Swickard: Working New Mexicans celebrate statehood differently

© 2012 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. - This Centennial Year of New Mexico Statehood we must realize our history is primarily of people who made New Mexico what it is now. William McDonald was New Mexico’s first elected governor and owner of the Bar W Ranch outside of Carrizozo. His neighbor Bill Gallacher (pictured on left) provides an interesting insight into that era.In 1977, the 65th anniversary of New Mexico Statehood, I decided to interview someone who was living in the state that statehood day. I wanted to get an eyewitness view from someone in the middle of the statehood celebration. I thought of Bill Gallacher, a 1908 graduate from the college at Las Cruces. In January 1912, Bill Gallacher had been living for four years on his ranch 20 miles from Carrizozo as he was still in 1977. He died years later at age 98.Bill Gallacher was an interesting New Mexico pioneer. From living in White Oaks before the turn of the century, he lived to see the landing of the space shuttle 60 miles from his ranch. He was 35 miles downwind of the first atomic explosion at Trinity Site, July 16, 1945. He was also one of the few people who could look up in the sky in 1986 and say, “Halley’s Comet, what do you know, there it is again.”As I drove out to his ranch on a dirt road, that was dirt in 1912, 1977 and still is dirt, I pictured the celebrations; firecrackers going off, dogs barking, and people toasting statehood at the local bar while politician gave speeches. I was sure it was one big party to celebrate New Mexico statehood. Read column

Swickard: Working New Mexicans celebrate statehood differently