Madrid New Mexico 1959

I came to New Mexico in June, 1959, a new PhD from Purdue University and a new staff member of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. I had thought that I would stay in New Mexico for a couple of years and then move to California. Jobs in Science and Math were plentiful then. But I loved New Mexico immediately. I am still here after 59 years later, a Professor Emeritus at University of New Mexico.

One of the first places I visited in New Mexico was the town of Madrid which early had been a mining town for precious metals and stones but later was a coal-mining town. During WWII, coal was important, so the town was built up with rows of cheap housing for the miners and their families. It was now in 1959 deserted mostly but the houses were still there. One year later they were gone! But that day I took some photos and recently painted my acrylic painting from viewing the photos.

I took two photos:

My acrylic painting, finished Spring 2018: