Western Heritage Museum & Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame 
Bits & Pieces
Quick Links
Upcoming Events
Thursday, December 1, 2016

6-9pm

Christmas Traditions from Around the World

Join us for an evening of traditions, music, food and fellowship of the holiday season. We will have over 10 food tables representing different countries and their traditions. You can see over 40 decorated trees throughout the Museum.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
 
10am-3pm
 
Christmas Family Fun Day

Join us for holiday festivities and FREE admission into the Museum 

Stay Connected
View on Instagram
Follow us on Twitter
November 17, 2016
Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame Inductee - Phil Smith, Sr

Chester Phillip Smith (b. January 1911 - d. 1989) established a reputation for being the man you could count on to "get the water to the top." On the water-starved Llano Estacado, cattlemen and sheep men knew this precious commodity was a number one necessity for their herds and "Phil" was the best around for repairing and installing the windmills that brought water for the people who settled Lea County.
 
Charlie and Ada Robinson homesteaded east of Prarieview and it was there in 1911 that Phil was born in a small adobe house, the 7th of 11 children. Phil, his eight brothers and three sisters were taught to work at a very young age. At the age of 10 Phil harvested the feed he cut, tied it with binder twine and stacked it for winter feed for the twenty cows his mom was milking at the time. In 1924, Charlie bought the old Charlie Miller ranch near the state line. In 1926, Phil left home and began working on a ranch.

  It was at the Fenimore place north and east of Lovington that Phil met Dorothy McCabe of Hope, NM and they married on July 31, 1929. They were both 18. The first home for the newlyweds was a tent near his parents, where Phil helped his dad "lamb out." Their first child, Joy, was born in 1930. Phil and Dorothy tried homesteading in the Fence Lake area near Trechechada. It was there that they experienced the "water wars" and witnessed a rancher gun down a nester who had fenced his animals from water. Phil himself was kidnapped and held for a while during "the Feud."
 
Moving back to the Hope, NM area, the family increased with the birth of daughter Jewel, and later their first son Phil, Jr. Finding work in the depression was difficult and in 1939 Phil and Dorothy moved back to Lea County and worked at the Pello Etcheverry Ranch. Learning the sheep business was an education for Phil. It was there that their third child, Rosa Lee, was born. They later moved the family to the "Hawk" Medlin ranch, where Phil learned that cattle were less frustrating that sheep but that they still needed water, so greasing and repairing windmills became a normal "cowboy" chore.

During WWII, Phil was exempted from joining the army because he was a family man and important to the ranching and water industries. It was during WWII that Phil moved his family to Lovington and began a sheep-sheering business. He later leased the Medlin ranch seven miles east of Lovington. Their last child, Royce, was born there. As his boys grew, Phil became active in the FFA program, helping his boys and others learn to care for and block their sheep. Phil was twice awarded the local FFA "Honorary Chapter Farmer" award. He was also the Seminole TX honoree in 1963. Eventually Phil and Dorothy bought the Medlin Homestead, seven miles West of Lovington.
 
He remained active in community affairs through the remainder of his life. He started the Smith Windmill Service, and at the age of 68 continued to answer calls for help from the ranchers around the county, bringing water from the underground basin to the surface by windmill and small pumps. He helped erect the Eclipse windmill at the Lovington Museum. Phil lost his beloved Dorothy to cancer in 1988 and his own life in 1989. Chester "Phil" Smith was a rancher, sheep and cattle man, and the most prominent "windmill" man in Lea County. Phil was known for his work ethic, his excellent work, and his love of family and friends.
Museum Exhibits Closed for November

The Museum exhibits are closed during November for tear down of Titanic:  The Artifact Exhibition and setup of Christmas throughout the Museum.  Someone will be available so that you can purchase your Christmas Traditions from Around the World Tickets:  Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.

The Museum will be closed completely Wednesday-Sunday, November 23-27 for Thanksgiving and no tickets will be available at this time.
Christmas Traditions from Around the World - December 1, 2016, 6-9pm

Join us for an evening of traditions, music, food and fellowship of the holiday season.

Tickets sell fast so be sure to get them early.
Adults (13 and up) - $10
Kids (4-12) and Seniors (65+) - $8
Babies (3 and under) - Free

Tickets are on sale NOW.  No tickets will be available at the door.

New this year: Your ticket is good from 6-9pm, but you will have to choose a specific time to see the Flying J Wranglers perform in the theater. When you purchase your ticket, please specify 6pm, 7pm or 8pm. You will only be allowed into the theater at your chosen time.

No exchanges, no refunds, no reservations.  Must have a ticket to enter the Museum.
Western Heritage Museum | 575-492-2678 | themuseum@nmjc.edu |
www.nmjc.edu/museum
1 Thunderbird Circle
New Mexico Junior College
Hobbs, NM 88240