There was something about New Mexico that took me back in time. Maybe it was the way that the sun seemed to stick to everything just a little longer, or the way that the clouds layered together in a way that I didn’t see in California or Arizona. New Mexico is also a place of lore, of legends, and of great stories.
Columbus, New Mexico, is such a place to me, and the pride of the village carries the name of Pancho Villa. The infamous leader of the Mexican Revolution made his mark on the town in 1916, when he led an army of 1,500 on a raid of the town. The Pancho Villa Café is only one of the businesses that pay homage to his name, and almost every resident that we met beamed with pride when they told us about him. I had heard that there was a connection to Villa here, but being in Columbus even for the morning gave me a whole new appreciation for the town’s claim to fame.
Angel Molina, 92, Columbus, New Mexico. Photo by James Gregg.
Ninety-two year old Angel Molina sealed the deal. I was standing in line at the local bank when he entered with an air of a man of experience. His old straw hat looked like it had seen more sun and hard work than any human being that I know, and his firm left hand shake confirmed that one south paw would suffice for the absent right.
“The photo won’t turn out” he said in Spanish, after I asked permission to make his portrait. “It will only work if I allow it.”
Molina put his single strong hand to his forehead, as if he was willing the camera to function as it was meant to. Then he raised his brow and said, “There, now you can take your picture, and take with you a souvenir of the times of Pancho Villa himself.”
I don’t suppose that I will ever know if Molina actually rode with Villa, as he claimed. But I do know that as he drove away in his white pickup truck, it felt like the dust that kicked up might very well be the same as in those days of New Mexican lore.
Your post is a bit strange. You must know by now that Villa attacked Columbus primarily in order to pillage goods to support his “army”. It is, perhaps, the most well known attack on US soil in history second to Pearl harbor. History shows clearly that Villa was a thug and criminal but his “aura” today is that of a leader of the Revoltion in the North along with Zapata in the South. It is possible, even likely, that the 85% Hispanic residents of Columbus today still view Villa as a hero of the Revolution. However, I doubt that very many non-Mexican residents or descendants of the victims of his attack view him the same way. It is somewhat shocking that “almost every resident that we met beamed with pride when they told us about him”. Pride? Proud of a brutal attack by a foreigner on US soil? Strange.
— Howard Gray 07/30/2006 11:00 AM #
a very good article indeed, keep up the good work. obviously jim doesnt know the whole story of pancho villa. pillage goods to support his “army” is as far from the truth as you can get.
— Art 07/31/2006 03:19 PM #
Geez, Art. I guess I must be reading the wrong history books. I have no axe to grind here. If “pillage ….” is incorrect it is great news to me and even the folks that have documented the history of Columbus.
There is a very good reason for the controversy that typically is associated with anything having to do with Pancho Villa (such as statues in Tucson). That controversy is simply a reflection of the historical conflict of the guy’s record as both a Revolutionary (man of the people) and his well-documented record as a bandit and criminal. The Columbus attack is clearly more representative of his bad side than his good side.
Opinions are great but historical fact is difficult to refute.
— Howard Gray 07/31/2006 06:52 PM #
Jim,
Keep up the good work. Long before there was “news” there was storytelling and storytelling can change people’s hearts.
One interesting aspect of history is which stories survive as “facts” and why. Listening to people’s stories can help reveal the complexities of issues we want to fit into tidy little boxes. I applaud the effort to tackle a multi-faceted issue from a variety of angles (photo pun intended).
— Uncle Denis 08/01/2006 02:21 PM #
Some people view Pancho as an outlaw.What about sand creek massacre? Custer? George BUSH?
— Ernie Rodriquez 08/03/2006 12:40 AM #
In July, a team of Arizona Daily Star journalists traveled from San Diego to Brownsville for a close-up look at what it would take to secure the border. They used this blog to chronicle their experiences and will present a 4-day series of their findings beginning Sunday, Sept. 24.
Current Location:The journey is over. Stay tuned for our special report on the border beginning September 24.
Meet the Team
James Gregg recently joined the staff of the Arizona Daily Star as a
photojournalist after beginning his career in Colorado. James has lived abroad in Ecuador and Costa Rica, and holds a degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Kansas.
Stephanie Innes is the faith and values reporter for the Star. She has worked at the newspaper since 1999 and previously covered crime. She has also been a reporter for the Tucson Citizen and for the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff.
Border and Immigration reporter Brady McCombs has been with the Star since February. He recently co-authored the Star's four-part investigative series, "Illegal Labor Fix Falls Short." McCombs, who is bilingual, spent three years working in Costa Rica.
Photographer Lindsay Miller joined the Arizona Daily Star in April 2005, relocating toTucson after working at the Napa Valley Register. She has worked on several documentary projects as well as a variety of local news and features..
Online producer Andrew Satter has been with the Star for more than two years. He oversees online news content relating to the border and politics/elections, has produced dozens of videos and audio slide shows and is a co-creator of the award-winning Border Death Database.
Reader Polls
Week 3 Results
Question: Which border state has the most out-of-control border?
- California - 9%
- Arizona - 53%
- New Mexico - 10%
- Texas - 7%
- Minnesota - 21%
Total number of votes - 68
Week 2 Results
Question: What is the top reason the U.S. needs to secure its borders?
- Stop illegal immigrants from coming into the country - 48%
- Crack down on drug smuggling - 14%
- Stop terrorists from being able to get in - 28%
- An open border poses no immediate threat - 9%
- Protect against human sex slave trafficking - 1%
Total number of votes - 79
Week 1 Results
Question: What should be the first priority in solving the illegal immigration problem?
- Secure the border - 48%
- Workplace enforcement - 21%
- Visa enforcement - 3%
- Institute a guest worker program - 17%
- Take care of non-border-related issues first - 11%
Total number of votes - 150
Border gallery
What does the word 'border' mean to you? Be it the U.S./Mexico border, the Brazilian/Argentinian border or the border between you and your neighbor's house, we want to see your images of this ill-defined concept in our gallery. In the Photo Caption field please tell us the subject of the photo. Submit your photo »»
James Gregg recently joined the staff of the Arizona Daily Star as a
photojournalist after beginning his career in Colorado. James has lived abroad in Ecuador and Costa Rica, and holds a degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Kansas.
Stephanie Innes is the faith and values reporter for the Star. She has worked at the newspaper since 1999 and previously covered crime. She has also been a reporter for the Tucson Citizen and for the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff.
Border and Immigration reporter Brady McCombs has been with the Star since February. He recently co-authored the Star's four-part investigative series, "Illegal Labor Fix Falls Short." McCombs, who is bilingual, spent three years working in Costa Rica.
Photographer Lindsay Miller joined the Arizona Daily Star in April 2005, relocating toTucson after working at the Napa Valley Register. She has worked on several documentary projects as well as a variety of local news and features..
Online producer Andrew Satter has been with the Star for more than two years. He oversees online news content relating to the border and politics/elections, has produced dozens of videos and audio slide shows and is a co-creator of the award-winning Border Death Database.
Your post is a bit strange. You must know by now that Villa attacked Columbus primarily in order to pillage goods to support his “army”. It is, perhaps, the most well known attack on US soil in history second to Pearl harbor. History shows clearly that Villa was a thug and criminal but his “aura” today is that of a leader of the Revoltion in the North along with Zapata in the South. It is possible, even likely, that the 85% Hispanic residents of Columbus today still view Villa as a hero of the Revolution. However, I doubt that very many non-Mexican residents or descendants of the victims of his attack view him the same way. It is somewhat shocking that “almost every resident that we met beamed with pride when they told us about him”. Pride? Proud of a brutal attack by a foreigner on US soil? Strange.
— Howard Gray 07/30/2006 11:00 AM #
— Art 07/31/2006 03:19 PM #
There is a very good reason for the controversy that typically is associated with anything having to do with Pancho Villa (such as statues in Tucson). That controversy is simply a reflection of the historical conflict of the guy’s record as both a Revolutionary (man of the people) and his well-documented record as a bandit and criminal. The Columbus attack is clearly more representative of his bad side than his good side.
Opinions are great but historical fact is difficult to refute.
— Howard Gray 07/31/2006 06:52 PM #
Keep up the good work. Long before there was “news” there was storytelling and storytelling can change people’s hearts.
One interesting aspect of history is which stories survive as “facts” and why. Listening to people’s stories can help reveal the complexities of issues we want to fit into tidy little boxes. I applaud the effort to tackle a multi-faceted issue from a variety of angles (photo pun intended).
— Uncle Denis 08/01/2006 02:21 PM #
— Ernie Rodriquez 08/03/2006 12:40 AM #