While Elfego Baca’s early days are probably well-known, his later achievements are less familiar. After the shootout, he moved to Albuquerque, married, raised six children, served as deputy sheriff, deputy U.S. marshal, and belonged to the local militia. He studied law, participated in Republican politics, and in 1892 began investing in the Albuquerque Spanish-language newspaper, La Opinion Publica . Baca was admitted to the New Mexico Bar in 1895 and had law offices in Socorro, Albuquerque, and El Paso. He also was elected to several posts in Socorro, including deputy county clerk, deputy sheriff, county school superintendent and mayor. In 1905-06 Baca was district attorney for Socorro and Sierra Counties and became the editor, manager and publisher of La Opinion Publica . In 1907 he helped establish the territory's first chapter of the Alianza Hispana Americana, heading the Bernalillo County chapter. In 1910 he and former Governor Curry ran against Democrats Harvey B. Ferguson and Paz Valverde for the first two New Mexico seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. In a bitter and close fight, Curry and Ferguson won seats. Baca was also a successful investor, miner, consultant, and businessman, who built business structures in Albuquerque and Socorro. He had ties in Mexico, knew several of the nation’s leaders, and followed the course of the Mexican Revolution carefully. He defended General Jose Ynez Salazar and testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C. on conditions in Mexico.
In 1916 Baca ran for sheriff of Bernalillo County and lost but was elected the sheriff of Socorro County in 1918. He ran unsuccessfully for Socorro County sheriff again in 1920. In 1921 Secretary Fall appointed Baca as an Interior Department agent and assigned him to Indian and land disputes. In 1924, after years of loyalty to the Republican Party, Baca joined the liberal Progressive reform ticket of the Law and Order League. During these years, he lost his campaigns for district judge and sheriff but founded the Elfego Bolt and Nut Club and published a club newspaper called La Tuerica - The Nut. In 1927 Baca worked for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District Bill and he and Kyle S. Crichton published a biography about his life called Law and Order, Ltd., that Baca hoped Hollywood would make into a movie. By 1930 Baca joined the Democrats, then headed by his patron, Bronson Cutting. Baca ran for New Mexico governor in 1934, for district judge in 1936 and 1940 and had his story told and photo taken in 1940 for the Ripley's Believe It or Not Show. In 1944 Elfego again ran unsuccessfully for district attorney in Albuquerque. But age and poor health caught up with the old lawman and he died on August 27, 1945. Baca’s wish came true in 1958 when Walt Disney made a movie about him - The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca.
Dolores McGuinness Goddard is the great-granddaughter of Elfego Baca. Dolores is a descendant through Josefina (Josephina), the daughter of Elfego and Frances Pohmer de Baca (Francesquita). Josefina married John McGuinness, who worked for Baca as an interpreter, editor and secretary. Their son was William Joseph McGuinness, who was Dolores’ father. Dolores is married to John Goddard and lives in Hemet, California. These materials were collected over the years by Elfego Baca and his wife, passed on to their daughter Josefina, her son William Joseph and to Dolores. Over the years material was added to the collection by Baca's descendents.
From the guide to the Dolores Goddard Collection of Elfego Baca, 1884-1961, (University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research)
