Las Esperanzas marks 25 years

Las Esperanzas, Inc., a local nonprofit promoting the historical inheritance of Las Cruces’ original town site and Mesquite Historic District, will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this month.

Founded in 1999 by Consuelo Lerma to address deteriorating conditions in Las Cruces’ eldest neighborhood, the organization and its volunteer staff advocate for preserving the district’s historical structures, including hundreds of 19th-century adobe homes, and promote awareness and pride of the district’s history.

“When we talk about the neighborhood, I think we also talk about Las Cruces as a whole, because this is where the city started,” Las Esperanzas’ president, Martha Rodriguez, said in an interview. “If you drive through the neighborhood, you'll see the effects of what Las Esperanzas has done.”

Their work includes collaborating with the city, state lawmakers and other agencies to develop and fund parks commemorating the neighborhood’s history; build distinctive gateways adorned with tile panels and trim; establish the community garden, Jardín de Esperanza; erect lamp posts and markers for the historic Camino Real de Tierra Adentro; and advocate for the South Mesquite Overlay Zone which, since 2005, has permitted small businesses in certain residential areas.

Las Esperanzas’ resident historian, and a business owner in the district, Corrina Miramontes, said the zone preserves some of the flavor she remembers from childhood.

“Growing up in the neighborhood, you could knock on someone's door. There was the tiendita, and you could ask for a soda and a candy, and they would go grab it for you, and you would pay them at the door,” she said.

The association is also gathering oral histories of the neighborhood in partnership with New Mexico State University with funding support from El Paso Electric.

The group also looks ahead as it works on a proposal to redesign Lohman and Amador avenues – major thoroughfares that carve straight through the neighborhood with fast-moving crosstown traffic and frequent accidents.

Las Esperanzas draws on the expertise of former state Rep. Antonio Luján, who served in the New Mexico Legislature for 10 years representing House District 35 and served on the House Appropriations Committee. He also draws on experience in community organizing from his time directing social ministry at the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces.

“I also ran a business from here, lived here in the neighborhood,” Luján said, recounting how Las Esperanzas approached him for his professional services (he served them pro bono) and recruited him as a member.

The celebration takes place 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Klein Park, 155 N. Mesquite Street, with mariachi and ballet folklorico performances planned and free food for children. More information about the organization is available at Las-Esperanzas.com.