Miguel Antonio Otero (June 21, 1829 – May 30, 1882) was a prominent

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politician of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

and instrumental in the economic development of the territory.

Early life

Miguel Antonio Otero was born in Valencia, Nuevo México to Don Vicente Otero and Doña Gertrudis Aragón de Otero of Spain. Don Vicente had held prominent civic positions as judge and mayor in Valencia County, under both

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

Governments. Otero received his early education in Valencia. In 1841 he enrolled at St. Louis University in the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

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and subsequently graduated from Pingree College in

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, where he taught while he began his study of law. In 1851 he returned to Missouri, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1852, he returned to New Mexico and led a herd of sheep, thought to belong to his brother, Antonio José Otero, overland to California. Returning from California, he practiced law for a short time. He was a public advocate of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

Career as politician

In 1852 Otero became the private secretary to the

Governor of New Mexico The governor of New Mexico () is the head of government of New Mexico. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New Mexico's state government and the commander-in-chief of the New Mexico National Guard. As noted in the govern ...

, William C. Lane, and was elected to the second Legislative Assembly of the territory of New Mexico. In 1854 he was appointed attorney general for the territory, and served for two years. On July 23, 1856, he was seated as a Democratic Delegate to the

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, after successfully contesting the election of

José Manuel Gallegos José Manuel Gallegos (October 30, 1815 – April 21, 1875) was a delegate to the U.S. Congress from the Territory of New Mexico. Biography Born in Abiquiú, in what is now Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, Gallegos attended parochial schoo ...

. With the support of the Bishop of New Mexico,

Jean Baptiste Lamy Jean-Baptiste Lamy (; October 11, 1814 – February 13, 1888), was a French-American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Willa Cather's novel '' Death Comes for the Archbishop'' is based on his lif ...

, Otero was reelected to the next two Congresses, but was not a candidate for renomination in 1860. An outspoken Congressman and a strong supporter of the railroad, Otero devoted much of his efforts to the construction of the transcontinental railroad through New Mexico. He introduced the ''Memorial of the

New Mexican Railway Company The New Mexican Railway Company was incorporated in the Territorial Legislature of New Mexico on Feb 2, 1860, prior to the beginning of the American Civil War. Corporate members were Henry Connelly, Antonio J. Otero, who served as a justice of the ...

, in Relation to the Pacific Railroad'' on May 21, 1860. After Otero had completed his term in Congress, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

nominated him to be minister to Spain in 1861. Otero declined that office to accept an appointment as secretary of the territory of New Mexico, but the Senate did not confirm him because of his involvement in the 1860

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and his pro-confederate tendencies. During the Confederate invasion of New Mexico, the Confederate Army of the West accessed Otero's stores which contained hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise. These supplies helped allowed the Confederate Army to sack Albuquerque in March 1862. It was a matter of public dispute over whether Otero was forced by the Confederate Army, with allegations that Otero had willingly cooperated. Otero failed in another reelection bid in 1880. His business endeavors, however, in merchandizing, banking, and farming, were highly successful. In addition, he was a strong supporter of the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

. And he became one of the founders and later president of the San Miguel National Bank in

Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas, often known simply as Vegas, is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas: West Las Vegas ("Old Town" ...

. He also engaged in out-of-state endeavors, mostly in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

. He died in 1882 at the age of 52 and was buried in

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's Riverside Cemetery. His son, also named Miguel Antonio Otero, and nephew Mariano S. Otero would continue the family tradition of civic service, his son becoming

, and his nephew a delegate. Both

Otero County, New Mexico Otero County () is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,839. Its county seat is Alamogordo. Its southern boundary is the Texas state line. It is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, the ter ...

and

Otero County, Colorado Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,690. The county seat is La Junta. The county was named for Miguel Antonio Otero, one of the founders of the town of La Junta a ...

are named in his honor.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otero, Miguel Antonio 1829 births 1882 deaths Hispanic and Latino American Confederates People of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico Members of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature American people of Spanish descent Hispanos of New Mexico Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico Territory Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress New Mexico Democrats Burials at Riverside Cemetery (Denver, Colorado) 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Early life

Career as politician

See also

References

External links