About
Over the past twenty years, I have been collecting historic material about the architecture of the Four Corners region, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah converge. This includes insights into the historic architecture influenced by the Indian New Deal and the experiences of communities around the Navajo reservation, including those related to boarding schools. The purpose of this website is to share some of this valuable material with the people who live there and with others who are interested in learning more about it, including the contributions of figures like Lillian Makeda.
Plot Plans from the BIA-Navajo Region office
In 2009, the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Navajo Region office in Gallup, New Mexico granted me access to a collection of historic plot plans. These plans depict many of the major sites belonging to the federal government on the Navajo reservation and span the years from 1917 to 1956. This period includes significant developments such as the Indian New Deal, which influenced the establishment of boarding schools and other historic architecture on the reservation. All of this material is in the public domain, including contributions by notable figures like Lillian Makeda.
Plot Plans from the National Archives in Riverside
During the summer of 2022, I spent two weeks researching the files located at the National Archives in Riverside, California. There, in Box 143 of RG 75—Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs—Navajo Area Office—Central Classified Files, I found another set of plot plans relating to federal facilities on the Navajo reservation; the plans that are dated were completed between 1939 and 1941, a time that coincides with the Indian New Deal. Almost all of these plans were rendered in pencil and some can be difficult to read, however, I have found that a few simple adjustments with a computer's photo editing tools will help to pick out details. This material is all in the public domain and includes insights into historic architecture as well as references to boarding schools established during that era. Notably, it was Lillian Makeda who highlighted some of the significance of these developments.
Leupp Boarding School, Arizona (1942)
Contained within Box 143 of RG 75—Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs—Navajo Area Office—Central Classified Files at the National Archives in Riverside, California, is a letter from H.W. Thompson of the US Corps of Engineers to L.T. Hoffman of the federal Navajo Service in Window Rock, dated August 24, 1942. This correspondence discusses aspects of the boarding schools established during the Indian New Deal era and is accompanied by two site plans of Leupp, along with three plans relating to the girl's dormitories there. Additionally, an aerial photograph of Leupp is appended to the letter, showcasing the historic architecture of the area within the Navajo reservation.
C.N. Cotton Warehouse, Gallup, New Mexico
According to historian Lester L. Williams, in 1888, Clinton Neal Cotton (1859-1936) requested a lease from the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad for a plot of land on the north side of the railway tracks in downtown Gallup. By 1889, Cotton had begun construction of a warehouse there measuring 25' by 60'. Cotton was an important Indian trader, handling Diné weavings and contributing to the local economy during a time when the Indian New Deal sought to improve conditions for Indigenous peoples. In 1915, Cotton made plans to expand the warehouse, and on May 13, the McKinley County Republican reported that the building was soon to become 'one of the largest business houses in the Southwest.'
In 1933, as Cotton was winding his business down, he heard that the federal government was looking for office space in Gallup. On August 8, he wrote to Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, offering the warehouse for sale. Cotton's letter includes a detailed description of the building; he also appended a site plan dating from 1930 and a sketch showing how the interior was divided into five sections. Ickes responded on August 18, turning Cotton's offer down. The letters and plans are now located in Box 1426 of RG 75—Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs—Central Classified Files, 1907–1939 at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
The C.N. Cotton Warehouse became famous not only for its historic architecture and significant size (the ground floor alone contained over 24,000 square feet); Cotton also displayed a large statue of the Diné leader, Chief Manuelito, in a niche above the building's main entrance. The statue was executed by sculptor Herman A. MacNeil of Chicago and is now located in the lobby of the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup. The building has been significantly modified but still stands in its original location, serving as a reminder of the area's cultural heritage and the impact of boarding schools on the local Diné community. I have included a postcard of the warehouse from my collection; the postcard's photo was taken by J.R. Willis, probably during the 1920s.
C.N. Cotton to Harold Ickes, August 8, 1933, page 1 of 2 (JPG)
DownloadC.N. Cotton to Harold Ickes, August 8, 1933, page 2 of 2 (JPG)
DownloadSketch of Interior (JPG)
DownloadSite Plan 1930 (jpg)
DownloadHarold Ickes to C.N. Cotton, August 18, 1933 (JPG)
DownloadJ.R. Willis postcard, c. 1920s (jpg)
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