The Tularosa Ditch Wars

Acequia in Tularosa, New Mexico

I've talked before about the Tularosa acequias and the battles between the Spanish-speaking Tularosa settlers and the Mescalero Apache.  

Marc Simmons, a New Mexico historian tells the story of the Tularosa Ditch Wars, which were waged between the same settlers and English-speaking later-comers, who stole their water upstream.

Here's Mr. Simmons' story, printed in the Santa Fe New Mexican. An excerpt:

... in the early 1860s, a new band of Hispanic pioneers arrived. They were from the Mesilla Valley and El Paso, where a Rio Grande flood had washed away their homes and fields. Wanting a new start and willing to work for it, they founded the community of Tularosa. Other settlers from Socorro soon established the neighboring village of La Luz.

The people built adobe homes, dug irrigation ditches to tap the river and organized a municipal government with an alcalde, or mayor. They also had occasional run-ins with the Mescaleros.

But life was generally serene, and the desert blossomed with orchards and a huge vineyard. Travelers considered Tularosa an oasis.

Trouble loomed on the horizon, however. ..... 

Water still gets stolen in New Mexico, I hear, and not too far from Alamogordo, either. Could just be rumor, though.

Tularosa, New Mexico: Shade Trees and Roses

Tularosa, New Mexico

Whereas there's no doubt Alamogordo is in the high desert, just 13 miles away is shady, tree-lined Tularosa.

Tularosa, New Mexico

I'm told that Alamogordo would be just as oasis-like as Tularosa, but for the fact it did away with its acequia system long ago, while Tularosa still has (some of) its system.

True or false or more complicated? Don't know.

Tularosa, New Mexico

If you swing through Tularosa on Highways 54 and 70 without stopping, you see a promise of its seductions - like a bit of ankle showing in Victorian English times - when you pass by San Francis de Paula's lush campus.

Tularosa, New Mexico

You wouldn't guess at the loveliness of the residential houses and yards behind the front lines of shops.











There's a trade-off. With the haven of mature trees, the nearby Sacramento Mountains recede into the background, whereas in Alamogordo they are as equal residents of the city.


A Tularosa slide show:

About the name, Tularosa. Its origin has nothing to do with roses, but the inhabitants have surrendered to the inevitable assumption and now calls itself the city of roses. Indeed, roses of all colors run promiscuously throughout the village.

An acquaintance of mine relocated here from Santa Fe for some very practical reasons: Tularosa shares some of the same charms as Santa Fe - traditional New Mexican architecture, proximity to mountains, and an arts community (albeit small) - while being far more economical to live because of lower real estate prices and energy costs. Being in southwestern New Mexico, Tularosa's winters are milder than in Santa Fe or Taos. I would add that one will find a much narrower income disparity amongst Tularosa residents than amongst Santa Fe or Taos residents.

La Luz: A Fading Light

La Luz, New Mexico

La Luz, which means "light" in Spanish, is just outside Alamogordo. A tiny town, it has its charms and its sadness.

I was here a couple of years ago on a road trip with my mother, and I returned yesterday. 

Its Presidio Plaza, which has the bones of a fine park, has fallen into weedy decay. The housing that surrounds the park ranges from meth-lab decrepitude to renovated beauty.

La Luz, New Mexico

  

A large, red Doberman loped out to the road when I turned around near his house. Several households had signs on their gates: "Warning: Security dog."

I saw a flash of orange as I passed one house. Persimmons?! I turned around and parked in front of the house. A man parked his truck across the street and I asked if this was, indeed, a persimmon tree before my eyes. Yes.

Ahhh, persimmons. An immediate flashback to Caucasus Georgia.  There, when they are entirely ripe in the fall, the leaves fall off the trees, leaving only the delectable round orange fruits to decorate the naked branches.

Persimmons in La Luz, New Mexico

Maybe some will begin to appear at the local farmers' markets? Do New Mexicans dry their persimmons like they do in Georgia? If not, a pity.

The Catholic Church in La Luz is the town's centerpiece.

La Luz, New Mexico

La Luz, New Mexico

La Luz, New Mexico

La Luz, New Mexico

Across the road from the church is a splendiferous garden enclosed by various kinds of fencing. Many, many hours of labor went into this huge yard. 

La Luz, New Mexico

La Luz, New Mexico

I had a chance to look at La Luz' ditch system, also known as acequia, a watering system that goes back centuries. I'll write more on that in the future. 

Acequia in La Luz, New Mexico

Acequia in La Luz, New Mexico

I don't know where La Luz is in its life cycle - on the way down? Up? Stagnant? There is much to commend it - pretty lanes, the remains of a beautiful park that could be revived (much like those in Rustavi), mature trees that provide shady oases, an anchoring church complex.  Maybe as I live here longer, I'll learn about this from residents.