Blazer Family papers, 1857-1966 (bulk 1870-1955)

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Blazer Family papers, 1857-1966 (bulk 1870-1955)

MS 034


Collection Summary

Creator: Blazer family
Collection Name:Blazer Family papers,
Inclusive Dates: 1857-1966 (bulk 1870-1955)
Physical Description:1.6 linear feet
Abstract:Chiefly photocopies of correspondence, manuscripts, land claims, patents, machinery catalogs, and legal papers of Armer Newton Blazer; also photocopied correspondence and manuscripts of Paul Blazer, and photograph reprints.
Collection Number:MS 034
Repository: University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
University of Arizona
PO Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Phone: 520-621-6423
Fax: 520-621-9733
URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/

Biographical Note

Dr. Joseph Hoy Blazer was a New Mexican pioneer, dentist, merchant, and sawmill owner on the Tularosa River, within what became the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. Blazers's daughter Emma married Dr. John Howard Thompson, a physician on the Mescalero Reservation, then in El Paso, Texas. Blazer's son Armer carried on the mill business, while designing mechanical inventions and writing on local history. Armer's son, Paul, also researched local history and collected historic photographs.

Scope and Content Note

Chiefly photocopies of correspondence, manuscripts, land claims, patents, machinery catalogs, and legal papers of Armer Newton Blazer; also photocopied correspondence and manuscripts of Paul Blazer, and photograph reprints. One of Armer's correspondents is the western artist and writer William R. Leigh; the letters concern historical details for his book Littlefoot, and include his art exhibition brochures. Designs for Armer's inventions illustrate and describe the Blazer Internal-Combustion Rotary Engine, 1898; the Blazer Power Wheel, 1898; and the Blazer Deep- Well Pump, 1910. His manuscripts on historic topics are titled "Santana" and "Los Jirones." Also present are Dr. Howard Thompson's manuscript "Makers of El Paso," and Paul Blazer's "History of Tularosa."

Photographs include Blazer family members; the mill and homestead; views of the reservation, depicting Mescalero Indians, their homes, agency buildings and employees; and other individuals, families, and social groups in the Mescalero area. Most of the origianl images dated from 1870 to 1914. Miscellaneous documents include some of J.H.Blazer's business correspondence, and legal papers regarding stolen cattle and a shoot-out at Blazer's Mill. Also, Emma Thompson's 1900 diary of Mexico and 1908 diary of Europe. Among materials on New Mexico is William V. Morrison's file of newspapers articles and correspondence about Billy the Kid; newspaper articles about Lincoln County pioneers; and a Mescalero vocabulary, as given by Percy Bigmouth in 1932.

Original materials are in the possession of the Blazer family.

Organization

This collection is organized into four series.

Restrictions

Restrictions

None.

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Related Material

Financial records of Blazer's Mill, 1871-1908, and photographs available on Microfilm 1572.

Access Terms

Personal Name(s)
Billy, the Kid
Blazer, Joseph Hoy, 1828-1898
Leigh, William Robinson, 1866-1955
Thompson, Emma -- Diaries
Thompson, John Howard, 1851-1930

Corporate Name(s)
Blazer's Mill (N.M.)
United States. -- Bureau of Indian Affairs. -- Mescalero Agency

Geographic Name(s)
El Paso (Tex.) -- History
Lincoln County (N.M.) -- History
Mescalero Indian Reservation (N.M.) -- History -- 19th century
Otero County (N.M.) -- History
Tularosa (N.M.) -- History

Subject(s)
Apache Indians -- History
English language -- Dictionaries -- Mescalero
Frontier and pioneer life -- New Mexico
Indian reservations -- New Mexico -- History
Lincoln County War, 1878
Mescalero language -- Dictionaries -- English
Pioneers -- New Mexico
Pioneers -- Texas

Genre Form(s)
Articles
Correspondence
Diaries
Land Claims
Manuscripts
Photographs

Administrative Information

Credit Line

Blazer Family papers(MS 034). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.

Container List

Series I: Blazer family materials, 1857-1966
boxfolder
11 Biographical material (Includes biographical sketches of various members of the faily, records of births and deaths, clippings, etc.). , No Date
12 Allen Family Correspondence. , 1857, 1861-1863, 1895
13 Joseph H. Blazer Correspondence and Miscellaneous Papers. , 1868-1876
14-7 Land Claim (Legal Papers, Correspondence, etc.). , 1864-1966
18 Dr. Howard Thompson: Makers of El Paso (Ms.). No Date
19 Emma (Blazer) Thompson: Diaries, (Includes trips to Mexico and Europe). , 1900-1901, 1904, 1908
110 William V. Morrison: Correspondence about Billy the Kid, (Includes clippings, articles, etc.). , 1949-1951
111 Lincoln County Pioneers (Various clippings, articles, etc.). No Date
Series II: A.N. Blazer: Correspondence and Inventions, 1897-1962
boxfolder
21 Correspondence, etc. (Family). , 1900-1948
22 Correspondence, etc. (Tularosa Community Ditch). , 1906-1909, 1934-1939
boxfolder
2 3 Correspondence, etc. (Highway Right-of-way). , 1924-1940
boxfolder
24 Correspondence, etc. (William R. Leigh). , 1931-1962
25 Correspondence, etc. (Miscellaneous). , 1925-1947
26 Correspondence, etc. (inventions: Spiral Pump and Gasoline Engine). , 1919-1921
27 Correspondence, etc. (Inventions: Various). , 1897-1912, 1938-1948
28 Patents (by A.N. Blazer and other). No Date
29 Machinery (Catalogs, brochures, etc.). No Date
210 Miscellaneous Notes, Records etc. No Date
Series III: A.N. Blazer: Manuscripts, 1928-1939
boxfolder
31 Correspondence regarding Manuscripts. , 1928-1939
32 A.N. Blazer: Los Jirones (Ms.). No Date
33 A.N. Blazer: Santana (Ms.). No Date
34 A.N. Blazer: Miscellaneous Articles (Ms. and clippings). No Date
35 Varous Notes, etc., on Mescalero Apaches. No Date
36 Mescalero Vocabulary. No Date
Series IV: Paul Blazer Photographs, 1919-1965
boxfolder
41 Photographs: Blazer Family. No Date
42 Photographs: Blazer's Mill. No Date
43 Photographs: Individuals (Includes Reservation Agency personnel). No Date
44 Photographs: Group Pictures (Includes Reservation Agency personnel, school children, varous activities on the Reservation, etc.). No Date
45 Photographs: Mescalero Indian Reservation and Agency (Buildings, Indian groups, land). No Date
46 Photographs: Indians (Individual and group pictures of various Apache tribes; also some of Hopi and Zuni Indians). No Date
47 Photographs: Places (Ft. Stanton, Bent's Mine, Hotel at Elk SPrings, White Oaks, etc.). No Date
48 Paul Blazer: Correspondence (Miscellaneous). , 1919-1965
49 Paul Blazer: Correspondence (Family). , 1949-1965
410 Paul Blazer: Articles, notes, etc. No Date
411 Mescalero Indian Cattle Growers Assoc. (Reports). , 1961