Scenes from Las Vegas, New Mexico: Navajo Textiles
The old Navajo Textiles building used to manufacture parachutes during World War II! The building sits on the southwest corner of the Plaza, vacant, many of its tiny opaque windows smashed.
This is the sadness that is Las Vegas, New Mexico, and also its most wonderful characteristic. Because of our poverty, our buildings have been preserved through sheer neglect. We didn't have the money to renovate, to modernize in the 60's and 70's. We still don't have that money today, but my heart hopes that we will find the means to save some of our most treasured historic wonders.
Having grown up in Las Vegas, when I was in middle school in the mid to late 70's this kid moved to town from LA, his dad was a care taker for what ever company owned Navajo Textiles, Inc. I got to go into the building numerous times. There were still bolts of silk cloth used for parachutes and spools of rigging material. It was almost as mythical as those times visiting the then abandoned Montezuma Castle at night with flashlights.
GT
Posted by: George Tapley | July 12, 2008 at 05:23 PM