Ellen Dornan

The people of Taos have always displayed a feisty--if not downright insurgent--spirit. Every uprising that toppled a New Mexican government started here, beginning with the Pueblo revolt against the Spanish colonists and including the assassinations of a Mexican-era tax governor, who lost his head, and the first American governor, who lost his scalp before his life. Living on the edge of the northern frontier of New Spain, Taosenos became accomplished smugglers of slaves, firearms and other black market goods. As a convenient terminus of the Old Sante Fe Trail, Taos drew loitering rabble-rousers who were overly fond of the dangerous hooch called Taos Lightning. In the twentieth century, a sleepy artists' colony became a haven for a new kind of revolutionary, who dreamed of overthrowing bourgeois values. Join author Ellen Dornan as she delves into the wicked history of Taos, New Mexico.

The people of Taos have always displayed a feisty--if not downright insurgent--spirit. Every uprising that toppled a New Mexican government started here, beginning with the Pueblo revolt against the Spanish colonists and including the assassinations of a Mexican-era tax governor, who lost his head, and the first American governor, who lost his scalp before his life. Living on the edge of the northern frontier of New Spain, Taosenos became accomplished smugglers of slaves, firearms and other black market goods. As a convenient terminus of the Old Sante Fe Trail, Taos drew loitering rabble-rousers who were overly fond of the dangerous hooch called Taos Lightning. In the twentieth century, a sleepy artists' colony became a haven for a new kind of revolutionary, who dreamed of overthrowing bourgeois values. Join author Ellen Dornan as she delves into the wicked history of Taos, New Mexico.

New Mexico, a place defined by a history of grand conflicts, conquistadores, Pueblo warriors, and nuclear scientists, will celebrate its state centennial in 2012. What better time for a collection of forgotten tales that recounts the adventures and exploits of priests, soldiers, witches, and politicians, who carved out a living in the harsh frontier. Ellen will introduce the reader to a cross-dressing Buffalo Soldier, a French trailblazer who opened a road from Santa Fe to Texas, an American spy who became a Mexican general, a Mexican raised by the Navajo who helped round up the Din for removal, and a governor whose head was removed and used as a football. Spanning from the 17th century to World War II, these stories are drawn from Native oral histories as well as the state's written records, and provide a sampling of New Mexico's colorful past.

New Mexico, a place defined by a history of grand conflicts, conquistadores, Pueblo warriors, and nuclear scientists, will celebrate its state centennial in 2012. What better time for a collection of forgotten tales that recounts the adventures and exploits of priests, soldiers, witches, and politicians, who carved out a living in the harsh frontier. Ellen will introduce the reader to a cross-dressing Buffalo Soldier, a French trailblazer who opened a road from Santa Fe to Texas, an American spy who became a Mexican general, a Mexican raised by the Navajo who helped round up the Din for removal, and a governor whose head was removed and used as a football. Spanning from the 17th century to World War II, these stories are drawn from Native oral histories as well as the state's written records, and provide a sampling of New Mexico's colorful past.