Miguel Antonio Otero

Miguel Antonio Otero (born October 17, 1859 in St. Louis , Missouri , † August 7, 1944 in Santa Fe , New Mexico ) was an American politician and governor of the New Mexico Territory from 1897 to 1906 . He was also active as a writer.

Early years

Miguel Otero had an exciting youth with his father. Miguel Antonio Otero Sr. was a successful businessman and traveled with his family through what is now Kansas , Colorado and New Mexico. Around 1879 the family settled in Las Vegas , New Mexico. Miguel then attended St. Louis University and the University of Notre Dame . He later returned to Las Vegas to work in his father's bank.

Political rise

In Las Vegas, Miguel Otero worked not only in banking, but also in cattle trading and real estate. He had also joined the Republican Party . In 1892 he made the acquaintance of William McKinley at the Republican National Convention . After he was elected US President four years later , he appointed Otero as the new Territorial Governor of New Mexico.

Territorial Governor of New Mexico

Miguel held his new office between 1897 and 1906. During this time, the first course was set for converting the territory into a regular US state. He also had to deal with many domestic political opponents. One of his main opponents was Thomas B. Catron , later the first US Senator of the new state, against whom Otero was able to prevail. After the assassination of President McKinley, he was confirmed in office by his successor Theodore Roosevelt . But after the domestic political disputes continued, he was deposed in 1906 by Roosevelt.

Another résumé

After his governorship, Otero returned to his private business. Between 1909 and 1911 he was the territory's finance minister. In 1912 he ran unsuccessfully for his party's nomination for the first gubernatorial election in the new state of New Mexico. Then he joined the Democratic Party . He then belonged to the supporters of Woodrow Wilson . Between 1917 and 1921 he was employed in the administration of the Panama Canal Zone . He also held various other government positions.

writer

In his later years, Otero appeared as a writer. He wrote a three-part autobiography. He also wrote a book about Billy the Kid , whom he had met personally. In addition, he reported on other Wild West legends in his writings.

Works

My Life on the Frontier 1864-1882 (1935)
The Real Billy The Kid (1936)
My Nine Years as Governor of the New Mexico Territory (1940)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Otero, Miguel Antonio
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	October 17, 1859
PLACE OF BIRTH	St. Louis , Missouri
DATE OF DEATH	August 7, 1944
Place of death	Santa Fe , New Mexico