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New Deal Resources in New Mexico

New Mexico Governor Clyde Tingley, a close personal friend and political crony of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, wisely geared the federal New Deal programs used in the state to communities. His decision made it possible for many out-of-work families to stay in their home town and get a new job.

Nearly every town in New Mexico has a building, structure, artwork, roadway, park or infrastructure built between 1933 and 1942 that would not have been possible without the New Deal.

If there is a New Deal resource in your town that is not listed in the State Register or has not been recognized, we want to hear about it. By the end of 2008, HPD wants to round out its New Deal Register nominations so each of the 33 counties has at least one listed resource, which will result in there being more than 100 New Mexico New Deal resources listed.

Register nominations help make it possible to share stories about the people who have helped shape our history. HPD is looking for stories from people who experienced the Depression first hand or from the folks that have handed these stories down to families and friends.

The historical significance of the New Deal in New Mexico was established in a Multiple Property Documentation Form in 1994. HPD is seeking individuals to conduct research on unlisted New Deal resources to develop new nominations during the coming year. Please review the Multiple Property Documentation Form, and contact john.murphey@state.nm.us with information and stories about the New Deal in your community.

The City of Las Vegas Museum and Rough Rider Memorial Collection

Many buildings and facilities at Expo New Mexico are eligible to be listed in the State Register. These horse barns built by the WPA still are used today. Many of the Pueblo Revival-style buildings along the State Fair's "Main Street" also are used for art exhibits, community events, and other cultural activities for Albuquerque and the entire state. They are among numerous unregistered New Deal buildings found statewide that would benefit from historic designation.

One of a series of murals considered to be among the finest New Deal art in New Mexico. Completed in 1933 and 1934 by the "Fresco Quartet" of Emil Bisttram, Ward Lockwood, Victor Higgins and Bert Phillips, "Superfluous Laws Oppress" is one of several murals painted for the New Deal, Taos County Courthouse. The artists each were paid $56 a month for their work.