One of the most dramatic eras of New Mexico’s rich history is the Territorial period when the United States raised the American flag on August 18, 1846 over the plaza of Santa Fe for the first time. As an accomplished actress, Van Ann Moore portrays three diverse women from that period. Doña Tulés (Gertrude Barcelo) owned gambling houses in Santa Fe and established close relationships with both Mexican and American leaders. Susan Shelby Magoffin, often billed as the first Anglo woman down the Santa Fe Trail, recorded her adventures for future generations in her famous diary: Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico. Lydia Spencer Lane, the wife of an army officer who served at Fort Fillmore, Fort Union and elsewhere in New Mexico, also produced a memoir of her life and times: I Married a Soldier. VanAnn Moore draws on this wealth of material to give us an informative and entertaining look through drama and music at a woman’s life in Territorial New Mexico.
Date: March 23, 2024. 2:00 PM
Location: Deming Luna Mimbres Museum, Deming, NM
