Document text
JA.., 3 1935'
95
Redfield, Georgia B.
Words 384
MARTIN V, CORN
(GIVEN BY SON R. L. CORN)
',Ey father with his wife (who WES my mother) and the seven
of us first children, came to New Mexico from Texas in 1879. I
was five years old.
d We came in a caravan with four or five other families ,in covered
wagons.
"I never will forget that trip. I remember we had tin type
pictures taken, and after we got to New Mexico we made camp at
Seven Rivers and most of the men went on to toswell and Lincoln,
prospecting. While they were gone Hudson killed Ike Teeters
when they got into some kind of aggument.
"My father liked this part of the country so we settled
east of Roswell, on South Spring River, five miles southeast of
Roswell, just south of Lover's Lane. Fether set out the trees
of Lover's Lane, on the south side, and Oregon Bell set them out
on the North side, on what is now the L.F.D. Ranch, which Bell
owned and afterwads sold to John W. Poe.
"Pat Garrett contracted to have the 'd.c)bes and walls of our
house made. The house is still there0 You can see it looking
south from Lover's Lane,
"While we were waiting for our house to be built, all nine
of us lived in a dug out and one tent, and for a while in a sod
house on the creek" (South Spring River).
96
“In 1881 I went to school to Judge Rogers. He was the first
teacher in this part of the country and taught in 44 first
school built three miles out East Second Street. The school was a
one room dir• t roofed adobe. I afterwards went to Miss Sara Lund,
who is now Yrs. C.D. Bonney, who taught in a better and larger
building, built in 1885 across the Hondo a half mile southeast of
Roswell.
"In 1900 I vas married to Miss Maggie Bowden a teacher
and we have six sons Fred, Richard, Irwin, Alton, and twins
Donald and Roland. There ae ranches enough for all of them sPread
all over the country.
The Roswell people say the Corn men are bound to be ranchmen.
No matter how much education they get they finally go back to
ranching.
The children born to Father's first marriage to Mary Jane
Hampton were four girls Mary, Minty, Eva and Sally who was a baby
when we came to Yew Tlexico and four boys, John, Bob (that's me)
Mart, and George. George 'was born after we came to New Mexico.
'Fathers second marriage was to Julia McVicker on October
14, 1886.
yThe children of the second marriage were three girls, Minnie,
May and Lillian, and eight boys, Waid, Lee, Charlie, Jess, Roe,
Hub, Poe, and Clarence nineteen children in all and a few extra
ones our parents raised with us.
“The family has multiplied considerably and helped swell the
population of this part of New Mexico.
97
"Father died at the age of seventy-six years. He was
buried as he requested, at his "Eden Valley Ranch", twenty
miles north of Roswell."
Given in Interview By Son (4/14/37)
R. L. Corn 812 N. Richardson Ave., Roswell