Wallace Hesselden Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Wallace Hesselden, contractor and builder of Albuquerque, has been one of the most potential and practical builders of the modern metropolis of New Mexico. Aside from his private undertakings as a contractor he is connected with the Superior Lumber & Planing Mill Company and the Standard Plumbing & Heating Company. Born at Halifax in 1858, son of William and Sarah, he came to New Mexico from Yorkshire, England, in 1883, and first engaged in his trade at Las Vegas, where he erected the San Miguel county court house and the Jewish synagogue. Since 1888 he has been located in Albuquerque. In that city he erected the handsome Commercial Club building, the county jail, the public library building, the Columbus Hotel, the Strong block, the Whiting block, and many of the finest private residences in the city, including those of Hon. B. S. Rodey, Fred J. Otero, Dr. J. F. Pearce, Ivan Grunsfeld, Adolphus A. Keen and J. W. Johnson. He also erected the buildings of the School of Mines at Socorro, the territorial buildings at Belen and furnished the government Indian school buildings at Black Rock, on the Zuñi Pueblo Indian reservation. The character and importance of the work that he has done in this direction is indicative of the prominent position which he occupies in building circles, and moreover stands in proof of his superior ability and understanding of the great scientific principles which underlie his work as well as his practical knowledge of the business in all of its details.

Mr. Hesselden was one of the organizers of and is a director in the Commercial Club, and was at one time president of the Fair Association, and for two years was a member of the Albuquerque city council. He is also a charter member of the Elks lodge, and his identification in these various organizations indicates the character of the man and his interest in those measures which are a matter of civic pride and lead to substantial improvement.

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