Back to Life: Historic Fairview Cemetary

On Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 2:00 pm, Susan Schwartz describes the history of Fairview Cemetery on Yale SE where many famous NM doctors, elected officials, ministers, soldiers and local heroes are buried.

Fairview Cemetary, when first established in the late 1800s, was located two miles from the growing urban center of New Town Albuquerque. This location, though not far from New Town, was situated on the edge of a line of sand hills that stretched north and south between the Rio Grande and the Sandia Mountains. Here, the cemetery remained relatively isolated as major development did not encroach upon the cemetery until the 1930s. The cemetery includes the gravesites of many notable Albuquerque businessmen, civic leaders, and citizens such as Louis W. Galles (businessman), Bernard S. Rodey (territorial senator, 1889; U.S. congressman, 1901-1905; founder of University of New Mexico, 1889), Edmond G. Ross (U.S. Senator, Kansas, 1866-71; territorial governor, NM, 1885-89), Albert G. Simms (NM state representative, 1925-27; U.S. representative 1929-34), Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms (U.S. representative, 1929-31), Henry Springer (businessman), and Elias S. Stover (businessman; first president of the University of New Mexico).

The program will be held at the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town. Parking is free in the lot south of the Museum. Admission to the Museum and the AHS program is also free.

Speaker Susan Schwartz is the volunteer historian for Fairview Cemetery on Yale SE which traces its roots back to the 1880s. A family experience led to her interest in researching graves. Some 12 years ago, she volunteered to help Fairview by creating a database and map. She also offered tours since many of Fairview’s “residents” played key roles in the history of Albuquerque. About 25% of those buried in the older part of Fairview died from TB.

Schwartz curated an exhibit about Fairview which just opened at the ABQ Museum. Those buried at Fairview were important in business, law enforcement, health, politics and religion of our city. The Museum exhibit continues through September 11.