Happy Fourth of July: Madrid, NM circa 1924 to 1932
As we all prepare for the various holiday festivities, I thought it would be enjoyable to share with you photos of Fourth of July festivities from the small mining town of Madrid, NM between 1924 and 1932. (I am not always sure of the dates on some of the photographs.) I have posted about Madrid, NM before (here and here) and every time I go back and look at the CD disk of 600 photos sent to me by Pinky Werner, the granddaughter of Oscar Huber, owner and superintendent of the mine, I am amazed at the obvious community spirit of the small town. Famous for its Christmas light shows, Madrid certainly didn't stint other holidays that brought the community out together to have fun and enjoy the day.
These photos show how Madrid did it up on the Fourth of July -- from parades of cars, decorated carts, floats, and bands. The baseball field was turned into a place for horse races, bronco busting, boxing matches, and Taos dancers. What is perhaps most wonderful about these photos is that they are a far cry from "ghost-town" images we now have of Madrid -- and I think it important to remember the place as it was -- alive, working, and celebrating together.




