On Saturday, February 13 from 1 to 2 p.m., guests, friends, and family are invited to come to the museum for Valentine’s Day refreshments and to view an exhibit honoring the February 15, 1878, signing of the Territorial Charter of the Town of Silver City.
A new Town of Silver City Resolution (No.2016.02) sponsored by Mayor Michael S. Morones, was “Passed, Approved and Adopted” during the January 26, 2016 Town Council Meeting. Within the document, it proclaims, “NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO, that the Saturday closest to February 15th of each year shall be designated as Territorial Charter Day, and the inhabitants of the Town shall honor said day with a recollection of history and such celebrations as might be deemed appropriate.”
For this inaugural celebration, visitors to the museum will view historic photographs of the town from the mid 1870s to the early 1880s that portray a rapid influx of people and buildings that came to the area known as La Cienega de San Vicente to form the Town of Silver City immediately after silver was discovered in 1870. This sudden growth was the impetus for the town to pursue legal incorporation. Guests to the museum will be able to read copies of the original 1878 hand-written Territorial Town Charter document that was prepared by town leaders of the day for passage and signing by the New Mexico Territorial Speaker House of Representatives, Juan Patron; the Territorial Governor in Santa Fe, S. B. Axtell; and Santiago Baca, Presidente del Consejo Legislativo.
Today, the Town of Silver City is the only remaining municipality in the State of New Mexico still operating under authority of a Territorial Charter. As stated within the Resolution, “the Town honors its special place in the development of New Mexico as being a model for local self-rule and for the foresight of its successive governing bodies by establishing laws and regulations for health, general well-being, and safety of its inhabitants.”
The small exhibit will be an addition to the Built to Change exhibit adjacent to the Ailman parlor. It will include a brief overview of the events leading up to its passage and historical photos from the archives of some of leaders who helped to make it happen.
Children are most welcome to the celebration as they can try their calligraphic handwriting skills to sign their own document; build a brick foundation for the new town; enjoy doing chores in the parlor and more.
The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the region’s unique history. For more information, please contact the museum a (575) 538-5921, education@silvercitymuseum.org or go to the museum’s website www.silvercitymuseum.org.