Artesia (Images of America)

Artesia (Images of America)

Before New Mexico became a state in 1912, hardy pioneers had already established the village of Miller, known today as Artesia, on the dusty southeastern plains of the territory. Abundant artesian wells and, later, oil wells drew settlers from far and wide to make a living and a home in Artesia. As with any town, Artesia has evolved and changed throughout the years; businesses have come and gone, while the love for Bulldog sports still attracts the young and old. Today, Artesia continues to grow as the community takes pride in preserving and displaying the history of the town. Artesia captures this story in photographs, tracing the growth of Miller to Stegman to Artesia. Authors Nancy Dunn and Naomi Florez both work at the Artesia Historical Museum & Art Center, where they had access to thousands of memorable historic images in the museum's collection. The hardest part about preparing this book was selecting which images to use. The photographs in Artesia capture events and life in the village of Miller as it grew into today's city of Artesia.