I was twelve years old in 1959, living in Casa Solana – then known as that new subdivision where the old Japanese internment camp used to be, spending summer days in playing baseball and riding my bicycle, watching science fiction on television and reading Perry Mason mysteries and the entire Bronc Burnett series. Instead, I should have been reading the newspaper. I missed all this the first time.
Take this interesting historical footnote. The first baby born in Santa Fe in 1959 was Eddie Rivera. Eddie’s parents were Rosalio and Stella Rivera of 986 Acequia Madre. Eddie weighed in at 8 lbs, 2 ounces when he first made an appearance at 7:46 p.m. on January 1. This was an important event in Santa Fe’s community life because of a tradition among local merchants to shower the first baby of the year in prizes and take out splashy newspaper ads to boast. In 1959, for example, Kaune’s gave a case of milk, Capital Pharmacy delivered a selection of even-flo nursing bottles, Livingston Furniture gave away a crib and Lullaby Laundry promised 2 weeks of free diaper service to mom and dad.
In 1959, Leo Murphy was the City’s Mayor, presiding over councilors Ray Arias, Andre Senutovitch, Willie Seligman, Ray Smith, Orlando Fernandez, P.A. Baca, Pat Hollis and George Bernstsen. Howard Ashbaugh was the City Manager. It was this administration, incidentally, which authorized the increase in parking meter fees from 5 cents an hour to 10 cents an hour.
A brand new airport, finished the previous year at a cost of $884,000, formally opened the City of Santa Fe to jet service. The bridges at Camino Alire and DeFouri streets were completed. The Casa Solana subdivision – phase 1 – was completed, with the builder Allen Stamm promising more to come. And the City of Santa Fe was raising the money to buy the old Bruns Hospital land where De Vargas Junior High and LaFarge Library would eventually be built.
City Judge Rumaldo E. “Cuate” Chavez’ often appeared in the paper, his photo accompanying a gleeful article on the latest nutty case in the people’s court. In 1959, the best story was this: two sisters in their twenties, Sophie and Appolonia Sena, were picked up one evening for being drunk, fighting in public and disorderly conduct. When they were hauled in to the station, the sisters began a brawl with the night desk sergeant and it took more than a few cops to hold them down. While all this is going on, the girls’ mother showed up – Mrs. Antonia Sena – and it turned out Mama was also stinkin’ drunk and fighting mad. So the whole family went to jail that night. The Sena women appeared a little more sober at the next day’s hearing before a stern Judge Chavez. The Judge pronounced sentence on all three, declaring that “This is the City of Holy Faith and I intend to keep it clean.” All three women received 90 days.
Teenage hangouts in 1959 included the drive-in. Dairy Queen had two locations -- one on Cordova road and one on Agua Fria street, across from the Guadalupe Church. Louie's Drive-in was at 1303 Hickox and the Mity Nice Creamery was located just up from St. Mike’s High School at 462 College. And there was the Neet Teen Drive-in at 1057 Pen road and, of course, the legendary Pop Ingrams' at 1734 Cerrillos Road. By far, the most popular teen spot in town, Ingram’s specialties were pizza burgers and chocolate cokes.
These same teens led lives rich in activity, if the local papers were to be believed. There was high school athletics, clubs and societies, even fancy dress balls.
Santa Fe High School held its Junior-Senior prom at La Fonda, with the theme of ‘Twilight Time.’ The Santa Fe New Mexican photographer captured festive couples in this elegant setting, including Nancy McCrary and Joe Ashton, Ramona Horst and Joe Durr, Adele Croucher and Tony Romero and Tanya Sorenson and Ken McMillan. The newspaper reported that most of the young ladies wore classic ballerina length formals but some opted for the more modern look, the bouffant floor length gown.
The La Fonda was also the setting for the Loretto Academy Senior Prom. Susan Vigil was chosen Queen of the Loretto Senior Prom, Queen Susan was escorted by Dan Romero and attended by Princess Bernadette Pesenti.
Leah Harvey Junior High School held its 1959 Sweetheart Ball. The Sweetheart Queen was Kathryn Padilla, attended by Princesses Carmen Ortega, Peggy Sanchez, Georgia Gallegos, Roberta Alderete and Savita Muzumdar.
Pojoaque high school held a fashion show to show off the work of the homemaking classes. Modeling the 8th grade fashions were Cynthia Cole, Marie Duran, JoAnn Herrera, Annie Montoya, Lydia Herrera, Pita Ortiz, Elvira Oritz, Evangeline Ortiz, Florence Quintana, Tessie Terrazas, Annabelle Serna, Lorinda Romero, Emilian Vigil, Socorro Garcia, Lorenza Herrera and Nancy Lujan. Junior High student models included Margie Rivera, Lupe Lopez, Dolores Roybal, Katie Rudolph, Florence Lujan, Gloria Vigil and Naomi Romero. Naomi Romero, by the way, was Student Council President in 1959. The award winning Pojoaque High School Band provided the music as the models worked the runway.
Salazar Elementary School presented its production of “The Mikado,” a favorite Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. David Stuppy played the Lord High Executioner, Greg Powell was Lord High Everything Else and Joy Romero played Pish-Tush. Bob Davidson played Nanki-poo and the Three Little Maids were played by Karen Piatt, Deanne Davis and Phyllis Payne.
Loretto Academy held its annual competition for scholarships to among participating parish schools. $50 scholarships went to Kathleen Brown and Rosella Martinez of St. Francis School and Ann Peck and Margaret Castle of Loretto grade school. $25 scholarships were awarded to Rita Chavez of St. Ann School, Gerlinda Gallegos of St. Francis school and Deborah Walker, Theresa Nava, Barbara Bailey and Victoria Koren of Loretto Grade School. 55 girls competed for those honors.
Loretto Academy school reporter, Hilda Lithgow, announced the honor roll for the first six weeks of 1959: seniors Patricia Riddell and Agatha Armijo, juniors Hilda Lithgow, Margarita Ortiz y Davis, Siegrid Hoyt, Sally Gonzales, Nannie Joe Benavidez, Elizabeth Edwards, Pat Kleckska, Lydia Lopez, Judy Dinkel, Rita Martinez and Rosina Montoya, sophomores Gloria C de Baca, Rosemarie Benavidez and Mary Ann Rael and freshmen Barbara Rodriguez, Mary Larkin and Eileen Madrid. In May 1959, Loretto Academy graduated 58 girls, among them class valedictorian Patricia Riddell and salutatorian Agatha Armijo.
The St. Michael’s High School Horsemen traditionally recruited its cheerleaders from the girls of Loretto Academy and 1959 produced a particularly attractive group: Hilda Lithgow, Delores Gonzales, Lucretta Baca, Rita Martinez and head cheerleader, Bernadette Pesenti.
St. Michael’s High School graduated 59 boys in 1959. Governor John Burroughs was a special guest at Commencement. Marvin Smith was the valedictorian for 1959 and Stephen Newfield gave the salutatory address. Special awards also went to seniors Leslie McDonald, Ernest Sanchez, Juan Fornelli and Michael Avenenti.
Ann Hargett, a senior at Pojoaque High School was the winner of the Baushch & Lomb Honorary Science Award Medal. The bronze token is awarded only to those students with demonstrated superior scientific aptitude. Ann was valedictorian among 28 graduating seniors at Pojoaque. Emelda Gomez was the salutatorian and, winning third in scholastic honors, was Lourdes Garduno. Other outstanding Pojoaque students for 1959 included Sally Serna, Naomi Romero, Lorraine Roybal, Ted Montoya and Freddy Montoya.
Outstanding athletes at Santa Fe High School were awarded trophies during a dinner dance held at the Town House. Bobby Sosaya won for football, Mike Lucero for basketball, Jim Wilcoxon for baseball, Ray Coriz for Tennis and Ralph Leyba for Track. Over 100 others were awarded letters for excellence in sports. These athletes then selected pretty Peggy Croshaw as Varsity Queen to preside over the dance
4 comments:
in 1959 I was a 17 year old living in Casa Solano, working at Mountain States Telephone Co., anxious to get into my Senior Year @ SFHS, waiting for my acceptance letter for college and cruzin' Cerrillos Road. Spent many a night cruisin' up and down Cerrillos hitting all the drive-ins just to "see who's here tonight". Made the loop between Ingram's and A&W Root Beer more times than I want to remember.
Thanks for posting this blog. I enjoyed it. Have not thought about many of those people or events for years
in 1959 I was a 17 year old living in Casa Solano, and I too, spent many nights crusin' up and down Cerrillos and loved Ingram's Drive-In. The following year I graduated, working at Mountain States Telephone Co. until heading off to college in the fall. Thanks for the great trip down memory lane.
Within the last two years, I have re-connected with a few classmates; even a couple face-to-face meetings (boy, are we getting old)! Again, thanks for the trip.
On a tree by a willow a little tom tit - sang willow - tit willow - tit willow. (Nice to see my name in print) - David Stuppy
I stumbled onto your blog which began with the name of the first person born in Santa Fe in 1959. I would like to add that I think I may have been the last person in Santa Fe to be born in 1959 and on the last day of the fifties at the Cradle Home on Don Gaspar. My mom, Maria Ortiz Longacre, said that there was a big snowstorm. She also said that alot of people had their babies at the Cradle Home because it was cheap.
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