Photos by Sandra Michaud
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Dignitaries arrive at the Murray Hotel via horse-drawn wagon
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Alighting from the wagon
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
George Carr, Al Gamboa, Becky Smith Ladner and Mayor Ken Ladner
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Unnamed man at left, and in costume, Former Mayor Mike Morones, Becky Ladner Smith, Mayor Ken Ladner, Al Gamboa and George Carr.
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Becky Smith Ladner and Mayor Ken Ladner walk toward the ballroom
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Former Mayor Mike Morones and Al Gamboa
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Mike Morones as New Mexico Governor Samuel Axtell; Al Gamboa as Territorial Speaker of the House Juan Patron; George Carr as Santiago Baca and Mayor Ken Ladner as Mayor Robert Black re-enact the charter signing
Silver City Territorial Charter Day 021619
Becky Dinwiddie, Becky Smith Ladner and Cecelia Jensen Bell
One of the many events of Silver City’s Territorial Charter Day was the reenactment of the signing of the Charter.
Grant County and Silver City residents, frustrated by the Territorial Legislature’s refusal to allow the city and the county to incorporate, threatened to secede from New Mexico and join Arizona. Although the Arizona Legislature eventually did not approve annexation, the furor was enough to make Santa Fe reconsider its stand and allow the city to incorporate.
The charter was signed February 15, 1878 and enabled the Town of Silver City to, among other things, levy taxes, establish a public school system and elect its own officials.
To see a PDF of the original Charter go here: http://www.townofsilvercity.org/charter/Town%20of%20Silver%20City%20Charter%20handwritten.pdf
Saturday’s event was the third annual Territorial Charter Day in Silver City.
Other events of the day were a 5K Fun Run, music, Love Local specials in downtown shops, a horse-drawn wagon to take visitors on rides around town and a ball at the Murray Hotel.