About Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897
Santa Fe, N.M. (1885-1897)

Santa Fe Daily New Mexican and Santa Fe New Mexican

The Santa Fe Daily New Mexican was published from 1885 to 1897 in the capital of Santa Fe. It was succeeded by the Santa Fe New Mexican, which first appeared January 3, 1898, and was published through October 31, 1951.

Charles B. Hayward first published the Santa Fe Daily New Mexican on July 7, 1885, with the announcement, "This paper today greets its readers with a new heading, resuming the name which properly belongs to it as the successor of The New Mexican established here by Messrs. Manderfield & Tucker, nearly twenty-three years ago." Hayward, former publisher of the Joliet Sun, returned to Illinois in 1886.

That year, T. W. Collier, formerly a newspaperman in Ohio and Raton, New Mexico, took over the New Mexican as editor and business manager. The paper consisted of four pages, and a subscription cost $10 per year. Politically, it supported the Republican Party. Collier ran the New Mexican for two years. He then returned to Raton, where he resumed editorship of the Range.

Max Frost was owner and general manager of the Santa Fe Daily New Mexican from 1890 to 1894, and again from 1897 to 1908. In 1898, Frost changed the paper's name to the Santa Fe New Mexican. During part of his tenure with the newspaper, Frost served as territorial adjutant general and as a member of the Republican central committee. He oversaw the creation of the Spanish-language version of the newspaper, (El Nuevo Mexicano) in 1890. Prior to that, some articles in the New Mexican were published in Spanish.

When the Spanish-American War erupted in 1898, the New Mexican covered in detail the exploits of the First Volunteer Cavalry. Three hundred fifty-one New Mexicans formed the core of what became known as the Rough Riders, Troop E, a group of American volunteers who enlisted to fight the Spanish in Cuba. The July 28, 1898 issue of the newspaper proudly reported, "Col. E.H. Bergman has received a letter from Lieutenant Dame saying Troop E's colors were the first to be planted on San Juan Hill."

In 1912, Dana Johnson became editor, serving until his death in 1936. Under his editorship, the New Mexican maintained a Republican perspective. The editorial page declared,"The New Mexican is the oldest newspaper in New Mexico. It is sent to all post offices in the state and has a very large circulation between the intelligent and progressive people of the southwest."

On November 1, 1951, the Santa Fe New Mexican became the New Mexican, which ran through April 10, 1988, after which the paper was called the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Despite the title changes, publishers considered the various versions of the New Mexican to be part of one continuous newspaper. Some claimed a history dating as far back as 1849, when a short-lived paper also called the New Mexican was published. In fact, the Santa Fe New Mexican celebrated its sesquicentennial in July 1999 by producing a special supplement containing a timeline comparing, "New Mexico's history and its coverage by The New Mexican over 150 years."

Provided by: University of New Mexico