Transcription of interview (See CD 12 A in Box 5). Tape 12 A, Side 1, 1/23/2009
File — translation missing: en.enumerations.container_type.container: Box 1, Folder: 24
Scope and Contents
Notes taken from transcription. Lee and Ramona discussing photographs he had shown her, Lee at age 4 in cowboy hat with his grandfather. Lee mentions has grandfather, John Gunn and Pratt the surveyor all at Laguna wearing white shirts, suits and ties, also Marmon as a scout wears a suit, proper in those days. They were all from Ohio. Also dressed that way the day a former U.S. President – Coolidge - visited Laguna, at building next to the railroad, next to where Lee was born. Lee talks about going to California to see Chris, at Cosco, tells about his job and condo problem. Ramona comments on table Sheridan gave Libby Custer for her husband, wrong information for it at the Los Angeles museum and death date for Sitting Bull, but they never corrected it. Lee tells about a Union Civil War diary of his great uncle Marmon, in the Ohio Heavy Artillery, was captured by the Confederates. He came to New Mexico, Governor asked him to organize a group to go after Geronimo - the Marmon Battalion. The granddaughter’s daughter, Alice, and her husband, an Apache from Ruidoso, had it, she was Lee’s aunt, she also had signed copies of Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace, and a photograph of the scouts from 1881-1886 taken at the house behind his dark room, it had belonged to the Baptism Mission. That is where Marmon, Gunn and Pratt lived. Lee mentions one photograph of the scouts and horses ready to go out after Geronimo. Lee said Alice also had a register or a letter book from the time that the grandfather was governor of Laguna. CSWR UNM Mike Kelly got some of the historical material that Lee did have and Lee wants to give him more. Lee thinks the Apache husband might have donated the historical material to the Mescalero Apache museum. Lee’s grandfather Robert established the first post office at Laguna in 1875. Lee wanted to gather more historical material to add to his photograph collection at CSWR UNM and was going to ask the tribal about getting copies of what they had, if not already missing. Lee comments on the times when his father was treasurer of the tribe and his grandfather the governor, elections, January 6 meetings. Lee was at some of the meetings, advocated for a ballot system, which Laguna now has. Lee said he lived on tribal land, as an assignment, did not own it. Railroad paid for the land he lived on, grandfather paid for it $150.00 in 1917, the railroad had built the house he was in. Lee describes how his home was in 1920s-1930s and how it was remodeled, and other houses at Laguna where he had lived
Dates
- 1/23/2009
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: 7 boxes (3.5 cu. ft., plus 1 oversize folder)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Creator
- From the Collection: Caplan, Ramona (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451