Pioneers Foundation (New Mexico) Oral History Collection
Collection
Identifier: MSS-123-BC
Scope and Content
The collection consists of oral history interviews with nineteenth century settlers of New Mexico. It includes 520 reel-to-reel audiotapes and 385 typed transcripts of interviews with ranchers, miners, hunters, sheriffs, naturalists, archeologists and journalists, mostly from the Silver City area. Interviewees recall everyday life and important events from the 1860s to the 1950s. Interviews were conducted by Lou Blachly, a founding member of the Pioneers Foundation. The collection includes personal reminiscences from John B. Baley, Henry Brock, J. Stokley Ligon, Burton Mossman, Marvin Powe, Agnes Meader Snider, Montague Stevens, A.J. Stockbridge, Marietta Wetherill, Wayne Whitehill, and Wayne Wilson, among others. Also included in this collection are tapes of Lou Blachly reading from his diaries, 1939-57, and reporting on the work of the Pioneers Foundation.
A few tapes are in Spanish, all others in English.
Not all tapes have been transcribed.
No referent for footnote indicator in contents list.
Additional reels of microfilm were added to this collection in 2004. These reels contain many of Lou Blachly's personal papers which he had microfilmed and subsequently gave to the University of New Mexico Library. Blachly also recorded himself reading many of the same personal papers. Those recordings are included in the contents list of the collection. The papers were not microfilmed and recorded in the same order. The location of the original papers is unknown.
A few tapes are in Spanish, all others in English.
Not all tapes have been transcribed.
No referent for footnote indicator in contents list.
Additional reels of microfilm were added to this collection in 2004. These reels contain many of Lou Blachly's personal papers which he had microfilmed and subsequently gave to the University of New Mexico Library. Blachly also recorded himself reading many of the same personal papers. Those recordings are included in the contents list of the collection. The papers were not microfilmed and recorded in the same order. The location of the original papers is unknown.
Dates
- 1952-1960
Creator
- Pioneers Foundation (New Mexico) (Organization)
Language of Materials
English Spanish
Access Restrictions
Transcripts must be accessed via microfilm (CSWR F801 P56 1960). Not all tapes have been transcribed.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of print and photographic material is allowed for research purposes. Duplication of recordings permitted only with written permission from artist, performer, interviewer and interviewee, tribal authority, or current holder of intellectual property rights. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws.
History
The Pioneers Foundation was founded 1951 in Silver City, New Mexico to secure reminiscences of older residents of Grant County and other areas of New Mexico and Colorado. Initiated by Lou Blachly, the Foundation was supported by private donations. Blachly conducted the interviews, many of which were transcribed by his assistant, Joan (Hotchkiss) Strachanowski.
Extent
13 Boxes (13 cu. ft.)
Microfilm Edition
Transcripts available on microfilm: ZIM CSWR F 801 P56 1960, for use in repository only. Note: Not all tapes have transcripts.
Separated Material
Master reel to reel tapes located in B3. Master audio files on library server.
Microfilm of Personal Papers
Lou Blachly had many of his personal papers microfilmed. Subsequently, he gave that microfilm to the University of New Mexico Library. Blachly also recorded himself reading many of the same personal papers. Those recordings are listed in the Contents List of the Pioneers Foundation Oral History Collection. The papers were not filmed and recorded in the same order. The location of the original papers is unknown.
The following is a guide to Blachly's personal papers on microfilm. It also includes one reel of correspondence of Montague Stevens. The film is cataloged under the call number ZIM CSWR F 801 P56 1960 reels 9-13. Reels 1-8 contain the transcripts of the Pioneers Foundation Oral History Collection.
The following is a guide to Blachly's personal papers on microfilm. It also includes one reel of correspondence of Montague Stevens. The film is cataloged under the call number ZIM CSWR F 801 P56 1960 reels 9-13. Reels 1-8 contain the transcripts of the Pioneers Foundation Oral History Collection.
Reel 9:
- Letters of Barbara Blachly (daughter) Oct. 7, 1950 - Feb. 14, 1956.
- Letters of William Blachly (son) May 11, 1941 - May 21, 1956.
- Diaries of Lou Blachly, Jan. 2, 1950, Santo Domingo, NM - Sept. 1954, Takoma Park, MD.
Reel 10:
- Starts on page 33 of diary [April 1954?] - Jan. 6, 1955, Santo Domingo, NM (last legible date)
- Photographs, unidentified
Reel 11:
- New Mexico and Colorado newspapers, single issues of various titles,1886 - 1895
- Letters, reports and diaries of Lou Blachly, May 25, 1943 - August 26, 1945, mostly from North Africa.
- Family letters, May 1941 - October 10, 1950
Reel 12:
- Verses by Lou Blachly, 1941 - 1953
- Letters, reports and diaries of Lou Blachly, May 25, 1943 - Dec. 19, 1946, mostly North Africa and Germany.
- Diary and songs, April 11, 1949 - Nov. 11, 1951, Magdalena and Albuquerque, some out of chronological order.
Reel 13:
- Letters of Montague Stevens, March 13, 1896, Denver - March 24, 1896, Albuquerque.
Box Inventory for Compact Discs
| Tapes 1-124 | Box 1 |
| Tapes 125-283 | Box 2 |
| Tape 284-432 | Box 3 |
| Tape 433-520, 890 | Box 4 |
Processing Information
Original tapes reformatted to CD in 2010-2011.
There are no CDs for reels 154, 181, 218 (reels were blank); or 41-42 (duplicates of 40), 47 (same as 254), 181, 218, 246, 290, 352 (same as 353), 360 (same as 359), 370 (same as 298), 501 (same as 6)
There are no CDs for reels 154, 181, 218 (reels were blank); or 41-42 (duplicates of 40), 47 (same as 254), 181, 218, 246, 290, 352 (same as 353), 360 (same as 359), 370 (same as 298), 501 (same as 6)
- Baley, John B., 1851-
- Blachly, Lou
- Brock, Henry, 1867-
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Colorado
- Frontier and pioneer life -- New Mexico
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Texas
- Grant County (N.M.) -- Anecdotes
- Grant County (N.M.) -- History
- Ligon, J. Stokley
- Mossman, Burton C., 1867-1956
- Oral histories
- Powe, Marvin, 1875-
- Snider, Agnes Meader
- Stevens, Montague, 1859-1953
- Stockbridge, Jack, 1873-
- Wetherill, Marietta, 1876-1954
- Whitehill, Wayne, 1872-
- Wilson, Wayne
Creator
- Pioneers Foundation (New Mexico) (Organization)
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Pioneers Foundation (New Mexico) Oral History Collection, 1952-1960
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by CSWR Staff
- Date
- ©2000
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 123 BC::Pioneers Foundation (New Mexico) Oral History Collection)//EN" "nmu1mss123bc.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 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