History of Santa Fe

The mainline of the railroad bypassed Santa Fe, and it lost population. However artists and writers, as well as retirees, were attracted to the cultural richness of the area, the beauty of the landscapes and its dry climate. Local leaders began promoting the city as a tourist attraction. The city sponsored architectural restoration projects and erected new buildings according to traditional techniques and styles, thus creating the "Santa Fe style". Edgar L. Hewett, founder and first director of the School of American Research and the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe, was a leading promoter. He began the Santa Fe Fiesta in 1919 and the Southwest Indian Fair in 1922 (now known as the Indian Market). When he tried to attract a summer program for Texas women, many artists rebelled saying the city should not promote artificial tourism at the expense of its artistic culture. The writers and artists formed the Old Santa Fe Association and defeated the plan.

Japanese Internment Camp

During World War II Santa Fe was the location of a Japanese American internment camp. Beginning in June 1942, the Department of Justice held 826 Japanese-American men in a Civilian Conservation Corps facility which had been acquired for the purpose. By September, the internees had been transferred to other facilities and the camp was used to hold German and Italian nationals. In February 1943 civilian detainees were transferred back to D.O.J. custody and the camp was expanded to hold 2,100 men. In 1945 four internees were seriously injured when violence broke out between the internees and guards in an event known as the Santa Fe Riot. Following the end of the war, the facility was closed and sold as surplus in 1946. The camp was located in what is now the Casa Solana