Ralph Emerson Twitchell

<p>In the latter half of the nineteenth century a number of talented and industrious individuals immigrated to New Mexico in search of wealth and prestige. Among these enterprising newcomers was a young lawyer from Missouri named Ralph Emerson Twitchell. Shrewd audacious and driven Twitchell quickly distinguished himself from the others as an attorney an orator a publicist and a historian. From the moment he stepped off the train in Las Vegas Twitchell entrenched himself in his adopted home working tirelessly to promote progress and to broadcast its many virtues.</p><p>A pillar of the New Mexico community he spent more than forty years as a devoted civil servant. Inspired by the history culture and charm of old Santa Fe he became one of the city’s leading patrons and helped transform the ancient capital into a popular tourist destination. Yet he seems to be one of the most obscure and understudied figures in New Mexico history. Remembered solely for his achievements as a historian—his books articulated the idea of New Mexico for generations of Americans—Twitchell has otherwise been virtually ignored.</p><p>Ralph Emerson Twitchell’s influential role in the modernization and development of New Mexico is now expansively detailed in this revelatory work.</p>