OPINION: Las Cruces and Mesilla should do more to honor Col. Fountain

When I moved to Las Crues in 2010, I immersed myself in the region’s history. The story of Col. Albert Jennings Fountain and his young son’s disappearance and presumed slaying captured my attention and would not let go. After years of reading and research, I began writing a five-volume historical fiction series set during the decade leading up to that tragic day. Completing the series left me with a lingering sense that Fountain’s contributions to Las Cruces and Mesilla have never been adequately recognized.

Feb. 1 marked the 130th anniversary of the loss of Fountain and his 8-year-old son. Some accounts suggest he left his family nearly penniless. If so, it was largely due to his selfless devotion to public service. Time and again, he sacrificed personal financial gain to advance the welfare of the community and to help move the New Mexico Territory toward statehood. As an assistant district attorney, he accepted little more than a stipend despite having no shortage of private clients willing to pay well for his respected legal services. His multiyear service as immigration commissioner brought new settlers from across the country and beyond, as he traveled widely to promote the Mesilla Valley as fertile farmland and a vibrant place to build a future.

Among his many accomplishments was the pursuit and successful prosecution of notorious rustlers and criminals. Our beloved university might have been located elsewhere had it not been for his instrumental role as territorial speaker of the House in securing the necessary votes. Fountain’s orations were in constant demand. He delivered keynote addresses throughout the territory and served as master of ceremonies at the laying of the cornerstone for the college’s first building.

Albert Jennings Fountain arrived in the Mesilla Valley with the California Column during the Civil War, when Union forces moved to drive Confederate troops from New Mexico. He married Mariana Pérez, sister of his close friend Thomas Pérez; the Pérez family traced its roots to a New Mexico governor in the 1830s. After serving in the Texas legislature as Senate majority leader, Fountain returned with his family to Mesilla, where he established himself as a civic-minded lawyer.

Fountain later became a trusted friend of the Mescalero Apache and an advocate for Native American causes at the local and national levels. Fluent in Spanish, he also emerged as a political leader and defender of Doña Ana County’s Hispanic population, representing their interests personally and in the courts, particularly in matters of land rights.

Las Cruces has honored many notable citizens through street names and landmarks, yet Fountain — with his lasting local and regional impact — remains largely absent from such recognition. While I am less familiar with Mesilla’s street names, I know several streets and the theater bear the Fountain name or those of his descendants. Before leaving Mesilla to follow the relocation of the county seat, he also founded a well-regarded local newspaper, further underscoring his civic commitment.

Given Fountain’s legal work and devotion to public life in both Las Cruces and Mesilla, a street connecting the two communities would be an especially fitting tribute. While Fountain Avenue and Fountain Loop carry his name, they lack the prominence afforded to streets named for others who contributed far less and did not die for their service. While Doña Ana County and Las Cruces have done little to commemorate him, Otero County has prominently recognized the man many believed responsible for the disappearance and likely murder of Col. Fountain and his son. One hundred and thirty years is a long time to wait.

Mary Armstrong is the author of a five book series backdropped by the 10 years leading to the Fountain slayings.