John Weld (February 24, 1905 – June 14, 2003) was an American newspaper reporter and writer.
51-779: Weld was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He had an early career in Hollywood in the 1920s as a stunt double for Tom Mix , Buck Jones and other stars. He wrote about those days in his 1991 book Fly Away Home: Memoirs of a Hollywood Stunt Man . During the late 1920s Weld was a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune in Paris and the New York American and New York World in New York City. He
102-603: A "Monument to the Stars" was erected on Beverly Drive (where it intersects Olympic Boulevard and becomes Beverwil) in Beverly Hills . The memorial consists of a bronze-green spiral of sprocketed "camera film" above a multi-sided tower, embossed with full-length likenesses of early stars who appeared in famous silent movies. Those memorialized include Douglas Fairbanks , Mary Pickford , Will Rogers , Conrad Nagel , Rudolph Valentino , Fred Niblo , Harold Lloyd , and Mix. There
153-614: A bartender and other odd jobs. He was briefly night marshal of Dewey , in 1911. He worked at the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch , one of the largest ranching businesses in the United States, covering 101,000 acres (41,000 ha), hence its name. The ranch had its own touring Wild West show in which Mix appeared. He stood out as a skilled horseman and expert shot, winning national riding and roping contests at Prescott, Arizona , in 1909, and Canon City, Colorado , in 1910. Mix
204-442: A bull-riding contest. The Bar Circle A Ranch has been developed into a planned community called Yavapai Hills, where there is a street named Bar Circle A Road. Mix's salary at Fox reached $ 7,500 a week. Gossip columnist Louella Parsons wrote that he had his initials in electric lights on the top of his house. His performances were realistic with action stunts, horseback riding, attention-grabbing cowboy costumes, and showmanship. At
255-486: A family in Las Vegas was $ 29,797. Males had a median income of $ 26,319 versus $ 21,731 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20.080 as compared to $ 34,103 nationally as noted in the 2019 Census estimate. In the past, 24.3% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 35.7% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over. The most recent figures (2019) as provided by
306-461: A group of exiled Italian Jesuits. In 1887, Las Vegas College moved to Denver whereupon the name was changed. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived at Las Vegas from the north on July 4, 1879. To maintain control of development rights, it established a station and related development one mile (1.6 km) east of the Plaza, creating a separate, rival New Town, as occurred elsewhere in
357-604: A lumber businessman. In April 1898, during the Spanish–American War , Mix enlisted in the Army under the name Thomas E. (Edwin) Mix. His unit never went overseas, and Mix later failed to return for duty after an extended furlough when he married Grace I. Allin on July 18, 1902. Mix was listed as AWOL on November 4, 1902, but was never court-martialed . His marriage to Allin was annulled after one year. In 1905, Mix married Kitty Jewel Perinne, and this marriage also ended within
408-526: A settlement.) The town was laid out in the traditional Spanish Colonial style, with a central plaza surrounded by buildings which could serve as fortifications in case of attack. Las Vegas soon prospered as a stop on the Santa Fe Trail . During the Mexican–American War in 1846, Stephen W. Kearny delivered an address at the Plaza of Las Vegas claiming New Mexico for the United States. In 1847,
459-559: A simulated desert, a large corral, and (to facilitate interior shots) a ranch house with no roof. Mix threatened to move to Argentina to make films or to join the circus, but eventually he signed with FBO , which he then left for Universal after salary disputes with FBO studio head Joseph P. Kennedy . He called Kennedy a "tight-assed, money-crazy son of a bitch". Mix became friends with Wyatt Earp , who lived in Los Angeles and occasionally visited Hollywood western movie sets. He
510-665: A year. He next married Olive Stokes on January 10, 1909, in Medora, North Dakota . On July 13, 1912, Olive gave birth to their daughter Ruth . In 1905, Mix rode in President Theodore Roosevelt 's inaugural parade with a group of 50 horsemen led by Seth Bullock , which included several former Rough Riders . Years later, Hollywood publicists muddled this event to imply that Mix had been a Rough Rider himself. Mix went to Oklahoma and lived in Guthrie , working as
561-478: Is a city in and the county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico , United States. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town), both were named Las Vegas: West Las Vegas ("Old Town") and East Las Vegas ("New Town"). They are separated by the Gallinas River and retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 13,166 at the 2020 census . Las Vegas
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#1732780674433612-514: Is also a Tom Mix museum in Dewey, Oklahoma . Additionally, from 1986 to 2002 there existed another museum in his birthplace of Mix Run, Pennsylvania . Between 1980 and 2004, 21 Tom Mix festivals were held during the month of September, most of them in DuBois, Pennsylvania . Tom Mix was often portrayed in comic books , primarily during the heyday of Western-themed comics , the 1940s and 1950s. He
663-524: Is located 110 miles (180 km) south of Raton , 65 miles (105 km) east of Santa Fe , 122 miles (196 km) northeast of Albuquerque , 257 miles (414 km) south of Colorado Springs, Colorado , and 326 miles (525 km) south of Denver . Las Vegas was established in 1835 after a group of settlers received a land grant from the Mexican government. (The land had previously been granted to Luis María Cabeza de Baca , whose family later received
714-593: The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire . The fire burned 341,471 acres (1,382 km ), making it the largest blaze in New Mexico's recorded history. As of the census of 2000, there were 14,565 people, 5,588 households, and 3,559 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,938.2 inhabitants per square mile (748.3/km ). There were 6,366 housing units at an average density of 847.1 per square mile (327.1/km ). The racial makeup of
765-607: The Castañeda Hotel (a major Harvey House ), and the New Mexico Normal School (now New Mexico Highlands University ). Since the decline and restructuring of the railroad industry began in the 1950s, the city's population has remained relatively constant. Although the two towns have been combined, separate school districts have been maintained ( Las Vegas City Schools and West Las Vegas School District ). The anti-colonist organization Las Gorras Blancas
816-616: The Laguna Beach Post with his second wife, Katy . He died in Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California. Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix ; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films . He was one of Hollywood's first Western stars and helped define
867-633: The National Register of Historic Places . Although many buildings are in varying states of deterioration, others have been restored or are awaiting restoration. Some of the city's notable buildings include: The City of Las Vegas is served by two public school districts. The City of Las Vegas has two major high schools: Las Vegas is the home of New Mexico Highlands University , an important university in New Mexico especially for teacher training. Highlands has long had an excellent science, drama, art, and foreign language faculty. The art department
918-511: The University of Southern California , Mix helped him find work moving props in the back lot of Fox Studios. That was the beginning of Wayne's Hollywood career. Mix made 291 movies throughout his career. As of 2007, only about 10% of these were known to be available for viewing, though it is unclear how many are now considered lost films . The 1937 Fox vault fire lost most of the archive of his films made with Fox. For his contribution to
969-509: The Edendale lot, Mix built a 12-acre (4.9 ha) shooting set called Mixville. Loaded with western props and furnishings, it has been described as a "complete frontier town, with a dusty street, hitching rails, a saloon, jail, bank, doctor's office, surveyor's office, and the simple frame houses typical of the early Western era". Near the back of the lot an Indian village of lodges was ringed by miniature plaster mountains. The set also included
1020-510: The Edendale studio. They married in 1918 and had a daughter, Thomasina (Tommie) Mix, in February 1922. Mix made more than 160 cowboy films throughout the 1920s. These featured action-oriented scripts contrasted with the documentary style of his work with Selig. Heroes and villains were sharply defined and a clean-cut cowboy always saved the day. Millions of American children grew up watching his films on Saturday afternoons. His horse, " Tony
1071-711: The Gods park in Chatsworth. Also in 1935, Texas governor James V. Allred named Mix an honorary Texas Ranger . Mix returned to circus performing, working with his eldest daughter Ruth Jane Mix, who had also appeared in some of his films. In 1938, he went to Europe on a promotional trip, leaving Ruth behind to manage the circus. Without him, however, the circus soon failed, and he later excluded her from his will. Mix had reportedly made over $ 6 million (equivalent to $ 133 million in 2023) during his 26-year film career. In 1933, Ralston Purina obtained his permission to produce
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#17327806744331122-594: The Old West, "Without exception there was no town which harbored a more disreputable gang of desperadoes and outlaws than did Las Vegas." According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km ), all land. Las Vegas has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSk ). In late winter and spring of 2022, Las Vegas and surrounding areas of San Miguel and Mora counties experienced
1173-533: The Old West. The same competing development occurred in Albuquerque , for instance. During the railroad era Las Vegas boomed, quickly becoming one of the largest cities in the American Southwest. Turn-of-the-century Las Vegas featured all the modern amenities, including an electric street railway, the "Duncan Opera House" at the northeast corner of 6th Street and Douglas Avenue, a Carnegie library ,
1224-620: The Rough Riders, the Santa Fe Trail and the development of New Mexico. It features collections of local Native American pottery, household items, costumes, ranching and farming equipment, agricultural and mercantile operations, and home life. Housed in a 1940 Works Progress Administration -funded building, the museum is built of stone, with Pueblo Revival nuances. Las Vegas has numerous historic structures (mostly railroad-era houses and commercial buildings), with over 900 listed on
1275-754: The U. S. Census Bureau estimate the total number of persons (all ages) at or below the poverty line has increased to 35.6%. This is significantly higher than the national average of 10.5% and the State average of 18.2%. New Mexico Highlands University , founded 1893, is home to the Thomas C. Donnelly Library. It supports the teaching, research and community activities of New Mexico Highlands University. It acquires, organizes, preserves and provides access to pertinent information and scholarly materials for curricular needs, intellectual pursuits and personal enrichment of its clientele. It promotes programs and services that emphasize
1326-516: The Wonder Horse ", also became a celebrity. Mix did his own stunts and was frequently injured. In 1913, Mix moved his family to a ranch he purchased in Prescott named Bar Circle A Ranch. Some of his movies were filmed in his Prescott home. During this time, Mix had success in the local Prescott Frontier Days rodeo, which claims to be the "world's oldest rodeo". In 1920, he took first prize in
1377-419: The age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 21.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city the population was spread out, with 26.4% under
1428-440: The age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income in 2019 for a household in the city was $ 26,561 as compared to the New Mexico median income of $ 49,754 and the national median of $ 62,843. The median income for
1479-469: The city was 54.21% White , 0.99% African American , 1.96% Native American , 0.61% Asian , 0.10% Pacific Islander , 37.19% from other races , and 4.95% from two or more races. Hispanic people of any race were 82.94% of the population. As noted in the chart to the right, the population of Las Vegas peaked at 14,753 in 1990. By 2019, the estimated population had decreased 12.43% to 12,919. There were 5,588 households, out of which 33.0% had children under
1530-467: The diversity of the university's multicultural community and heritage. An addition increased the square footage from 23,700 to 53,500 and now holds a book collection of almost 200,000 volumes. Las Vegas' Carnegie Library, established in 1904, is the only surviving Carnegie Library in New Mexico. Built from a $ 10,000 donation from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, its Neo-Classical Revival architecture resembles Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The library sits in
1581-487: The early 1800s and continues into the 21st century. The annual affair included pie eating contests, barbecues, parades, banquets, balls, and "ranch rodeos." In the early years, celebrities—cowhands as well as big-name bands, movie stars like Tom Mix , and artists such as Randall Davey —came to Las Vegas for this event. In later years, famous cowhands participated in the Cowboys' Reunion Rodeos. The Cowboys' Reunions reflected
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1632-521: The eastern side of the settlement into a virtually lawless brawl. Among the notorious characters were such legends of the Old West as: dentist Doc Holliday and his girlfriend Big Nose Kate , Dave Rudabaugh , Jesse James , Billy the Kid , Wyatt Earp , Mysterious Dave Mather , Hoodoo Brown , and Handsome Harry the Dancehall Rustler. Historian Ralph Emerson Twitchell once claimed regarding
1683-517: The film was a success, and Mix became an early motion picture star. Mix performed in more than 100 films for Selig, many of which were filmed in Las Vegas, New Mexico . While with Selig he co-starred in several films with Victoria Forde , and they fell in love. He divorced Olive Stokes in 1917. By then, Selig Polyscope had encountered severe financial difficulties, and Mix and Forde both subsequently signed with Fox Film Corporation , which had leased
1734-543: The genre as it emerged in the early days of the cinema. Thomas Hezikiah Mix was born January 6, 1880, in Mix Run, Pennsylvania , approximately 62 miles (100 km) north of State College , to Edwin Elias Mix and Elizabeth Heistand. He grew up in nearby DuBois , where his father, a stable master for a wealthy lumber merchant, taught him to ride and love horses. He spent time working on a local farm owned by John DuBois,
1785-483: The middle of a park that occupies an entire city block, bordered by Victorian-style homes and buildings. The City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial on Grand Avenue, dedicated in 1940, was first established by the decision of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders regiment (the first Volunteer Cavalry Regiment of the Spanish–American War), who named Las Vegas its official reunion home. Their first reunion
1836-676: The motion picture industry, Mix has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1708 Vine Street. His cowboy boot prints, palm prints and the hoof prints of his horse, Tony, are at Grauman's Chinese Theatre , at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard. In 1958 Mix was inducted posthumously into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . In 1959,
1887-558: The nearby gully is known as " Tom Mix Wash ". The marker bears the inscription: "In memory of Tom Mix, whose spirit left his body on this spot and whose characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old West in the minds of living men." Tom Mix was the acknowledged "King of Cowboys" when Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were young, and the influence of his screen persona can be seen in their approach to portraying cowboys. When an injury caused football player Marion Morrison (later known as John Wayne) to drop out of
1938-509: The occupations of the area and attracted huge crowds for their four days of events. In 1952, the Cowboys' Reunion Association invited the Rough Riders Association to join them at the annual rodeo. The arrival of the railroad in 1879 brought with it businesses, development and new residents, both respectable and dubious. Murderers, robbers, thieves, gamblers, gunmen, swindlers, vagrants , and tramps poured in, transforming
1989-522: The outskirts of Los Angeles. The site was known for its huge sandstone boulders, and one of them later became known as "Tom Mix Rock" when it was discovered it had been used in The Miracle Rider . In one episode, Mix was filmed descending from the top of the rock, with boot holes carved into it to assist him in making the descent. The rock and the boot holes, although unmarked, is in the Garden of
2040-498: The radio series Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters , which, but for one year during World War II, was popular throughout most of the 1930s through the early 1950s, well after Mix's death. Mix never appeared on these broadcasts (his voice, damaged by a bullet to the throat and repeated broken noses, was not fit for radio) and was instead played by radio actors: Artells Dickson (early 1930s), Jack Holden (from 1937), Russell Thorsen (early 1940s) and Joe "Curley" Bradley (from 1944). Others in
2091-644: The supporting cast included George Gobel , Harold Peary and Willard Waterman . The Ralston company offered ads during the radio program for listeners to send in for a series of 12 special Ralston–Tom Mix comic books available only by writing the Ralston Company by mail. Most of Mix's radio work has been lost over the years; recordings of only approximately 30 scattered episodes, and no complete story arcs, survive. On October 12, 1940, after visiting Pima County Sheriff Ed Echols in Tucson , Arizona, Mix
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2142-583: The town was the site of the Battle of Las Vegas , which was a part of the broader Taos Revolt by local Hispanos and Pueblo peoples against United States occupation. In 1860, the United States Congress passed a law allowing the Cabeza de Baca heirs to choose other grants in lieu of their Las Vegas grant. In 1877 Las Vegas College, the precursor to Regis University , was founded in Las Vegas by
2193-609: Was a Freemason. Mix began his film career as a supporting cast member with the Selig Polyscope Company . His first appearance was in a short film, The Cowboy Millionaire , released on October 21, 1909. In 1910, he appeared as himself in a short documentary film, Ranch Life in the Great Southwest , in which he displayed his skills as a cattle wrangler. Shot in Dewey, Oklahoma with Selig studio cameramen,
2244-908: Was a pallbearer at Earp's funeral in January 1929. The newspapers reported that Mix cried during his friend's service. Mix appeared with the Sells-Floto Circus in 1929, 1930, and 1931 at a reported weekly salary of $ 20,000 (equivalent to $ 355,000 in 2023). Meanwhile, the Great Depression (along with the actor's free-spending ways and many wives) reportedly wiped out most of his savings. Mix and Forde divorced in 1931, and in 1932, he married his fifth wife, Mabel Hubbell Ward. Universal Pictures approached him in 1932 with an offer to perform in " talkies ," which included script and cast approval. He acted in nine films for Universal, but because of injuries he received while filming, he
2295-503: Was active in the area in the 1890s. Beginning in 1915, the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunions were held annually until 1931; then in 1939, the Cowboys' Reunions were re-established. Their slogan was, "Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy!" These reunions were organized by a group of ranching families and cowboys which soon became the Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunion Association. The Reunions celebrated ranching life, which began in northern New Mexico in
2346-762: Was first featured in 11 issues of Dell Comics ' The Comics from 1937 to 1938. The Ralston Purina Company , a sponsor of the radio series, produced nine issues of Tom Mix Comics in 1940–1941, and three issues of Tom Mix Commandos Comics in 1942. The 36-page comics were available by mail order, for two boxtops of any Ralston cereal. Fawcett Comics published 61 issues of Tom Mix Western from 1948 to 1953. Comics featuring Tom Mix were also published in Sweden, Germany, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, including L. Miller & Son 's Tom Mix Western Comics , which ran 85 issues from 1948 to 1951. Las Vegas, New Mexico Las Vegas , often known simply as Vegas ,
2397-472: Was held in Las Vegas, June 1899. The museum, free and open to the public, houses a memorial collection of artifacts, archives and photographs from the Rough Riders and mementos in relation to the 1898 Cuban Campaign of the Spanish–American War, with information on over 200 members of the original regiment, RRR Association documents, etc. The museum illuminates the history of Las Vegas, its connection to
2448-687: Was killed when his car overturned while he was taking a detour 18 miles (29 km) south of Florence , Arizona . He was 60 years old. His funeral took place at the Little Church of the Flowers in Glendale, California , on October 16, 1940, and was attended by thousands of people. He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery . A small stone memorial marks the site of his death on State Route 79, and
2499-731: Was married to the journalist and writer Carol Weld from 1927 to 1932. Among Weld's books are Don't You Cry for Me , a 1940 novel based on the Donner party ; the autobiographical Young Man in Paris (1985); and September Song , a 1998 biography of his friend, actor Walter Huston . Weld wrote screenplays for Columbia and Universal; served as director of publications for the Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan, and owned Ford dealerships in Laguna and San Clemente, California. He co-published
2550-623: Was nationally renowned in the 1950s to 1970s and beyond. The university sponsors intercollegiate athletics and is a member of NCAA II and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Also nearby, north of Las Vegas, is Luna Community College . The United World College in nearby Montezuma, New Mexico is a two-year international high school and one of the venues used by the International Baccalaureate Program for teacher training in
2601-556: Was reluctant to do any more. Around 1933, Mix appeared with the Sam B. Dill circus, which he reportedly bought two years later (in 1935). Mix's last screen appearance was a 15-episode sound Mascot Pictures serial, The Miracle Rider (1935), for which he received $ 40,000 for the four weeks of filming. Outdoor action sequences for the production were filmed primarily on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California, on
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