Eichel
Holloway
San Patricio
Louise Babers
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When the early settlers here built their first church in 1875, local stories say an Irish priest named it San Patricio, for St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It was not until 1904 that the village of San Patricio was awarded its own post office, and Ignacio Olguin, son of Ramon Olguin, one of the settlers, became the first postmaster and kept the office in his home. Mail reached Lincoln from San Antonio and Carrizozo by stage coach, and came across the mountain by horseback from Lincoln. At first it came two times a week, and later three times. Sometime later a star route was established between Tularosa and Hondo, and the mail was delivered six days a week. Since 1963 it has been arriving from Carrizozo daily, except for Sundays and Holidays.
John C. West became the second Postmaster in 1911. He was married to a charming French girl who had come to New Mexico from France with her family. Their daughter, Mrs. C. D. Chavez still lives in San Partricio and has in her home the beautiful old furniture brought by her mother from France. Another colorful postmaster was William E. Brady, grandson of a soldier from Ireland who had been a Lincoln County Sheriff and was killed during the Lincoln County War. During the years the office was moved from one store to another and then kept in a home or two for a time as Postmasters were changed. the mail came daily by car from Tularosa, New Mexico.
During the years of World War II many families moved away to better jobs and the young men left to serve their country. Only a few families have returned and the population has diminished from the largest voting precinct in Lincoln County to perhaps the smallest now. There are still descendents of the first families receiving mail here: Sanchez, Chavez, Sedillio, Herrera, Romero and Lucero are some of them.
San Patricio has been a favorite spot of many well known people through the years. many famous names have received mail there at one time or another. Some of them have been Helen Hayes, Chareles MacArthur, Paul Horgan, Judge John Biggs, Jr. and Mrs. Biggs, a Thailand Prince, Linda Darnell, Teresa Wright, Nevin Busch and many more. Perhaps the most renowned is Peter Hurd, the world famous painter, who bought a ranch at San Patricio in 1935 and makes his home there with his wife, another famous painter, Henriette Wyeth. A favorite story about the San Patricio Post Office is told by R. M. McNatt who was Postmaster when Peter Hurd called for an insured package. Jokingly McNatt said to him as he handed the book to be signed to Hurd, "Here, Pete, draw your picture and I'll give you your package. "To his delight Peter Hurd promptly sketched a quick likeness of himself in the space provided for signature. Unfortunately the book was destroyed by fire years later.
In 1941, there was a disastrous flood in the Rio Ruidoso. The bridge over highway 70, was washed away, just below Ruidoso Downs, closing the highway for a number of days. Rowe McNatt, the postmaster, would go up to the bridge, about 15 miles away, and meet the mail car from Tularosa. They would transfer the mail bags to each other by the help of a farmer's tractor nearby, and so kept the mail going during that time.
Louise Babers who is now postmaster was serving when the office burned in 1953. The Babers' living room served as the new post office. Forms were borrowed from Glencoe and Hondo and business was carried on as usual until a building could be found and readied. The office was then moved to its present site on the highway where it fills the needs of the small community. It is the meeting place of neighbors and gives them a chance to visit when they call for their mail. After improved mail service necessitated the mail when being left before the office is opened each morning one patron was heard to grouse, "I don't like this new way of bringing in the mail. you never know when anyone is coming in to get their mail and I don't get all the news about the cows and pigs or fruit!"
A small lending library is now in the post office, with the beginnings of a post office museum.
These Postmasters have served San Patricio:
| Ignacio Olguin June 18, 1904 | Frances R. Lilly May 22, 1929 |
| Lugarda Lucero June 10, 1909 | William E. Brady Oct 31, 1931 |
| John C. West June 9, 1911 | R. M. McNatt 1935 -McNatt served as |
| Byrd D. Garner may 15. 1914 | Postmaster at Tularosa NM before moving to San Pa. |
| Walter B. Rose June 11, 1915 | Louise Babers Jan. 1943 |
| Homer Farrar June 5, 1917 | Wilda K Taylor Jan. 1950 |
| John C. west Aug. 15, 1921 | Louise Babers June 30, 1951 |
| --Louise is daughter of R. M. McNatt. |
Eichel*
Roy McCurdy June 7, 1906
Ekil J. Schmidt Dec. 7, 1906
Percy Welch Aug. 1, 1907
Bryant e. Redrick Feb. 5, 1908
Rescinded March 17, 1908
Percy Welch Aug. 1, 1907
William H. Cavanaugh June 25, 1908
Discontinued Sept. 15, 1913. Mail to Ancho.
Holloway*
James M. Holloway May 9, 1908
Rebecca Slack July 28, 1913
Discontinued Feb. 27, 1915
Transcribed by C. W. Barnum ©2005