tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post3325393328658695991..comments2024-03-28T20:15:56.227-05:00Comments on CITY OF DUST: Almost Gone: Jicarilla, New Mexicojmhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-83846321931814454042024-02-11T12:53:10.906-06:002024-02-11T12:53:10.906-06:00I’m Jerry Fennell’s grandson. I never got the chan...I’m Jerry Fennell’s grandson. I never got the chance to meet him. And chance we could connect so i can learn more about him?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-51189584482546189462022-10-13T10:09:12.787-05:002022-10-13T10:09:12.787-05:00He was my dadHe was my dadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-32710709197626467612022-10-06T23:36:21.559-05:002022-10-06T23:36:21.559-05:00It is tragic that the Forest Service has not kept ...It is tragic that the Forest Service has not kept their agreement to maintain the historic buildings and has let them go to ruin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-81553623788166615142022-10-06T23:33:54.143-05:002022-10-06T23:33:54.143-05:00I lived in White Oaks in the mid 1980s. I was a fr...I lived in White Oaks in the mid 1980s. I was a friend of the then mail carrier who delivered mail in the rural area of White Oaks all the way to Jicarilla delivering mail to the Davis family. They were living in the same buildings as Jerry Fennel did in later years. <br />Knowing Jerry in the years before and after the fight with the Forest Service. His passion for justice never stopped. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-23611925900314820062021-11-20T22:50:52.477-06:002021-11-20T22:50:52.477-06:00I was a friend of Jerry fenelle my old rottweiler ...I was a friend of Jerry fenelle my old rottweiler Duke come from Jerry fenelleAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07229247239737102980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-30097213083806824082019-11-05T23:45:17.694-06:002019-11-05T23:45:17.694-06:00Thanks for the tip, 505native! I took a look aroun...Thanks for the tip, 505native! I took a look around the old Google and couldn't find that article. Can you shoot me a link?<br /><br />Thanks again! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-34847559103118129102019-01-12T02:33:32.925-06:002019-01-12T02:33:32.925-06:00Gold is there ....if you search Couple finds about...Gold is there ....if you search Couple finds about 18k in Jicarilla, look it up in the Albuquerque Journal. 505nativehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02166793319057799491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-34847283233226626702018-02-26T00:51:01.501-06:002018-02-26T00:51:01.501-06:00Hi James, new to the prospecting game and about to...Hi James, new to the prospecting game and about to buy a goldbug 2. What would you recommend for a coil to use up in that area? Would kove to give it a shot up there? Any chance of getting permission from you to do some nugget shooting on your claims? Being new and never having do e it, any chance of meeting up with you and hitting it together sometime?<br /><br />Zach<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12219541893208049523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-71381703743292370242015-10-26T18:39:13.824-05:002015-10-26T18:39:13.824-05:00Thanks for sharing some more of your family histor...Thanks for sharing some more of your family history, Mr. Ward. Of course, right off the bat I was very interested to learn that your great-grandmother was a friend of Susan McSween Barber, Alexander McSween's widow. If only we could've listened in on some of their conversations. On the other hand, maybe folks shied away from talking about the Lincoln County War and its actors by that point.<br /><br />It's also striking that two men who were on the beaches in Normandy live so close to each other in remote, rural New Mexico. I believe I'd heard that the man in Ancho is quite elderly, perhaps some years older than Claude Hobbs. That's quite a thing. If you ever learn the name of him, please do pass it along. I'd be happy to know it.<br /><br />Thanks again! JM jmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-37206905287627633982015-10-23T16:39:09.234-05:002015-10-23T16:39:09.234-05:00JM,
I talked with my father, James E. Johnson (my ...JM,<br />I talked with my father, James E. Johnson (my step father). I asked him just a few things about his family. His grand parents, James Harvey and Lillian Mae Kimmons were married in Eldorado, Tx. in 1902. James was from San Saba,Tx,., and Lillian was from Eldorado, Tx.. They drove cattle through Ft. Stockton, Tx. to Alamagordo,NM. She handled the Wagon and he handled the cattle. They arrived in Alamagordo on Christmas day in 1902. One of the first people his grandmother met and became friends with was Susan McSween Barber. My fathers mother was born Viora Kimmons in 1906. HIs father was born Wayne Johnson in 1898. I'm not sure the date that his father and mother got married. When he was born in Ancho, NM in 1927, his father and his partner Lowell Hobbs had a service statioin/garage/mail service. My grandfather was a mechanic. They also had a bus line that ran from Ancho,NM.m to a small town south of El Paso,Tx.. My grand father and his partner took turns each week to drive the route. My dad said thaqt they moved from Ancho around 1930, to Tularosa where his sister was born. He said that around 1935, they moved to Alamagordo where his brother was born.During our last trip in Sept. 2015, we went to White Oak to meet Karen at the old school house. When we got there, we got to meet Claude Hobbs. We toured and looked around the school and got to talk with Mr. Hobbs quite a bit. While us brothers were looking and being taken aback by what we saw, my dad was talking with Claude. They apparently talked about some of the people they either knew or knew about. Claude is not the same person that we met in Ancho in 2012. This man was also in some of the same areas that Claude was in during the war. My dad had mentioned to him about the Straley family, that were apparently well known back in that earlier time. The man mentioned that he was married to a Straley daughter. My dad has family that are buried in the Luna cemetery, which is about 6 miles east of Ancho. He also has family (Kimmons), in the cemetery in Pinion,NM.. ON the September 2015 trip, we went there and cleaned up the the grave sites. When we left Pinion, we decided the take the "Owen Prather Highway" from Pinon to Highway 54, just north of Tularosa. After that, we headed to Alamagordo for the night and then back to Texas. I'm still trying to get with Karen Mills as to the name of the man she first told us about, that we met in Ancho. Mike Ward GuestGuestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-72292468935143674702015-10-19T18:12:06.750-05:002015-10-19T18:12:06.750-05:00I'm very pleased to get your comment, Mike War...I'm very pleased to get your comment, Mike Ward! I don't hear from many people with family connections to Ancho. Have you considered documenting the regional history that your father knows? Not many people are out there with that kind of deep, first-hand knowledge of the area. I imagine you came across my <a href="http://cityofdust.blogspot.com/2012/09/hitting-bricks-ancho-new-mexico.html" rel="nofollow">post on Ancho</a>.<br /><br />Do you recall if the man you met in Ancho was Claude Hobbs? He was part of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, but I thought he lived in Carrizozo. I knew there was still one resident in Ancho, but that would be most interesting if it was him. Mr. Hobbs sometimes gives tours of the old school in White Oaks, which he attended in the 1920's/1930's. You can hear a fascinating interview with him <a href="http://www.glntv.tv/dgnetworks/archive/TyVCMCVFRSVCMg==/Claude-Hobbs-A-Cowboy's-Legacy" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.<br /><br />Many thanks! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-33809907512827409612015-10-18T11:47:19.470-05:002015-10-18T11:47:19.470-05:00My dad was born in Ancho in 1927. He was born in t...My dad was born in Ancho in 1927. He was born in the old store that was I believe owned by the Straley family. His family later moved to Alamagordo. HIs little sister Joyce, who now lives in Long Island, NY, was born in Tularosa. His little brother was born in Alamagordo. Dad left school at 17, to join the navy in late 1944. He later joined the army and also fought in Korea and Veit Nam. He remembers so much of the history of the area that is mindboggling to me and my brothers and sisters. In 2012, my brother Alan, myself and my brother-in-law Carson took my dad on a bucket list trip back to the area. We drove all over Alamagordo, Carrizozo, Pinion, Ancho and more of the surrounding area. When we stopped in Ancho, we met up with a retired miltary man that had fought in Europe and was part of the D-Day invasion. He was the only one living in Ancho. My brother took him back on another trip in 2014. They went on the Jicarilla mountain road, visited family grace sites in Luna and Pinion. Visited White Oak and the lava sites (MalPais). All three of us took him on a recent trip in September 2015. Two weeks later, my brother in law and his wife (our little sister) took him again and visited Lincoln and some other areas of interst, mainly to still look again at old family sites. On all four of these trips, we visited with Karen Mills who heads up the historical history information on Lincoln County. Mike Ward Mike Wardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-4697187909512161072014-01-22T12:26:36.806-06:002014-01-22T12:26:36.806-06:00Okay, I'll "encode" my e-mail addres...Okay, I'll "encode" my e-mail address and you can add the punctuation. That should avoid the spambots: jmhouse(at)cityofdust(dot)com.<br /><br />As for me, I'm just a ghost town aficionado, photographer, and (amateur) historian and this website is my main outlet. It's probably clear that what I know about mineral rights and open claims around Jicarilla wouldn't fill a thimble. My piece wasn't meant to chiefly be about Mr. Fennell at all, but that part of the story, which I at first learned about from <a href="http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2003/03/01/saving-what-left-jicarilla" rel="nofollow">this article</a>, is usually what I get comments about. Of course, if you visit ghost towns in NM you're going to encounter mining history. <br /><br />If you know the area, you might be interested in my post on Ancho, as well. You can see that <a href="http://cityofdust.blogspot.com/2012/09/hitting-bricks-ancho-new-mexico.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>. I hope to get back to White Oaks and do a proper piece on that town, too.<br /><br />Best, JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-56063311868834060672014-01-22T05:11:15.083-06:002014-01-22T05:11:15.083-06:00Thanks,,,, I know about that stuff. . who are you?...Thanks,,,, I know about that stuff. . who are you? your email does not work for me..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-15622632558890970542014-01-21T17:49:32.037-06:002014-01-21T17:49:32.037-06:00Just some more info--it does seem that Mr. Fennell...Just some more info--it does seem that Mr. Fennell still owns his claims but has not worked them for many years. More <a href="http://dustyroad1.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/historic-jicarilla-mining-district/" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>. JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-33674605921117785052014-01-21T17:34:45.332-06:002014-01-21T17:34:45.332-06:00Hi Anonymous,
Mr. Fennell's claim--and all of...Hi Anonymous,<br /><br />Mr. Fennell's claim--and all of what was Jicarilla, actually--is now inside the Lincoln National Forest, which is managed by the USDA Forest Service. If Mr. Fennell couldn't cover the reclamation bond associated with his operation plan, I assumed those mineral rights would have reverted to (perhaps if taxes weren't paid) or been bought by the Forest Service. Or they may simply be open claims that Mr. Fennell can't afford to work. Someone above commented to that effect and it may well be the case. In addition to the reclamation bond issue, Mr. Fennell was also told that he couldn't live on the claim, as he had been doing, because it was federal land.<br /><br />However, it's now over a decade ago that Mr. Fennell was attempting to re-secure his mineral rights and I don't know if anything has changed since then. I have never spoken with Mr. Fennell, but I was in touch with Mr. Boydd at one time. He definitely still owns claims in Jicarilla but I am unclear as to whether these were Mr. Fennell's or other claims belonging to Mr. Boydd's family. My interest lies in the ghost town of Jicarilla and what remains of its few historic buildings.<br /><br />In an attempt to avoid spambots, I don't post my e-mail in comments. However, if you have other questions, go to "view my complete profile" above and, on the next page, click on "e-mail" under "contact me." The e-mail address you'll be shown is current.<br /><br />Best, JM jmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-11873219692108868302014-01-21T00:58:34.143-06:002014-01-21T00:58:34.143-06:00I did not think anyone would reply.
It is a cut an...I did not think anyone would reply.<br />It is a cut and paste but I just wanted to know more ,,, what do you mean by: Mr.. Fennell's claim would seem to have reverted to the Forest Service (and why is that?)<br />And who are you exactly did you know Mr. Fennell<br />ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-38161888840628413352014-01-20T20:29:36.900-06:002014-01-20T20:29:36.900-06:00Hi Anonymous,
This is an unusual comment as it se...Hi Anonymous,<br /><br />This is an unusual comment as it seems that some of it was cut and pasted from previous comments. Perhaps you were simply quoting earlier commentary. <br /><br />In any case, to answer your question, I believe the claims are different. Mr. Fennell's claim would seem to have reverted to the Forest Service while Mr. Boydd apparently still possesses the mineral rights adjacent to the buildings. However, I can't say for 100% certainty that this is true. Perhaps someone with better knowledge than me will read this and leave a comment here. <br /><br />Thanks for your message! Best, JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-41727980811362506962014-01-20T09:03:46.686-06:002014-01-20T09:03:46.686-06:00HELP.....
Jerry Fennel is a family friend and has...HELP.....<br /><br />Jerry Fennel is a family friend and has done alot to preserve the mining history of the Jicarillas including fighting for miner's rights. I now own the mineral rights on the land adjacent to these buildings (thank you Jerry for protecting and holding onto those claims after my aunt and uncle died).,,,,,Did you ever think of contact Jerry Fennell on his take of how he was driven off the land? Mr Fennell is still a live and lived in a small town close to White Oaks. Your story said he did have the money to file but that is not the truth ,,, There is a comment from James Boydd, who mentions being a friend of Jerry's, and I have been in touch with him a little bit. He says that he owns some mineral rights on land adjacent to the buildings. These were held by Jerry for Mr. Boydd's family. Are these part of the open claims you're referring to?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-67880218254164677152013-05-26T22:41:25.533-05:002013-05-26T22:41:25.533-05:00Ian, thanks very much for your comment! Your famil...Ian, thanks very much for your comment! Your family history regarding Jicarilla is fascinating. The saloon I mention as opening in 1900 must be the "Little Joe." Cool.<br /><br />If you are ever able to get scans made of your photos and are alright with sharing them, please let me know. I would LOVE to include them with this post. You can find my e-mail on my profile page.<br /><br />I highly recommend making a trip to the old town site someday if you can swing it. Several campsites are nearby and it's beautiful country. <br /><br />Thanks again! JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-80164747902885716122013-05-26T21:02:53.571-05:002013-05-26T21:02:53.571-05:00My Great-Great-Grandparents Joel(Joe) and Viola Lo...My Great-Great-Grandparents Joel(Joe) and Viola Long lived in Jicarilla in the early 1900's. I have an old photograph of the inside of the saloon, the photo is labeled: <br />"LITTLE JOE SALOON JICARILLA, N.M."<br />"JOE LONG - BARTENDER & OWNER 1902" <br />with him behind the bar serving 4 or 5 patrons.<br /><br />According to my grandfather, when his mother was born in 1908 Joe "gave up" the saloon. Apparently Joe and Viola went on to have 12 children total. I also have a few other images of them on horses and branding livestock in front of a building that doesn't match any pictured here. Not sure if it was their homestead. Apparently after leaving the saloon they started ranching cattle. I'd love to take a trip out there some day and have a look around.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531764152322739052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-4275435254874439032013-04-23T18:57:59.348-05:002013-04-23T18:57:59.348-05:00Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for your comment. Did you me...Hi Anonymous,<br /><br />Thanks for your comment. Did you mean to say that Jerry DID have the money for the reclamation bond? I have not been in touch with Jerry and do not know how to contact him. If he would like to leave a comment here, I'd very much encourage him to do so.<br /><br />There is a comment from James Boydd, who mentions being a friend of Jerry's, and I have been in touch with him a little bit. He says that he owns some mineral rights on land adjacent to the buildings. These were held by Jerry for Mr. Boydd's family. Are these part of the open claims you're referring to?<br /><br />From the perspective of ghost towns and historical buildings, I can say that the post office and other buildings around Jicarilla are not being preserved and that's a shame.<br /><br />Best Regards, JM jmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-63005423171914008572013-04-23T18:42:50.944-05:002013-04-23T18:42:50.944-05:00Did you ever think of contact Jerry Fennell on his...Did you ever think of contact Jerry Fennell on his take of how he was driven off the land? Mr Fennell is still a live and lived in a small town close to White Oaks. Your story said he did have the money to file but that is not the truth. If you will check the NM BLM you will find that he still has the open claims just behind the post office. He is and always will be one of my best friends. He blessed me with the right to go panning on his land, but the Forest will not allow people to work the claims. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-51917173672278890352012-11-25T19:06:36.648-06:002012-11-25T19:06:36.648-06:00Thanks for your comment, JB. It's always great...Thanks for your comment, JB. It's always great to hear from someone with family history in an area. It sounds like your great grandparents were amongst the folks that were in Jicarilla around the Depression, trying to make a go of it. I didn't realize the post office had been occupied into the late 1990's.<br /><br />That's really too bad that the Jicarilla sign was stolen. That was a real piece of history. Without some kind of upkeep the post office, in particular, is not going to last much longer. The old schoolhouse down the road is a sturdy structure, but could use some protection, too. As for the general store, I had assumed that actually wasn't on Forest Service land. If it *is* on FS land, whoever was there probably won't be there long. <br /><br />Thanks again for your comment. It's much appreciated. Let us know if you ever have more information or updates to add. Best, JMjmhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470407787311078380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7921005.post-78156487862833271762012-11-25T00:02:26.898-06:002012-11-25T00:02:26.898-06:00My great grandparents and their children worked an...My great grandparents and their children worked and lived in the Jicarillas in the 1930's. They made the ancho bricks and mined for gold to make ends meet. From the late 70's to the late 90's my great aunt and uncle lived in that general store and old post office. I spent many summers and some Christmas seasons up there with them. Jerry Fennel is a family friend and has done alot to preserve the mining history of the Jicarillas including fighting for miner's rights. I now own the mineral rights on the land adjacent to these buildings (thank you Jerry for protecting and holding onto those claims after my aunt and uncle died). I was just there in July and I am suprised someone would be attempting to live in any of those structures as they now belong to the Forest Service and were Posted No Tresspassing. Let alone they are in a deplorable unsafe condition and NOT being kept up as historical buildings as they should. By the way, when I was up there in July, someone had stolen the Jicarilla sign you seen in the second picture of the old post office. It has been there for decades and now it is gone. Sad. <br /><br />JB Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12047111691648907017noreply@blogger.com