Terry Humble and Christopher Saxman will be the guest speakers at the Westerners’ meeting to be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at the Silver City Cross Point Church Fellowship Hall. It is located at 11600 Highway 180 East; mile-marker 116. Come join us for a delicious meal and their presentation “Relics of the Underground Metal Miners” based on their book they co-authored (with the same title). Terry and Christopher’s program for the August meeting of the Westerners will capture the “illustrious history and beauty of Grant County’s Central Mining District. With Terry Humble’s extensive knowledge, experience, and writings and Christopher Saxman’s artistic eye and talent for visual story-telling”, this presentation is sure to be fascinating and informative; so don’t miss this one!
Humble and Saxman’s presentation “will cover a brief history of the Central Mining District and Silver City area. It will relate the underground mine history, with remarkable photos, to the remaining 16 mines sites. It will emphasize the importance of the railroad to mining development and display an array of equipment used in underground mining over the years. Finally, stories from men who worked underground will be shared describing what it was like to tunnel thousands of feet into the ground, blasting, shoveling, and hammering their way into the darkness at sites like the Bullfrog, Hobo, Princess and Empire Zinc. Terry and Chris hope that their presentation will lead people to discover the remarkable beauty and rich mining history of the Central Mining District, Grant County New Mexico.”
Their book “Relics of the Underground Metal Miners, covers the history of the Central Mining District. It makes clear the contribution underground mining made to the economy and to the development of the United States. The men working underground provided the copper, zinc, silver, gold, lead, and iron that built America and they provided crucial resources during both world wars. Without these metals the Allies could not have won. Included is a telegram from General Eisenhower wherein he thanked the miners from one of the underground mines, the Pewabic, for their important contribution to the war effort. For the first time, the rich stories of each mine have been assembled, and every remaining mine photographed to preserve this quickly disappearing part of our past. By way of over 400 creative photographs of mine relics you will come to discover the splendor of the Central Mining district. In addition, our first-hand accounts will help you sense what life was like for the men who worked in these underground mines. Relics of the Underground Metal Miners not only provides insight and understanding of the integral role that mining played in Grant County’s past, but also encourages the preservation of the remaining mine facilities as a testament to our history and to these gritty, hard-working men, the underground metal miners of the Central Mining District of Grant County New Mexico. This is truly a remarkable book, a melding of art and history. It documents our history, and shines a glowing light on the state of New Mexico. We may be way out west, and we may be small, but we do our part for America. This book helps to further establish New Mexico's rightful place in American History.”
The Presenters:
Terry Humble: “Terry Humble is a well-known mine historian who spent years working the underground mines in the Central Mining District. Terry was born in Santa Rita and grew up in mining, as his father, Pat Humble was an experienced underground miner. Terry started as an underground miner doing all jobs from the time he was a teen. He saw underground mining change from manual labor to mechanized work. In 1978, Terry went to work at the giant Toquepala Copper Pit in Peru. He retired from Phelps Dodge in 2001. He has been recording mining history, archiving documents, working with historic preservation, and researching local history for the last 50 years. He co-authored the award winning book Santa Rita Del Cobre: A Copper Mining Community in New Mexico. Terry is a council member of the Mining History Association and he is the winner of the 2010 Rodman Paul Mining History Award. In addition, Mr. Humble served in the U.S. Navy for 4 years, 1959-1963.”
Christopher Saxman: “Although originally the owner of his own architectural firm (30 years specializing in Modern Architecture), Christopher developed an interest in writing early on in his career and has authored several books (Fiction, Historical, Biography, and Family History). In addition to expressing his creativity through writing and design, he is also an accomplished photographer whose artistic eye and talent for visual storytelling has helped bring this fascinating part of our history to life through his vivid photographs, thoughtful layout, and insightful writings. His award-winning photos have been shown in a wide range of galleries, and he consistently seeks new ways to express his vision and creativity. Mr. Saxman served in the United States Marine Corp, saw combat in Vietnam, and received the Purple Heart in 1967.”
Westerners is an international group dedicated to sharing and preserving the history of the American West. Westerners was founded in 1944 and has over 60 corrals (or chapters) in the US, and 20 corrals abroad, with over 4,000 members around the globe. Corrals generally meet for camaraderie and interesting programs on all aspects of Western history. Anyone who loves the lore and history of the American West can join. Members range from local history buffs and readers and viewers of Western movies, to professional historians, educators, writers, and artists of all kinds.”
Our local chapter meets on the third Tuesday of every other month throughout the year, except for December; when the meeting is held on the second Tuesday. Dinner is served at the meeting, and the cost is $12.00 per person for members and $15 for non-members. The public is invited to attend the meeting and we ask that everyone planning on attending make reservations with Mary Margaret Soule at 538-2888 on or before Wednesday, August 14, 2019 (as we need to insure that enough food is prepared).