About

About

For more than 35 years I’ve had the privilege of practicing my profession as a writer and architect in the footprint of the American Old West. Living and working in New Mexico, has afforded me with the opportunity to design and manage projects that crisscross the state, including those in Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Clovis, Gallup, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe to name just a few. I’ve often traveled through many of the small towns where history was written, such as Fort Sumner, the resting place of Billy the Kid, and the site of the first Native American reservation at the Bosque Redondo.

Many of my clients with surnames of Spanish, Anglo and Native American are the descendants of those that settled the west, and even before. Undoubtedly, you get to know these people as friends, where conversations of their past generations make for some interesting discussions and a first hand, learning of history.

New Mexico is a true microcosm of the Old West. It was settled by the Native Americans, conquered by the Spaniards, became a state of Mexico, and finally a territory of the United States through war. New Mexico entered as the 47th state of the union on January 6th, 1912.

It’s been called the ‘Land of Enchantment’ as a means of attracting tourists. The natural landscaping of flat mesas, contrasted by rugged mountains, adobe colored soil, and ample amounts of tumble weeds that roam with the wind, have become all too familiar through the many Hollywood westerns that have been filmed here.

The Old West is picturesque, sometimes exciting, sometimes tranquil, but always interesting when you realize the tales that came from this unique period of time. So, why not Join me, …along with one infamous little doggie known as Calico Chloe, as we discover together, the stories, and the legends, that made the American Old West an important part of our culture. 

Christian Helgesen