Group hoping to revive historical foundation

If Patsy Delk could go back in time, she’d like to meet Charles Scheurich, an early day Realtor nicknamed the “father of Curry County.”

She’d like to attend the first Curry County Fair. That was held in downtown Clovis about 1909, though it may not have been called the county fair until later.

And she’d like to know more about the old Santa Fe hospital — built in 1914, it still stands at Eighth and Hinkle streets in Clovis — and the Lyceum theater, which played the first “talkie” movie in Clovis, “Chinatown Nights,” on May 9, 1929.

Her interest in local history was spurred when the city celebrated its 100th birthday in 2007 and Delk sat on the centennial committee that organized that party.

Now, she’s among those trying to revive the High Plains Historical Foundation, a non-profit group first formed in 1972 that’s been mostly dormant for a decade as its creators have died or suffered failing health.

A reorganizational meeting is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at the Ingram Room in the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

“Our mission is to pick up where Don McAlavy and Harold Kilmer left off,” said Delk, who is the president of the newly formed board.

Kilmer and McAlavy devoted much of their lives to remembering the region’s past.

“They did all the research on the old cemeteries; actually went out and found old graves and identified them, and so much more,” Delk said.

Kilmer and McAlavy also spearheaded two of the region’s more comprehensive history books — “Curry County, New Mexico,” copyright 1978, and “Eastern New Mexico High Plains History,” copyright 1980.

Kilmer grew up in Melrose, where he remembered grazing a milk cow named May while B-29 bombers from the Clovis air base flew overhead on their training runs.

“The earth would tremble,” Kilmer told his son, John.

Harold Kilmer died last May 9 at age 82.

McAlavy, born in Clovis in 1931, moved in 2004 to be near family in Florida. He has suffered from Alzheimer’s the past five years and was recently placed in hospice care, family members said.

“Don loves New Mexico,” said Wilma Fulgham, one of the historical foundation’s board members.

“He is a legend among those who have a passion for recording history in the High Plains area (and) I am privileged to call him my friend.”

The historical foundation has accumulated most of the research compiled by Kilmer and McAlavy, including hundreds of thousands of documents, photos and newspapers.

“We’ve got a lot of filing to do,” Delk said.

One purpose for Monday’s meeting is to find volunteers to help with organizing the collection.

But Delk said the group’s long-term goal is to open a historical museum. It’s already in possession of old wagons, farm implements, even a World War II uniform that originally belonged to regional residents.

“Just about everything people used over 100 years ago,” she said. “All stored at the Fairgrounds. And we have some people who have heirlooms they want to donate but they’re waiting until we get a museum to put them in.”

Want to help?

Anyone interested in helping re-organize the High Plains Historical Foundation may attend a meeting from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday in the Ingram Room at the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

Information: 575-309-9893 or [email protected] or [email protected]

Board members

President: Patsy Delk

Vice president: Margaret Hinchee

Treasurer: Dick Smith

Secretary: Phillip Frazee

Director: Wilma Fulgham