucumcari. A Republican, Mechem's political offices included district attorney (1905-1907), member of the Territorial Council/Senate (1909-1911), and judge on the Territorial Supreme Court (1920-1921). He served as Governor of New Mexico from 1921 to 1923. Mechem's wife was Eleanor Francis O'Hier. He died on May 24, 1946.
Extent
9 linear feet + 1 v.
Organization
Collection is organized into eight series:
- I. Correspondence
- II. Oaths
- III. Appointments, resignations, proclamations, executive orders
- IV. Speeches
- V. Legislative papers
- VI. Reports to the Governor
- VII. Special reports and investigations
- VIII. Pardons and penal papers
General
Contact Information
- New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
- Archives and Historical Services Division
- 1205 Camino Carlos Rey
- Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
- Phone: 505-476-7908
- Fax: 505-476-7909
- Email: archives@rain.state.nm.us
- URL: http://www.state.nm.us/cpr/ahsd_top.htm
- Addresses
- Administrative agencies -- New Mexico
- Agricultural pests -- New Mexico
- Annual reports
- Columbus (N.M.) -- History
- Extradition -- New Mexico
- Floods -- New Mexico -- Dona Ana County
- Floods -- New Mexico -- Lemitar
- Governors -- New Mexico
- Homestead law -- New Mexico
- Japanese Americans -- Legal status, laws, etc.
- Ku Klux Klan (1915- )
- New Mexico -- Ethnic relations
- New Mexico -- Officials and employees
- New Mexico -- Politics and government -- 1848-1950
- Pardon -- New Mexico
- Proclamations
- Public lands -- New Mexico
- Pueblo Indians -- Land tenure
- Race discrimination -- New Mexico
- Rio Grande -- Water rights
- State government records
- Strikes and lockouts -- Coal mining -- New Mexico -- Gallup
- Tesuque Pueblo (N.M.)
- United States. Pueblo Lands Board
- Water rights -- New Mexico
- Title
- Inventory of the Governor Merritt C. Mechem Papers, 1908-1925 ( bulk 1921-1922)
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Date
- ©2000
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//New Mexico State Records Center and Archives//TEXT (US::Nm-Ar::1959-098::Governor Merritt C. Mechem Papers)//EN" "nmar1959-098.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives Repository