Nathan Bibo
Nathan Bibo
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Birth
May 5, 1844May 5, 1844 Gregorian
April 23, 1844 Julian
Iyar 16, 5604 Hebrew Brakel, Prussia -
Death
September 19, 1927September 19, 1927 Gregorian
September 6, 1927 Julian
Elul 22, 5687 Hebrew -
Age
83
- Parents
- Partners
- Children
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Comments
the Navajo, and also worked extensively with the Apache. Nathan Bibo Sr. was the family historian. His "Reminiscences of Early New Mexico" were published serially in the 1902 Albuquerque Sunday Herald, he delivered his recollections at Temple Albert's 25th anniversary in 1923, and his written memoirs survive. Of three days of his travels to NM in 1867, he wrote "I boarded a car which was attached to what seemed a ... construction train carrying regular freight, bridge material ... for road construction. The car contained plain wooden benches and the cushion I provided by rolling up my overcoat and blanket. The car was soon filled with a 'riff raff' of humanity ... wild Western life. Fellows in fringed buckskin suits and grey broad brim hats, a couple of pistols in the holsters, belts full of cartridges buckled around their waists, soldiers..., railroad workers ... men of dime novel type noisily talking and puffing cigars and chewing tobacco ... the car was stuffy and the odor bad, but it had one good effect - it kept away the flies." Met at La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe by his friends, the Spiegelbergs, he was soon employed by them as post trader and army supply agent for Fort Wingate. There he made connections with military administrators (early networking) and soon was appointed sub-Agent of Indian Affairs for the Navajo. Learning to speak their languages, he helped them, as well as the Apache, to increase trade, broker agreements, and deal with the government. He advised, intervened and kept their secrets, once aiding in hiding Geronimo from the US Army. The respect was mutual. While making a delivery through the White Mountains, Nathan was overtaken by a sudden fierce, raging ice storm; trees marking his route were obscured. With snow up to his arms, Nathan froze and lost the gun off his shoulder without even noticing. Suddenly he heard Apache yells and two men rode to his rescue. Nathan was asked to open a store in Bernalillo, where he also built a home, government station and stables (for mail and stagecoaches). He served as Bernalillo postmaster and, assisted by his widowed sister Lina Weiss, business prospered. Their rising fortunes were forestalled when Bernalillo residents overpriced land, sending the railroad route to Albuquerque. In 1884 he married and began business in San Francisco, but was wiped out in the 1906 earthquake. Leaving his family there, he returned to NM to look for gold properties, "selling his wife's sheep to support his 'common law second wife' ("a Mexican woman") and son, 'Sam.'" He was also a serious gambler - winning or losing as much as $5000 in a single night of poker.
Articles
Family tree
Nathan Bibo
(May 5, 1844May 5, 1844 Gregorian
April 23, 1844 Julian
Iyar 16, 5604 Hebrew, Brakel - September 19, 1927September 19, 1927 Gregorian
September 6, 1927 Julian
Elul 22, 5687 Hebrew)
(December 20, 1807December 20, 1807 Gregorian
December 8, 1807 Julian
Kislev 19, 5568 Hebrew, Grätz - February 10, 1880February 10, 1880 Gregorian
January 29, 1880 Julian
Shevat 28, 5640 Hebrew, Brakel)
(December 27, 1822December 27, 1822 Gregorian
December 15, 1822 Julian
Teveth 13, 5583 Hebrew, Borgentrejh - May 23, 1875May 23, 1875 Gregorian
May 11, 1875 Julian
Iyar 18, 5635 Hebrew, Brakel)
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