Document text
Simpson,7*rs.r
--7•30.--
Personal interview with mrs. Nettie Looks.
SEP 11936
Mr. *illiam Looks and his were "Nettle Look., now some SO years
01 age, with their childrenon Marah 19, 1679 started tram "Own. Burr EsnOe *ear
Florence0olorado, to 'twits in the 3an Juan nasin,near the Jur:43U= of the Jan Juan and
Animas Rivers,teme-County,Nex Uexioo. They travelled in a four horse wagon and a
drawn by two horse:1,4.nd were just thirteen days on the road. They crossed Red mountain
and camped that nignt with a brother of Mr. Looke,who lived in that valley's:1nd worked
slowly over toward Alamosa. The night they made camp near that town they were so near a sheep
camp that Clay took turns to keep guard all night to ward off Noxious Sheep herders who were
said to have made way with some campers not lung before. They were 'known to be an ugly lot,
hence their caution. Traveling on to their new looation,they finally cams into Largo
°ammonite near their goal. They made their last camp in trils 3panesh aAmerioan settlement
and found these people most friendly.
In seeking fresh ogee and milk from them.the fact
that mr.Laoke spoke 3panish freely seemed to give U-asm an open sesame to their homes and
Itregr-Ise•Smssoki,APeemmbers
ME'S, Leek*. 7711 remembers the friendliness extended to them in giving thorn Che'shelter et
he nightesaying it was too oild Zor the baby to sleep outside. Also Ism
them
gave good care to their tirJd horses, nd startesioff on the .L,.st leg of their journey well
supplied with rame of th b.f they just be lutehering. This was in sharp contrast to
the type of jPanish Mexicans enoountered near Almmosa. '2Was but a short distamoe from
Largo to the junetion of the Jan Juan and Las ulnas rivers ,and in a few days Mr.and are.
Leeks were established in a tares roam house of "pole" oonstruction,where the Sareington
rair °rounds are now located. This was au Improvement on camping,to be sure,but xrs.Loaks
was sorely dissapointed "that the roams had no floors. I couldn't put the baby down down
in the dirt." ;,:r. Look. found her in tears about it, so to oonsole her he hastily oovere?
one flocA. with nay and put a Navajo rug an the hay when, the baby sat and played in °lea/alines?
SimpsonoMrs.,L.T.i.
a --700a-(2) Personal Interview with ure.wettie Looks.
This room had a fireplaoe in it for heating,the kitchen was heated by a 000kastove which
they had brought with them and of which they were justly proud. The third room had UD heat.
Before long They were able to floor one roomovhere the fire place was,for the balk; to play in
and soon after Nki fite4k, ki the kitohen was partially floored,that is the part that held the
This was not a very desirable looation as it was too low and dump,espeoially
000kstove•
in ridny weatherorhen it was almost a waremp,so,for
scare they moved nearer to the town which was highs
this reason and because of an Indian
r ground. mrs. Locke exhibited a IL x 1
photograph of what the town was in the very early days which was quite tatristedio
In the foreground to the right,was the muoh talked of 18x64 sohool-hJase,then a one -room
structure,which is to -day a twostory, nine roomed house,bearing no resemblanoe to the
sohoolahousee To the left was a big open space,then a tent next to a small adobe building
looation
now gone UltOptherobUt was the gamma of the Bowman drug store where there was a holdanp
some time later
and on the north side of "Mai L atroot" oould plainly be seen the long
na-rrow roof of to first business block ,"The markley Building",beyond the two small
stores
just east of it, all OW OltimAizip, In the center baokground was the home of
rr. Oliver mo Gorden,the man who named Farmington, This Was the adobe house now awned and
acoupied by Mrs.Lorena Mahany, and tha home of the Farmington Library.
lr.mo Gordon Was a wan of uncertain temper,and one dayovhen in a ragephe shot
and killed his wife and was hung for it.
In the fartherest north-west corner of the photograph eould be seen the tall
tress on the liarkley tstate,nearly a mile away,noe the home ofR.T.F.dimpson.
In the center or near foreground were a few people a -foot and on horse -beak,
and an open ditch with ice in it. There was nothing else in the picture khml eaoept the
wide open speeesoof very rough ground,some water or mud in the street 1110,!Vggedafith
bee with considerable space given to a clear sky.
Slaps onArs. T. F.
3 -?00- (.5)
Personal interview with hrs. Nettie Leeks.
Ur Look, see out his first fruit trees on June ..na,/sso. This was km
neeleus of what later became the largest orahard in the Jen Juan County.
)r. Looke's first alfalfa seed WaS a gift fron the friendly
apaniah Americans in Largo Canyon. It was a tohaeoo saak fall of the seed and from this
small laantity he,in later yeara,he 133d lane pantitioe of Alfalfa.
?Dom litur bee -hives from Oannon lity, Oolocado, was started ti e bee-oultare
in the oountyiwhieh sou beeaiLe the property of mra.LoWse. Jhe leazned to '),1-rulle them
aad was never stung,and from tease four hives sha supplied many people ev the Talley
with tees. And this she told with oousiderable pride. The orohards,alfelfa fields and the
eloome or wild bee weed farniahed plenty of pasture for the bees.
Vrb.Lookets chickens were suoh good layers there was considerable income
from the eggs; especially in the winter when they were somewhat scarce ,and one winter
they brought her in a dollar a dosen.her one regret being they went to the "White Rouse
Sateen". HOwliveroaloon or no saloon she could not resist that price.
Urs. Locke is the mother of 14 ohildren.a little woman with pure white
hairooft roi0e.pleasinsmanner and clear memory.but so frail with As burden of her BO
or more years her sirengnt gave out in less that an hour, therefore here ends till
history she gar(' me of her first years in Farmington.
anat.
WO*, of imformation
ursorettie Locke, wauaflow. New Mexico.