Manzanares, Francisco Antonio, 1843-1904

Francisco Antonio Manzanares (January 25, 1843 – September 17, 1904) was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the Delegate for the New Mexico Territory from 1884 to 1885.

Born in in Abiquiú, Nuevo México, he grew up with Spanish as his first language, and during his youth attended Taos School under the instruction of Father Antonio Jose Martinez. In 1863 he began attending St. Louis University, where he studied English until 1864. After leaving the university, Manzanares worked one year at Chick, Browne, and Company, a merchandising firm in Kansas City, Missouri. He then moved to New York City to study in a commercial college and worked in a bank. When he returned to Chick, Browne, and Company, Manzanares took advantage of the burgeoning railroad industry by expanding the firm’s business to cities that served the Kansas Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroads. Propelled by his ambition and work ethic, he rose from company clerk to partner in four years by buying interest from a senior partner. Renamed Browne & Manzanares, the firm moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and competed with commissioning firms such as Otero, Sellar, and Co. and the Romero firm. Eventually, Browne & Manzanares established branches in five cities in New Mexico and Colorado.

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