Blazer family papers

MS 034
Image
Blazer family

Image of the Blazer Family outside of a log cabin

Collection area: Arizona and Southwest

Collection dates: 1857-1966 (bulk 1870-1955)

About this collection

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.

Historical background

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.

Access this collection

Visit us in person to access materials from this collection. Our materials are one-of-a-kind and require special care, so they can’t be checked out or taken home.

How to cite

Learn how to cite and use materials from Special Collections in your research.