In 2018 with the new Municipal Administration the first Columbus Founding Day celebration was held in Columbus, NM. This celebration became the start of an annual event that has grown to be very popular and recognized throughout our region. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, which made the 2021 celebration an even more spectacular event. Columbus Founding Day was the idea of and begun by the now Mayor of Columbus, Esequiel Salas. The first celebration was on June 18, 2018 and the village was joined by the local Catholic Church that was celebrating its 100th year anniversary –which helped draw in more of the locals since they were not used to celebrating their town in this manner.
COLUMBUS FOUNDING DAY
According to the U.S. Post office report, Columbus was established as a post office in Grant County on June 18, 1891, with Lester F. Bailey as Postmaster. It was discontinued on July 14, 1893, and mail was redistributed out of Deming. It was again opened in Luna County, February 14,1896, with Berdina B, Bailey as postmaster.
Col. A. O. Bailey a Civil War Veteran who had arrived in 1888 in the Southwest, associated himself with Luis heller, promoter of colonies in northern Mexico. The first settlement was along the border next to Palomas, MX. Soon after the railroad was constructed 3 miles north the small village was moved north to accompany the railroad.
It was Judge B. Y. McKeyes of Deming along with Col. Bailey put in for the name Columbia for the settlement since it was the year of the Columbia Exposition, they were refused because there were too many places wanting that name, so they put in for Columbus and that was approved.
Article by The Historic Village of Columbus
