Additional information
by Daniel B. Flores (Author)
Gaudalupe County traces the history of Guadalupe County from its creation in 1891 by the Territorial Legislature of New Mexico to the present. During that period of time the county has had two county seats and has gone through two name changes. In 1903 the county was renamed Leonard Wood county, in honor of the Spanish American War hero and the county seat was movedd from Puerto de Luna to Santa Rosa. Two years later, in 1905, the Territorial Legislature was asked to change the name of the county back to Guadalupe. The county seat remained in Santa Rosa. Guadalupe County has had four different courthouse. The first one was in Puerto de Luna. The third courthouse was a fine stone masonry building built in 1909. On September 19, 2009, county officials joined with officials from the City of Santa Rosa in a ceremony commemorating the courthouse's centennial. The event marked the conclusion of restoration and renovation efforts to the old courthouse and grounds that had been undertaken by county and city officials. Among those in attendance at the event were U.S. Congressman Harry Teague and state and local officials. Author Daniel B. Flores made a presentation about the history of the county and its courthouses.
Author Biography
Daniel Flores was born in Puerto de Luna in 1946, the start of the World War II baby boom, in the same house where Billy the Kid ate his last Christmas dinner in 1880. The house during the days of Billy the Kid was owned by Don Alejandro Grzelachowski, the author's maternal great-grandfather. In 1946 the house was owned by his paternal grandfather, Cipriano Flores. A 1964 graduate of Santa Rosa High School, he went on to receive a BA degree from the University of New Mexico in 1969 and a MA degree from New Mexico Highlands University in 1984. Flores recently retired after a forty year career with the Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools. His last sixteen years were as school superintendent. He served for twenty-five years as an administrator with the school district. He was honored in 2007 by the New Mexico School Superintendent's Association by being named NMSSA Superintendent of the Year. In 2003 he was inducted by the New Mexico Activities Association into its Hall of Fame. He lives in Santa Rosa with his wife of forty-three years, Lupita. He has two sons and a daughter, Dan, Jr., Steve and Stephanie. His pride and joy are two grandchildren, Marcus and Hannah, who live in Albuquerque with their parents, Steve and Tina
