- the Public Library
- LibGuides
- Subject Guides - 25/50/25
- From New Town to the Nuclear Age
- 1930-1939: a Self-guided Tour
From New Town to the Nuclear Age
A brief chronology of the decade with recommended resources and some links to photos.
Standard Sources
Standard Sources
Albuquerque by Publication Date: 1982New Mexico’s biggest metro area deserves a book all its own. And what a book it is! Simmons gives a rich, detailed, and colorful history of the area from its beginnings in Old Town, the emergence of New Town, to the rise of the military bases.- Albuquerque : 100 Years in Pictures byPublication Date: 1975In 1975, retired New Mexico Magazine editor George Fitzpatrick and photo illustrator Harvey Caplin collaborated on a beautiful photo review of Albuquerque's history.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, Resources and Reseach CollectionsPublication Date: 2006Jan Dodson Barnhart's update to Albuquerque Bibliography: a Guide to Published and Archival Materials.
- Albuquerque Progress byPublication Date: 1934-1965Published by Albuquerque National Bank from 1934 through 1964, Albuquerque Progress chronicles Albuquerque's growth and development and includes black and white photos of residential, commercial, and community buildings.
Albuquerque Remembered by Publication Date: 2006An informative and entertaining history of 'The Duke City'. Under the flags of Spain, Mexico, the United States, and for a brief period, the Confederate States, Albuquerque grew from a small farm and ranch village in the northern reaches of New Spain to the thirty-fifth largest city in the United States. Howard Bryan devotes special attention to some of the colourful characters who have populated the city's history, and also includes business and civic leaders who helped shape the city's growth and character. Humorous episodes and anecdotes, as related in early newspapers, are scattered throughout the text to balance some of the dramatic and often violent events that occurred in Albuquerque over the years.
Albuquerque Then and Now by Publication Date: 2006Side-by-side then-and-now photographs showcase landmarks like Kistler's department store (now demolished), the Old Bernalillo County Courthouse (rumored to be haunted), and the beautiful California Mission-style Alvarado Hotel, considered the finest railroad hotel of its time. From Old Town across the tracks to New Town, you'll discover a thriving, modern city filled with remarkable architecture and culture.
Atrisco to Zena Lona: a Snappy Survey of Selected Albuquerque Street Names by Publication Date: 2012A recent update of Judy Nickell's essential reference guide to how Albuquerque streets got their names.- Historic Albuquerque Today: an Overview Survey of Historic Buildings and Districts byPublication Date: 1978A compilation of the work of the Historic Landmark Survey in Albuquerque from 1975-1978. Includes overview histories as well as illustrations and brief descriptions of residential, public, and commercial buildings.
Albuquerque: a city at the end of the world by ISBN: 0826330975Publication Date: 2003-04-18This impassioned book, both a loving description and a critique, defines urban values in a milieu that is rarely recognised as a city. Updated over ten years after its initial publication, it is more relevant than ever to Albuquerque's future. A new chapter describes Albuquerque's recent development, placing it in the context of urban growth in the West.
A Brief Chronology: 1930-1939
|
1930 |
Population 26,570 (New Town only) |
|
1930 |
Albuquerque Little Theater founded |
|
1930 |
A.R. Hebenstreit brings Old Town luminaria tradition to New Town. |
|
1932 |
Albuquerque Dons bring professional baseball to Albuquerque for one season |
|
1932 |
Albuquerque Civic Symphony founded by Grace Thompson Edmister |
|
1932 |
KOB (Albuquerque’s second radio station) on the air |
|
1932 |
Veterans Administration hospital opens |
|
1933 |
First National Bank fails |
|
1933 |
Roosevelt Park built |
|
1933 |
Conservancy Beach (now Tingley Beach) built |
|
1934 |
Clyde Tingley elected governor |
|
1935 |
El Vado Dam & Reservoir completed |
|
1935 |
Nazareth Sanatorium is founded |
|
1936 |
Albuquerque Little Theater playhouse built as W.P.A. project |
|
1936-1937 |
Underpasses built beneath railroad tracks at Central and Coal Avenues |
|
1937 |
Route changes made to U.S. 66 |
|
1938 |
First State Fair held in Albuquerque at present day fairgrounds |
|
1938 |
Heights Community Center established as Albuquerque's first community recreation center |
|
1939 |
Hilton Hotel [aka La Posada, aka Hotel Andaluz] built at corner of 2nd and Copper |
|
1939 |
Municipal airport opens, features one of the longest runways in the country |
|
1939 |
Clyde Tingley returns to City Commission after second gubenatorial term ends |
|
1939 |
Jones Motor Company (now Kelly's Brew Pub) established |
Albuquerque Newspapers
Albuquerque Newspapers
- NewspaperARCHIVE
NewspaperARCHIVE Library Edition is an online database that provides searchable access to New Mexico newspapers. Every part of every page is searchable, including valuable local articles, advertisements, editorials, classified ads, and obituaries. The collection contains over 128 different newspapers from across New Mexico. The archives cover New Mexico history from 1847-2019 and allow you to further understand an ancestor's place within their local community to research your genealogy. Start your New Mexico ancestry search now and discover more about your ancestor's stories!
Recommended Resources
1930-1939
- Albuquerque City Clerk Scrapbooks byPublication Date: 1922-1974Collections of newspaper clippings documenting news, issues and events that involved Albuquerque City Government (1922-1974). Preservation and photocopy reproductions of the press clippings scrapbooks that were made possible by a grant awarded by the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board and by the support of the University Libraries, Center for Southwest Research, and Center for Regional Studies, Friends of the University of New Mexico Libraries, Inc., and the Albuquerque Historical Society. Permission to photocopy was granted by the Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque Tribune.
- Albuquerque Progress byPublication Date: 1934-1965Published by Albuquerque National Bank from 1934 through 1964, Albuquerque Progress chronicles Albuquerque's growth and development and includes black and white photos of residential, commercial, and community buildings.
- Balloons to Bombers: Aviation in Albuquerque, 1882-1945 byPublication Date: 1987Covers Albuquerque's aviation scene from balloonists and barnstormers at the Territorial Fairs through World War II bombardment squadrons.
- A Book of Home Plans for AlbuquerquePublication Date: 1930"... Published by the following building materials dealers of Albuquerque: Albuquerque Lumber Company...J.C. Baldridge Lumber Company... Breece Lumber and Supply Company...El Rio Lumber Comany...Star Lumber and Supply Comany...Superior Lumber Company....
"And in the interest of encouraging the building of homes which express to some degree the unlimited possibilities in architectural effects resulting from the application of Spanish and Pueblo elements of design. Any of these firms will assist you in estimating costs for any of these houses, and in putting you in touch with reliable builders to do the work." 
Clyde Tingley's New Deal for New Mexico, 1935-1938 by Publication Date: 2013Often referred to as Mayor of Albuquerque, Clyde Tingley may have had more influence on Albuquerque's history as Governor of New Mexico. Lucinda Lucero Sachs tells the story of how Tingley's networking talents helped him capitalize on the New Deal programs that built Albuquerque's infrastructure and kept its people working during the Great Depression.- History of the Albuquerque Airport, 1928 to 1942 byPublication Date: 1965Chronicles the development of the Albuquerque Airport from its inception to its purchase by the U.S. government to create an Air Depot and Training Command post.
- Making the Most of It : Public Works in Albuquerque During the Great Depression, 1929-1942 byPublication Date: 1986Roosevelt Park, Conservancy (Tingley) Beach, Jefferson Junior High -- these are just three buildings Albuquerque owes to the WPA. Biebel chronicles how the Great Depression changed the face of Albuquerque.
- Pictorial Albuquerque, New MexicoPublication Date: 1932Designed to entice the tourist to come and stay.
- Pictorial and Statistical Market Survey of Albuquerque, New Mexico: BookletPublication Date: Circa 1936"This booklet tells the story of the market possibilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and its surrounding territory. ... Information, photographs, and statistics in this booklet were all secured from such reliable sources as the Chamber of Commerce, Civic Council, Government Agencies, Utility Companies and other reliable agencies."
