LEGENDARY LOCALS OF ROSWELL

The Roswell area has been home not only to “local legends” but many national celebrities as well. Inside you will be surprised to learn who some of them were, but for even more information visit our museum at 200 N. Lea, Roswell, NM or pick up the book, Legendary

Locals of Roswell. Visit our website www.RoswellNMHistory.org.

Historical Society For Southeast New Mexico 200 N. Lea Roswell, NM • www.RoswellNMHistory.org

Museum: 575-622-8333 • Archives: 575-622-1176

Historical Heroes & Villains Roswell’sfirst“celebrities”werecattlemen,thefirstofthem Charles Goodnight,theTexascattlemaninstrumentalinestablishingtheGoodnight—LovingTrailupthePecosRivereastofRoswell.ThetrailtookTexascattletoUnionforts,Indianreservations,andminingcamps,orjusttostocktherangesinNorthernNewMexicoandColorado.ThentherewasJohn ChisumwhofamouslysettledhereathisSouthSpringsRanch.PeopletodaymaybestrememberthefigureduetoJohnWayne’sportrayalofhiminChisum(1970).Thoughwecan’tsayforsurewhetherhewasaherooravillain,RoswellwasafrequentstopforBilly the Kid,whocameheretovisitthelocalstoreandworkedforJohnChisumduringtheinfamousLincolnCountyWar.RoswellwasalsohometothemanelectedtohuntdowntheKidwhenhewentrogue,SheriffPatrick F. Garrett.InadditiontokillingtheKid,itwasGarrett’sideatoirrigatethePecosValley,andhealsohadahandincreatingChavesCountyin1889.Later,PatGarrett’sblinddaughterElizabeth Garrett wouldbecomeafamoussongstresswhowrotethestatesong,“O’FairNewMexico.”ElizabethGarrettlivedinRoswelluntilherdeathin1947. Inthe1930sRoswellplayedhosttomenwhoseworkwouldonedaylandusonthemoon.Robert H. Goddard,the“FatherofModernRocketry”,helpedtodevelopnewliquidfuelsforrockets.HedidmostofhisexperimentsandtestingnorthofRoswellwhile

professionalgolferwhowasraisedherewheresheplayedontheGoddardHighSchoolgolfteam(atthetimeshehadtoplayontheboy’steamastherewasnoteamjustforgirls.Sheendedupleadingtheboy’steamtotwostatetitlesduringhertimeatGoddard!).NancyLopezElementarySchoolwasnamedafterheraftershewentprointheLPGA.MorerecentlyRoswellbornGoddardHighgraduateGerina Piller wentprowiththeLPGAin2007. Joe Bauman,whoplayedbaseballfortheLonghornLeagueinRoswell,heldtherecordof72homerunsinprofessionalbaseballuntilitwasbrokenbyMarkMcGwire—andJoediditwithoutsteroids.Roswellisalsofamousforbeingthehometothe1956LittleLeagueWorldChampionswinners,theRoswell Lions Hondo All-Stars.OtherfamousathletesincludeWillie Hall,afamousboxerwhobefriendedMuhammadAliandcameclosetowinningtheNationalGoldenGlovestitlein1952.Andthenthereisthe“KingoftheCowboys”.Bob Crosbyalocalrancherandrodeostar.whowontheAllAround

CowboyWorldChampionshipthreetimes.Andlastlyletusnotforgetourmostfamousanimalathlete,KentuckyDerbywinnerMine That Bird!

Bob Crosby

Bob Crosby

Robert H. Goddard

Joe Baumen

Joe Baumen

Historical Society For Southeast New Mexico

Roy Rogers in Return of Billy the Kid

Peter Hurd Nancy Lopez Wanda Faye & Weldon Rogers

ofparticularnoteRoy Rogers whomarriedhisfirstwife,RoswellgirlArlineWilkins.RoywasintownperformingonlocalradiostationKGFLwherethetwometoverdiscussionregardingwhomadethebestapplepies:girlsofthatdayorwomenlikehismom. Lefty Frizzell wasanotherfamoussingerwhowrote“IfYou’veGottheMoney,I’veGottheTime”whilelockedupintheChavesCountyjail!HewasinductedintotheCountryMusicHallofFamein1972.ManyfemalesingersofnoteoriginatedoutofRoswelltoo.Louise Masseyandherband,“LouiseMasseyandtheWesterners”,wrote“MyAdobeHacienda”andtheyperformedonmajorradioshowsandradiostationsallacrossAmericaandinmovies.MasseyisoneofeightlocalwomenwhohasbeeninductedintotheCowgirlHallofFame.Wanda Faye NarmoreisanotherfamousRoswellsingerwhoperformedwithMinniePearl,LeftyFrizzell,JohnnyCash,

ErnestTubbsandothers.ShewasinductedintotheWesternSwingHallofFamein2003.MorerecentmusiciansincludeSusan Graham,worldrenownedoperasinger;whoattendedschoolhereandgraduatedfrom

livingonwhatwasthentheMescaleroRanch,locatedattheeastendofMescaleroRoad,justpastAtkinson.VisitingGoddardofteninRoswellwereHarry Guggenheim(ascientistwhoplayedamajorroleinthedevelopmentoftheatomicbomb)andCharles Lindbergh (famousaviatorandamajorcelebrityoftheera)whowerefinancialsupportersandfriendsofGoddard. Roswellwasthebirthplaceoffamousartist Peter Hurd,wholivedclosebyinSanPatriciowithwifeHenriette Wyeth Hurd.PeterHurdwasfamouslycommissionedtopaintaportraitofPresidentLyndonB.Johnsonwhouponseeingitstatedthatitlookedlikeadrunkandrejectedit!Fortherecord,therewasnothingwrongwithHurd’sportraitofJohnson.HurdwasbetterknownforhisportraitsandsketchesoftheHondoValleyanditsresidents. AfamoushistoricalvillaintofrequenttheareawasnoneotherthanPretty Boy Floyd.ThenotedgangsterhidoutintheDexter/HagermanareajustsouthofRoswellduringhiscrimespree.

Actors and Musicians Roswellisthehometoseveralfamousactorsandmusicianswhichmightsurpriseyou.FamoussingerJohn DenverwasactuallybornhereatSt.Mary’sHospitalonDecember31,1943,whilehisfatherwasstationedattheRoswellArmyAirField.Roswellhostedmanycountrywesternsingersinthe1930sand1940s,

RoswellHighSchool.Roswellhasalsobeenhometoseveralactorsaswell.ThemostfamousactortocallRoswellhomeatonetimewasDemi Moore (Ghost, GI Jane),wholivedinRoswellupuntilthetimeshebecameafamousactressandleftforHollywood.Roswellwasalsohometo“oldtime”moviestarssuchasGuy Kibbee (Little Lord Fauntleroy)andJoel McCrea,starofmanywesternswhohadaranchintheareaalongwithhiswifeFrancesDee.McCreastillhasrelativesinRoswelltothisday.Likewise,Dan Blocker (“Hoss”onBonanza)wasaschoolteacherinnearbyCarlsbad,NMatonetime.Morerecently,actorOwen Wilson (Shanghai Noon, Wedding Crashers)attendedNMMIwherelegendhasithisfamousnosewasbrokeninafight!

Athletes & Entrepreneurs Roswellhasnaturallyalsoproducedandhostedmanyathletesandentrepreneurs,andmanyofthemhavetiestotheareathankstotheprestigiousNewMexicoMilitaryInstitute.AmongthemareConrad Hilton,creatoroftheHiltonHotelchain;SamDonaldson,TVnewscasterandHondoValleyranchowner;andChili’screatorNorman Brinkerallattendedtheschool.Roger Staubach,futurequarterbackfortheDallasCowboys;playedfootballatNMMIwhileimprovinghisgradestogetintotheNavalAcademy.OtherfootballstarstohailfromRoswellincludeTom Brookshier andPete Jaquess. Roswellhasagoodtrackrecordforfamousfemalegolfers.Nancy Lopez isthebestknown

Roy Rogers

Peter Hurd

Wanda Faye & Weldon Rogers Nancy Lopez

Historical Society For Southeast New Mexico • 200N.LeaRoswell,NM • www.RoswellNMHistory.org • Museum:575-622-8333