Armijo and Abeytia Family Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of historical documents and other materials related to the history of the Armijo and Abeytia families of Socorro and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Documents span from the 1880s to the 1980s and include tax documents, records related to the transfer of property (quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds, etc.) and some family vital records. There is a handwritten family tree as well as notes on the family genealogy. The collection also includes business and tax records from a family business founded in the 1880s. A number of materials relate to Ernest Armijo, a professional gambler who helped set up card rooms in Las Vegas, Nevada. An important component of the collection concerns the historic Nicolas Ortiz house in Santa Fe. Margarita Armijo de Kennedy operated a boardinghouse here until the house was seized through eminent domain by the City of Santa Fe. The Nicolas Ortiz house later became part of the Hilton Hotel. The collection contains newspaper clippings from the 1960s related to this matter. The collection also includes about fifteen records associated with a property purchase in Santa Fe in the 1960s. These records include title documents, land assessments, tax documents, and records of sale to the State of New Mexico. The documents range from the 1960s-1970s.
The collection is currently undergoing processing; please consult with CSWR Reference Staff with questions and for access.
Dates
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1880 - 1985
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
The documents in this collection were collected and preserved by Margarita Armijo de Kennedy, her brother Ernest and their descendants. Margarita Armijo was born in 1910 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had three brothers, including younger brother, Ernest. In 1912, their father was committed to the state institution in Las Vegas, New Mexico; he died in 1913. Margarita later lived in California, where she met her first husband, Charles Eddy. They were married in 1929 and divorced in 1936. Margarita later married Merwin O. Kennedy; they divorced in 1950.
Margaret Armijo de Kennedy was a seamstress by trade. Her families, the Armijos and Abeytias of Socorro, New Mexico, were quite wealthy. Margaret’s uncles owned a jewelry store and several properties, and Margaret inherited the papers of her uncle, Francisco Abeytia, when he died. Margaret owned property in Socorro as well as in Santa Fe, where she operated a boardinghouse. In the 1970s, Margaret lost the boardinghouse in a much-publicized legal battle with the City of Santa Fe over eminent domain. This was the historic Nicolas Ortiz house, now a part of the Hilton Santa Fe. Margaret Armijo de Kennedy died in 1991 in California.
Extent
1 Box
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
B3-3A.
- Title
- Finding Aid of the
- Status
- In Progress
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
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