Mesilla quietly plans anniversary of colony's founding

MESILLA — At the historic plaza in the center of Mesilla, all was quiet on Friday ahead of a planned anniversary of the civil colony known as La Mesilla, when a disputed border divided the fertile valley between United States and Mexican territories.

Workers at jewelry shops, restaurants and souvenir stores ringing the popular plaza were largely unaware of the celebration. The Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site facing the plaza, which preserves the longtime home of former state Sen. J. Paul Taylor and his family, had no information about the event. A receptionist at Mesilla’s town hall referred a reporter to a spare announcement on the town’s website.

Saturday marks the 175th anniversary of the settlement led by Don Rafael Ruelas, leader of about 60 families that established La Mesilla on March 1, 1850.

The village of Mesilla is commonly reported to have originated in 1848 as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which closed the Mexican-American War and extended the boundaries of the United States. Locally, the new border was drawn beneath the village of Doña Ana. Landowning families wishing to retain Mexican citizenship, among others, moved south of the boundary to farm the Mesilla Valley, but before long, the boundary moved. The Gadsden Purchase, which took effect in 1854, finally situated Mesilla within U.S. territory.

Historian and author Dave Thomas, who is scheduled to make a presentation during Saturday’s celebration, has argued in interviews that March 1, 1850, is Mesilla’s true founding date.

After initial rapid growth, Mesilla was eclipsed later in the 19th century by the growth of Las Cruces. Today, the town has a population of about 1,800 and is known for pecan groves buffering the town from its larger neighbor, and for its zealous protection of its historical center rich in historical sites and Spanish colonial architecture.

The two-hour commemoration of Ruelas’ settlement of La Mesilla on Saturday is to include ballet folklórico and mariachi performances as well as a proclamation by the town’s mayor, Russell Hernandez, between 2 and 4 p.m. in the historic plaza.