Manuel M. Salazar Colfax County, New Mexico

Manuel M. Salazar, a merchant of Springer, was born in Puertecito, San Miguel County, New Mexico, December 10, 1854, and is a son of Tomas and Margarita (Sandoval) Salazar. Toribio Salazar, his great grandfather, was married to Apolinaria Gutierrez (otherwise known as Na Zarquita). They located at Puertecito, San Miguel County, now Sena, in 1826 and there their son, Juan Jose Salazar, was married to Rita Martinez. She was the daughter of Francisco Martin, a son of Antonio Martin, who married Ana Maria Cruz. Francisco Martin married Marta Lucero and his death occurred in 1863, while his wife died in 1865. They had several children, including Rita Martinez, who became the wife of Juan Jose Salazar. His death occurred in 1863, while his wife passed away in 1868. It will be noticed that there is a different form of spelling in the above record as Martin and Martinez. The proper surname is Martinez, while the name Martin is really a given name, but the Spanish form has frequently been dropped for the English.

In research amid the annals of the maternal ancestry of Manuel M. Salazar it is found that his great-great-grandfather, Miguel Ortiz, was married to Na Juanica, believed to have been Juana Lopez. They only had one child, Juan Christobal Ortiz, who died at Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1837. He was married to Josefa Lobato, who died at Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1825. They had several children, including Martina Ortiz, who was married to Mateo Sandoval, who was born in 1801 and was a son of Antonio and Marta (Garcia) Sandoval. The former died in 1842 and the latter in 1848. Their son Mateo, as before stated, married Martina Ortiz. He died at Santa Fe in 1861 and was buried in St. Michael's church cemetery, while his wife died at Sweetwater, Colfax County. New Mexico, in 1889. They had several children, including Margarita Sandoval, who was born at Santa Fe, New Mexico, February 22, 1832. She gave her hand in marriage to Tomas Salazar at Mora, New Mexico, in November, 1853 and their only child is the subject of this review. Tomas Salazar, who was born November 21, 1832, died November 6, 1897, and is still survived by his widow, who has reached the age of seventy-four years. Tomas Salazar was a first lieutenant in the United States army, holding a commission from Miguel Otero, father of ex-governor M. A. Otero, then secretary of the Territory. He participated in the battle of Val Verde. The last years of his life were spent in stock raising in Sweetwater valley.

Manuel M. Salazar remained a resident of San Miguel county until twenty years of age, when in 1874 he went to Mora county, where he became a teacher in the Spanish schools. On the 28th of February, 1878, he removed to Rayado, where he continued to teach for three years and was a part of the time in the clerk's office at Cimarron. In 1881 he went to Springer to become deputy county clerk under John Lee" and in 1884 was chosen by popular suffrage to the office of county clerk of Colfax county, being the second clerk elected. He served in that capacity until January 1. 1895, when he was succeeded by A. C. Guiterrez. Upon the expiration of another term on the 1st of January, 1897, Mr Salazar was again elected, serving until January 1, 1899, being elected in 1898 by over six hundred majority. On account of the contest between Springer and Raton for the removal of the county seat Mr. Salazar was summarily removed from office by Governor Otero, which was a strictly partisan measure. In 1895 he had established a mercantile business, which he has since conducted.

On the 27th of October, 1881, Mr. Salazar was married to Fannie Warder, who was born in Golondrinas, Mora County and is a descendant of the old and prominent Shotwell family of Missouri. Their living children are: Thomas A., Agnes, Fannie, Manuel, Sophia, Esther, Rosa and Eliodoro. Mr. Salazar is a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church which was established in 1881. In 1895-6 'be was a member of the school board and he is deeply interested in community affairs, co-operating heartily and zealously in many movements for the general good.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.

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