Where is Mesilla?

I started my day willing to be enchanted again. Chorro and I walked early and snapped a sunrise over Las Cruces for you.

You won't be surprised to hear that as we walked we spied yet another one! One what?

I think my clever daughter-in-law is buying stock in these. And y'all must think I am personally trying to make her wealthy.

Later we drove up to New Mexico State University. It is backdropped by mountains, as is Montana State University at home, but the mountains are so different. These are called the Organ mountains, seems someone was reminded of an old church pipe organ when they were named.


About the time I was thinking about getting out onto the road again, I got an email from my Sis who told me how I might find the old Spanish town of Mesilla. I knew it was adjacent to Las Cruces, but I hadn't seen any signs. She looked it up in her atlas and following her directions I found a wonderful little piece of history.

Mesilla has been a settlement since the late 16th century although it didn't actually become Mesilla until 1850. It has the distinction of being at the intersection of two main trade routes, El Camino Real, from Mexico City through El Paso to Taos, New Mexico, and a Butterfield Stage Route which ran from New Orleans to Los Angeles. This cantina was a 'watering hole' along the route,

and across the street is this gift shop where finally Billy the Kid was tried, convicted, and sentenced to hang. No, it wasn't a gift shop then, it was the Courthouse, and at one time it was also the Capital building of Arizona and New Mexico.

Mesilla was at first located in Mexico because the Rio Grande, the boundary at the time, ran to the north of it. Later the river changed course, and for a while Mesilla was in 'no man's land' because it was an island, then eventually the channel changed again and the Rio Grande ran to the south and Mesilla was in the United States. Later, the boundary was settled still farther south and Mesilla is now solidly situated in New Mexico, USA. So you see, Mesilla has been a part of the United States, Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico. I was indeed lucky to find this elusive little Spanish "aldea" (village).

It has a wonderful plaza in the center of town where even though there were no events taking place, people were sitting on the benches chatting and enjoying the sun.

The red brick building you see in the background in this picture is the oldest brick building in New Mexico.

Overlooking the plaza is this beautiful Spanish church, the Church of San Albino.

And the square's perimenter is filled with an array of engaging little shops.



This building was about a block off the plaza, but the gate was just too cute to not make it into the blog today!

We did eventually leave Las Cruces and go west. The mountains below are north of Deming, New Mexico, and might be the Mimbres Mountains, where I'll find Silver City in the next few days.

We drove into a strong head wind between Las Cruces and Deming, and it was raising lots of dust. It probably helped make this pretty Deming sunset, however.

And tomorrow is a new day.