El Gringo: Or New Mexico And Her People (1857)

By William Watts Hart Davis

Book Overview

El Gringo: Or New Mexico And Her People (1857) is a historical book written by William Watts Hart Davis. The book is a detailed account of the author's experiences during his travels to New Mexico, which was then a part of Mexico. The book provides a comprehensive description of the people, culture, and geography of New Mexico during the mid-19th century. The author has depicted the life of the people of New Mexico in a vivid and detailed manner, giving the reader a glimpse into their daily lives, customs, and traditions. The book also provides an insight into the political and social conditions of New Mexico during that time. The author has also described the natural beauty of the region and the various flora and fauna found there. Overall, El Gringo is an important historical document that provides a valuable insight into the life and times of New Mexico during the 19th century.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1164629611
• ISBN13: 9781164629610
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 438 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

An Excellent, Probably the Best Book on New Mexico in the 1850's

This book is part travelogue, part history, part adventure and very well done. If you liked reading "Wah-to-yah and the Taos Trail" by Lewis Hl Garrard and "Adventures in Mexico and Rocky Mountains" by George Frederick Ruxton and "Commerce of th Praires" by Josiah Greg you will like this book, too. The author served as US Attorney in New Mexico for several years starting in 1853. He says in the introduction he relied on records he translated from Spanish for much of the detail and information in his book. It is thorough. The account of his trip from Missouri along the Santa Fe Trail is especially worthwhile because his day-by-day account of trip gives miles covered and descriptions of the stops and landscape. It is surprising how fast a stage coach could go. Then his descriptions of the people in New Mexico, the Mexican and Indians, has to be the best written at that time because it is so thorough, thoughtful and wonderfully personal. Chapter headings will give you an idea of what it covers: Manners and Customs of the People, The Pueblo Indians, Winter in Santa Fe, Riding the Circuit (as U.S. Attorney) and a trip to the Navajo country. Something he mentions that some others of the same period mention is the fine wine made in El Paso, wine that had been made since 1650. I used to live not too far from El Paso in the 1950's and 1960's, and I never heard that. I love surprises like that.