Descendents of some of the original founders of the tiny border town of Redford are planning a day-long event this weekend to commemorate the town’s founding, which happened about 150 years ago.
The town’s modern history dates to the late 1800’s, and the celebration on Saturday, March 4, is set to include talks about that history, a field trip to some historic sites in the area and more.
Marfa Public Radio recently sat down with Presidio resident Roberto Lujan, one of the organizers, for more about the event.
The day’s activities kick off around 9 a.m. or earlier at the Presidio Activity Center at 1200 E. O’Reilly St. in Presidio, next door to the Presidio Public Library.
Interview Highlights
On how the celebration came together
Lujan said the idea for a meet-up and celebration of Redford originated in a small Facebook group, where he and the other organizers share anecdotes and histories of the region, including the histories of their own families.
“I think we have connected through knowing that we all came from a certain area, and one thing led to another in regards to coming back to visit some of the roots of the families,” he said.
On the festivities planned for Saturday’s event
Lujan said organizers will arrive at the Presidio Activity Center as early as 7 a.m.. An opening introduction talk is planned for 9:30 a.m., with the day set to include talks about archeological studies in the region, the history of the Lipan Apache and other indigenous communities in the region and more.
Lujan said he’s looking forward to connecting with fellow organizers of the event and others from the local area who might have ties to Redford’s history.
“We know each other mostly online, but actually getting to meet people face to face, like-minded people, historians and genealogists, this is quite an event,” he said. “We have people coming in from throughout the United States.
On the broader historical significance of Presidio County’s border communities
Lujan said Saturday’s celebration is aimed in part at highlighting the fact that “people have been in this area for much, much longer than the present day United States of America.”
“There’s a lot of history that has not been taught or understood,” he said. “I think this showcases a little bit of that.”
Lujan said he views the gathering Saturday as “a part of coming back home.”
“Where we’re at right here was the heartland of La Junta de los Rios, of people that have been here for thousands of years,” he said. “It is quite a homecoming, I think.”
Agenda for the day’s events
Below is a full agenda of events for the gathering on Saturday, March 4 in Presidio, according to organizers.
9:00 a.m. - Registration and check in
9:30 a.m. - Welcoming, Introduction (Bert Lujan)
10:00 a.m. - Chapter 1, page 1 story tellers (Celina Acosta)
Break
10:15 a.m. - Archeological studies and El Polvo dig 1937 (David Keller)
Break
11:00 a.m. - Lipan Apache, History Mulato/Redford (Oscar Rodriguez)
11:45 a.m. - Cemetery burial cross/markers preservation (Gabriel Acosta)
12:15 a.m. - Depart Presidio and travel to Redford School building for lunch
1:45 a.m. - Site, Church, Cemetery, Old town site, Army Camp Polvo site, River, Farms and Irrigation Systems
