Between the Lines: Culture and Cartography on the Road to Statehood
An exhibit on display at the Governor's Gallery in the State Capitol Building - 4th Floor in Santa Fe until May 2012

Statehood 1912-2012

A Constitutional Map of New Mexico

 A Constitutional Map of New Mexico
 A Constitutional Map of New Mexico

New Mexico’s several attempts to gain statehood in the nineteenth century failed. Concerns were that the territory was too Catholic, too Mexican, too Indian, too uneducated, too underpopulated, or too Spanish speaking. If that was not enough, Congress also attempted to keep a balance between states that favored or rejected slavery. By 1910, the territory was again hopeful to gain full statehood, and the publishers produced a map of New Mexico surrounded with 86 (of 100) Delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
Map of the State of New Mexico with Portraits of Delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Lithograph, Trinidad, Colorado: The Lithgraph Map Pub. Co., 1910. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 E 1910

Map of the State of New Mexico

 Map of the State of New Mexico

President William H. Taft "gave New Mexico life" on January 6, 1912 when granting statehood. The first official statehood map depicted borders of counties, infrastructure, and topographical features of the new state. [Better image will be uploaded as soon as available]
I.P. Berthrong, State of New Mexico. Washington, DC: Eckert Lithographical Co., 1912. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 1912

Motoring the State

 Motoring the State

With the growing popularity of the automobile as well as the completion of the United States’ "Mother Road" -- Route 66, which until 1937 ran through Santa Fe -- New Mexico became increasingly a tourist destination. Gasoline stations provided free maps with attractive advertisement covers suggesting the fun of driving and exploring recreational activities and points of interests.
New Mexico Standard Oil Map. Chicago: M.H. Gousha Co., 1936. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 PB 1936

Indian Detours

 Indian Detours

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad allowed its travelers the opportunity to interrupt their trips in New Mexico for excursions by motor coach. Travelers, for instance, could disembark trains in Santa Fe (Lamy), visit the northern New Mexico pueblos and other cultural attractions and then return for a later train in Albuquerque. These opportunities were called “Indian Detours.” The map provided by the railroad pointed out the attractions available to visitors, often with dated, stereotyped graphic icons.
B.C. Broome, Off the Beaten Path by Motor. N.p.: Santa Fe System Lines, 1932. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 P 1935

The Land of Enchantment: Vacationland

 The Land of Enchantment: Vacationland

Vacation maps pointing out recreational attractions in New Mexico became increasingly stylish in the 1950s. Here, historical and contemporary attractions evoked what was now called the "Land of Enchantment."
Webb Young, Vacation Map of New Mexico Land of Enchantment. N.p.: n.p., 1954. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 E 1954

The U.S. Government in New Mexico

 The U.S. Government in New Mexico

The federal government holds 32.4 million acres (41.7 percent) of land in New Mexico and as such is an important participant in preservation and distribution of natural resources. Its national forests are also recreational resources. Lincoln National Forest is best known for the 1950 fire rescue of Smokey Bear, who subsequently became the mascot of the United States Forest Service, educating the public about the dangers of forest fires.
Recreation Map Lincoln National Forerst. Albuquerque: Forest Service, 1958. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 K 1959

New Mexico's Counties

 New Mexico's Counties
 New Mexico's Counties

Valencia was originally created by the Republic of Mexico and, along with Doña Ana, designated in 1852 as one of the nine original counties by the territorial legislature. By 1915, additional counties had been formed, such as San Juan (1887) and Otero (1899). Since statehood, seven additional counties were formed. Often the county names refer to historical figures or place names.
New Mexico Counties. N.p.: n.p., 1915. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 F 1915

The Governor's Roadmap

 The Governor's Roadmap

With the increasing importance of tourism as a source of income and civic pride, the state developed road maps with inviting images and greetings. It was most likely Governor John E. Miles who initiated the tradition of having a gubernatorial greeting and portrait accompany recreational and road maps. Governor Miles called our state a “restful” place, while current Governor Susana Martinez points toward its "rich heritage and beauty."
Recreational Map of New Mexico Land of Enchantment. Santa Fe: New mexico State Tourism Bureau, 1941. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 E 1941

New Mexico's Railroads

 New Mexico's Railroads

New Mexico has a long and colorful history of railroad development since 1879 when the New Mexico and Southern Pacific Railroad entered New Mexico north of Raton. While the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Denver Rio Grande Railroad (Chili Line) are the best-known railroad companies, New Mexico featured 121 standard and narrow-gauge railroads that helped connect the fifth largest state in the Union.
New Mexico Railroad Map. Santa Fe: Department of Transportation, 2000. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 PA 2001

The Rail Runner

 The Rail Runner

The latest addition to New Mexico’s transportation system bringing major urban centers closer together and attempting to alleviate crowded interstate highways is the New Mexico Rail Runner. Following the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway track, it runs between Belen and Santa Fe. The tracks north of Santa Fe are currently used by Amtrak and freight companies such as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
New Mexico Rail Runner. Santa Fe: Department of Transportation, 2009. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 PA 2009

Touch New Mexico

 Touch New Mexico

What started out with two-dimensional topographical maps of New Mexico by Lt. Wheeler in the 1860s has developed into three-dimensional maps created from satellite imagery showing the rivers and mountainous terrain of New Mexico.
New Mexico. Chippewa Falls, WI: Hubbard Scientific, 1994. Fray Angélico Chávez History Library NMHM, Map Collection, 78.9 C 1994