Tom Lovell: Storyteller With a Brush Page: 39
104 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Sovenor's Palace, Santa Fe,
hough Santa Fe lay well to the northwest of the Permian
asin, it influenced the history of the entire Southwest
ncluding the Basin during the time the city was controlled
by Spanish and Mexican governments. Santa Fe became a
sought-after trade center for enterprising Yankee merchants
who ofttimes observed the laws of Mexico only in the
breach. Some early explorations of the Basin were under-
taken by adventurers seeking obscure avenues of Mexican
trade beyond the long reach of Santa Fe authorities.
Santa Fe was founded in 1610 as Spanish headquarters
for the province of New Mexico under its first royal gover-
nor, Don Pedro de Peralta, who probably chose the site for
its central location among the Indian pueblos as well as its
accessibility from many diverse directions, its water and
arable lands and the evident defensibility of the open
ground. In the beginning it was serviced by frequent cara-
vans which required half a year to make the wearisome
trip from Mexico City.
The seat of govern-
ment was the Palace oft
the Governors, nowQ
considered the oldest
public building, contin-
uously used, within the
continental borders of
the United States. No
construction date can
be found, but this yen-
erable structure must1840
have been standing
when the Pilgrims
landed at distant
Plymouth on a
bleak and forbid-
ding shore.
Tom Lovell's
painting portrays a
time of transition,
of foreboding for
the Mexican gov-
ernment which had
ruled Santa Fe
since Mexico won
its independence from Spain in 1821. Now, in the bleak
cold of early 1846, the Mexican War was building, and the
shadow of the gringo lay long across the land. Here, at the
corner of the palace already more than two centuries old,
Mexican Governor Manual Armijo stands in the snow at
dusk and, by the flickering light of a lantern held by an
aide, reads a dispatch just brought by horseback courier.
The news was probably bad. Most of it was, by this twi-
light time of the Mexican reign.
Some old ways of life remained little changed since
early Spanish times, as exemplified by the patient burro at
far left, or the Indian's creaking oxcart carrying a load of
hand-gathered firewood around the plaza. But after gener-
ations of relative isolation, the colonies of northern New
Mexico had come under the strong influence of the39
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Kelton, Elmer. Tom Lovell: Storyteller With a Brush, book, 2005; Midland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1127711/m1/45/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Library and Hall of Fame.