- the Public Library
- LibGuides
- Subject Guides - 25/50/25
- From New Town to the Nuclear Age
- 1950-1959: 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: 1950-1960
|
1950 |
Population 96,815 |
|
1950 |
Census tracts are set up for the city |
|
1951 |
College of St. Joseph on the Rio Grande opens on the West Mesa |
|
1952 |
Albuquerque passes an ordinance banning discrimination in public places based on race, creed, or ancestry |
|
1952 |
Bataan Memorial Methodist Hospital opens |
|
1952 |
Turquoise Lodge, state alcohol rehabilitation center, opens |
|
1952 |
Street realignments create Lomas Boulevard out of portions of New York Avenue, Campus Boulevard, Las Lomas Road and Menaul Diagonal. |
|
1953 |
First zoning ordinance compiled |
|
1954 |
City’s first zoning ordinance published |
|
1954 |
Los Griegos Library built |
|
1954 |
|
|
1954 |
Simms Building completed at 4th and Gold SW |
|
1955 |
Huning Castle demolished |
|
1955 |
Clyde Tingley chooses not to run for re-election to City Commission |
|
1956 |
250th Anniversary of Founding of Albuquerque celebrated |
|
1956 |
Freeway alignments tentatively decided for I-25 and I-40 |
|
1956 |
First solar-heated commercial building, Bridgers and Paxton, built at 217 Truman NE |
|
1957 |
Civic Auditorium dedicated |
|
1957 |
City Commission zones Old Town as Historic District |
|
1958 |
Albuquerque declared an All America City by the National Municipal League and Life Magazine. |
|
1958 |
Four Hills Village and Country Club subdivided |
|
1959 |
Albuquerque’s first McDonald’s restaurant opens at Menaul and San Pedro |
| 1960 | Population 201,189 |
| 1960 | Horizon Land Corporation purchases Black Ranch, the basis for Paradise Hills |
| 1960 | Los Altos golf course opens |
| 1960 | Clyde Tingley dies December 24th at age 79 |
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
1950-1959
-
Albuquerque's 250th Anniversary, 1706-1956Publication Date: 1956If you thought the Tricentennial Celebrations in 2006 were swanky, you clearly don't remember the 1956 parties for the 250th Anniversary.
-
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.
-
Albuquerque [New Mexico], All-America City 1958Publication Date: 1958Souvenir program of the award presentation ceremony, Civic Auditorium, February 4, 1958.
-
Enchantorama : 250th Anniversary of Albuquerque, 1706-1956Publication Date: 1956This program from the 250th anniversary celebration is worth looking at for the ads alone. A revealing glimpse into how the city saw itself and interpreted its history from the mid-century vantage.
-
Inside Manzano Base; a Guide to Manzano Base and the Local Albuquerque AreaPublication Date: 1957Published by the Office of Information Services at Manzano Base: "Use it to answer questions you may have concerning your first few days at the base."
-
Nathan Nirenstein's Preferred Real Estate Locations, Downtown Shopping Districts, Decentralized Areas: Albuquerque and Santa FePublication Date: circa 1952Maps and photos from an era when Albuquerque's business section was bounded east and west by First Street and Seventh Street, North and South by Silver Avenue and Tijeras Avenue.
-
Solutions for Albuquerque's traffic problems; a comprehensive program.Publication Date: 1950A report to the city of Albuquerque and the New Mexico State Highway Commission published by the Automotive Safety Foundation. Includes photo illustrations and charts.
-
Temple Albert : Albuquerque, 1951Publication Date: 1951The dedication book for the rebuilding of Temple Albert, which took the congregation's worship space from 7th and Gold to 1006 Lead Avenue SE.
