Las Vegas (N.M.) -- Commerce

Scope and Content Collection consists of photocopies of historical documents and three original bound volumes pertaining to New Mexico businesses, 1850-1934. Historical documents (1850-1894) include military orders and forms of the occupying United States Army (1850-1883) and Henry Jenkins' handwritten and typescript account of his capture by Confederate forces in Mesilla on the Rio Grande (1863). Bound volumes (1911-1934) include: a ledger from the Las Vegas Coal Company (New Mexico), 1922; a daybook from the...

Abstract The account book is probably from a store in the Las Vegas, NM area. It records merchandise transactions, including customer name, items purchased, price for each item, and the total bill.

Scope and Content The collection includes bits of this commercial history as well as the history of Las Vegas. A letter from his brother-in-law and partner, Max Nordhaus, describes a flood of the Gallinas River in 1904. Among a number of speeches delivered by Charles Ilfeld is one given before the Las Vegas Woman's Club in 1924 which is of considerable interest for its autobiographical content. This material was originally owned by Louis Ilfeld, son of Charles, who had a deep interest in Las Vegas...