Silver City Museum Curator Javier Marrufo will discuss his ongoing work on the Chihuahua Hill History Project, July 31, from noon to 1 pm at WNMU's Besse-Forward Global Resource Center. The event is free, and co-sponsored by WILL, the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning.Silver City -- As part of the Silver City Museum's ongoing community conversation series, Curator Javier Marrufo will discuss his ongoing work on the Chihuahua Hill History Project, which tells the story of the Chihuahua Hill neighborhood through the voices and stories of the people who call the area home. The event is free-of-charge, and will be held July 31 from noon to 1 pm in the ABC Room of the Besse-Forward Global Resource Center on the WNMU campus.
"Given my life-long connection to this neighborhood, I am truly fortunate that my career path allows me to study its history, and to make meaningful contributions to our community," Marrufo said. "It's a privilege to be part of this storytelling project, and we are very grateful to the Chihuahua Hill residents, past and present, for their willingness to share a part of their lives with us."
The presentation will give audience members a behind-the-scenes look at how Marrufo is working with professional folklorist Thomas Grant Richardson, PhD, to create the first comprehensive history of Chihuahua Hill. He will share excerpts from interviews with long-time residents of the community, whose stories and experiences have been documented and made public for the first time.
A view of Chihuahua Hill looking west, c.1890Through Marrufo's eyes, participants will explore an important aspect of local history that until now has been largely overlooked, due, at least in part, to little documentation of Chihuahua Hill being readily available to the public. This project is a collection of the stories, photographs and memorabilia of the people of this historic and culturally rich neighborhood.
This community conversation is part of a lecture series supported by a grant received from the New Mexico Humanities Council, and is presented in partnership with the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL). For more information about WILL, please visit the website, will.community. To join via Zoom, please use the following link: https://wnmu.zoom.us/j/8818268280 . For more information, please contact Brittany Beers, community engagement manager at the Silver City Museum, (575) 590-0230 or
The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching and interpreting the region's unique history. The museum is nationally recognized through its accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.
Museum admission is free, though a suggested donation of $5 helps support the museum's education programs, collections care and exhibitions. For more information, please contact the museum at (575) 589-0221/
