Issue No. 83: April 2010

ZIM CSWR OVI. ;. e F 791 .C7x c.l "0.83 ..,fOM.1Ca ~e Nuevo Mexico 8!) Published since 1976 ~ The Official Publication of the Historical Society ofNew Mexico OJ April 2010 Issue Nurnbe'r 83 Curtis Fort - Story Teller in Bronze ByStephen Zimmer Born in 1949. Fort ~rew up on the doctor for screw worm. of hi~h school first. The day after Dickinson Cattle Company at Tatum. Fort says that althouqh he ~raduation he loaded his pickup with NM. His dad ran the ranch. and Fort's sometimes had difficulty ~ettin~ out of his bedroll and saddle and headed to earliest memories are of movinc cattle bed when he had to ~o to school. he West Texas for a riding job with the on his private mount, "Sox". that his never had trouble pullinq on his boots Pitchfork Ranch near Guthrie. dad had raised and his older brother when it was time to cowboy. no matter The Pitchforks were an old-time broke. Like a lot of kids who ~row up how early his dad called him . Texas outfit with bi~ pastures that on ranches. he was Intrigued watchlnq Often. when he should have been required the cowboy crew to follow a his father work a herd or rope a cow. with his school books. he was chuczwaqon during the spring and fall Puelinq his interest even more were immersed in a book about cowboys. works . It was a cowboy paradise and stories he heard about brandlnqs. Indians. or mountain men. His the perfect place for Fort to broaden his roundups. wild cows. and broncs. He favorites were about Charles Russell cowboy education. memorized the names and brands of and his art, and he studied Russell's famous ranches as early as he did the pictures by the hour. He also read all of alphabet. and he made up his mind the Will James books in the school early that he wanted to be a cowboy. libra ry. learning the stories and As he ~rew older he honed his studyinq James' pictures of cowboy ridin~ and ropinc skills and took every action. opportunity to ~o horseback with his When he ~raduated from hi~h Curtis Fort con centrating on his art at his studio dad. Once he learned to handle a school. Fort was ready to strike for in Tatum . New Mexico rope . he was rarely seen without one other ranges. He had worked hard to (photoqrepii courtesy of Stephen Zimmer) and threw loops at any target that learn about horses and cattle and to When Curtis Fort worked on the presented itself. But his father would develop the skills to handle them but Vermejo Park Ranch west of Raton in not let him carry a rope horseback was convinced that if he was to be as the early 1970s. he was widely known until he was ei~ht years old because his ~ood of a hand as his father. he would "Seetterin ' the Drive" by Curtis Fort as an artist with a lariat rope. whether dad said it was better to learn to ride have to ride for other outfits. in the branding pen. pasture. or horse and rope separately. Fort remembers His parents. however. held a strong With summer over Fort entered corral. During that same time. he how proud he was the first time he ~ot belief in the benefits of a college college in the fall. The following spring pursued another artistic career by to hanq a rope from his saddle and education and encouraged him to he wrote George Ellis. manager of the rnodelinq clay into scenes of the ranch even prouder the first time his dad pursue a degree. Fort a~reed but at historic Bell Ranch near Tucumcari, life he lived during the day. asked him to heel a calf so they could least wanted to enjoy his summer out continued on page 2 ~ • • • The Zealot and the Politician: Two 18th Century New Mexico Franciscans By Paul Kraemer viewpoints and back~rounds. yet the twelve "Apostles of Mexico" to be patched with odd pieces of fabric. Fray worked together to rejuvenate a received by Hernan Cortes in 1524. and Carlos also showed that he was decaying Franciscan missionary played a dominant role in the early credulous about the mythical kingdom proqram. Although they had some part of the "spiritual conquest" of of "Gran Tequayo" and how its initial successes. they ultimately failed. Mexico". In addition to asceticism. they. conversion. which he planned. was This paper will describe these friars and more than other Franciscans. retained consistent with the Joachimist their efforts. and will describe the medieval apocalyptic beliefs. especially prophecies: "your reverence (the context of their work and the those related to the prophecies of Commissary General) may look upon challenqes the New Mexican Joachin of Fiore (1132-1202)3. Although what I have said. as something that has Franciscans faced in the period 1730 most historians of this period have been proved. since it seems as though 1750. iSJnored the differences between fray the prophecies are being fulfilled. and Fray Carlos Delgado (1677-1750) Carlos Delgado and his brethren of the that the time has arrived for better was evidently the last of the "Barefoot "ReSJular Observance". the Jesuits of the thinqs than even now can be seen'". Friars" tDescelzos. also known as period who were competing with the Fray Carlos Delcado worked in New Alcantarines) to serve in New Mexico. Franciscans for efforts to reconvert the Mexico with the Holy Gospel province The Barefoot Friars were a historically apostate Hopis (see below) knew very for almost forty years. but did not important Franciscan reform SJroup. well that Delgado was an actually apply to be incorporated into They sought to live by the strictest "Alcaruartne'". These Alcantarine the Holy Gospel province until he was 8 observance of the primitive Rule of St. characteristics show up in Delgado's near retirement in 1745 • Francis. who founded the order letters. In his letter of June 1744 to the Fray Juan MiSJuel Manchero (1695 exactly 800 years aSJo in 1209. Extreme provincial commissary ~eneral. he ca. 1753). 18 years younger than asceticism and the desire to have a pointed out that he is now so ra~SJedly Delqado. was much more conventional physical life style Indistinguishable dressed that "I am ... indecent to and pragmatic. The son of a prominent from very poor people separated these appear before a human belnq", and Mexico City merchant and Iandowninq friars from the more numerous friars of asksthe Provincial for "not a new habit. family, he entered the Franciscan order the "ReSJular Observance". that but something old that may be spared at the aSJe of 19. but even as a novice included most of the New Mexico friars there". All of the New Mexico friars was addressed as "Don", a courtesy that A Barefoot Friar shOWing the shortened. who were incorporated into the Holy received two new habits every three was accorded to few novices. He was narrower Alcantarine habit and his "discipline" Gospel Province. The roots of the years", and it was unlikely that any clearly favored by the provincial (from Paul Keleman) Barefoot Friars date back to the times zealous Desca!zo would ever wear a authorities and received special The "Zealot" (fray Carlos Delcado) of St. Francis himself. tncludtnq a lon~ brand new standard Franciscan habit. projects such as vistedor (inspector) of and the "Politician" (fray Juan Mi~uel and complex history'. They were Their traditional "uniform" was a missions near Tampico. Junta de los among the first Franciscans. includtnq shorter. narrower habit that was Manchero). had very different continued on page 3 ~ Mark Your Calender Now: New Mexico History Conference, Ruidoso Convention Center, May 5-7, 2011 Curtis Fort... (continuedfrom page 1) contemporary cowboy life. The story spring qo by without draqqinq some also mentioned his sculpting and calves to the branding fire because he is asking for a job . Ellis responded sayin~ . affirmatively and told him to arrive by quoted him as "I want to be still known as an artist with a rope. authentic. I don't claim to be the best ~SAZ time the wagon pulled out the first of June. on anatomy. Everythinq I make, I make out of my head to tell a story. Stephen Zimmer has written several Then if somebody wants to buy it, fine. articles about Curtis Fort, some of Charley Russell left something to show which have been published in what it was like in his day. If I leave Western Horseman magazine. anything. I'd like them to think that Historian and writer. Zimmer is the they did work cattle and rode buchinq former Director of the Seton horses in the 1970s." Memorial Library and Philmont Even though he liked Vermejo's Museum at Cimarron, New Mexico. mountains. he decided after two years "Tried & True" by Curtis Fort He has had several books published to ride other ranges. In typical drifting does not sell in gallerys. As such he and he continues to write at his ranch cowboy fashion he left after the fall in Colfax County. work in 1975 and took a job on the spends much of his time with collectors Luera Ranch southwest of Ma~dalena. many of whom hold private showings The ranch was so remote that it had no where friends and associates can meet telephone service. but he was able to Fort and see his newest work. keep in contact with his ever growing Because he is essentially a story teller in bronze. fort relishes the opportunity to expound on the circumstances surrounding a particular piece.

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