Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-02-05
AN HONORED
PIONEER
CONE "HOME'
Captain &C. Lea, of Roswell An
swered the Last Summons Yes
terday After a Short Illness
Career of Deceased.

Career of Deceased.
Special to the New Mexican.
Roswell, New Mexico, Feb. Gap
tain J. G. Lea, first mayor of this cit.
4 died here at noon today of pneumonia
| Deceased was born in Cleveland
Tennessee, on the 8th day of Novem
ber, 1841, and is son of Pleasant anC
Lucy Lea, nee Galway. The parents
were also natives of the same state
and the father physician. Captain
Lea was descendent of one of three
brothers, natives of England, who ii
early colonial days crossed the Allan
tic to the new world. They changed
the orthography of the name, one
branch using the spelling Leigh and
another Lea. Among these descend
ents was numbered General R. E. Lee
of Confederate fame. The other broth
er used the spelling that descended tC
Captain Lea's family.
DR.. Lea removed with his family tC
| Missouri when his son was eight years
of age and located the present town
of Lees Summit in that state. There
the boy acquired his education. He
had completed the common school
course and was just about to enter on
college course, when the war broke
out and he joined the Confederate SER
vice. He became member of the
Sixth Missouri Brigade, Marmaduke's
division, as private and served un-
til the close of the war, when he re-
tired from the army with a captain s
commission, which he received from
General Kirby Smith, about the middle
of his service. He was brave and fear
less in defense of what he believed to
be right, and led his men in several
gallant charges.
When the war was over, Captain Lea
went to Georgia in connection with
three others, and secured the contract
for the rebuilding of the Central
Railroad in that state, which had
been destroyed during the war. On
the completion of this undertaking, he
removed to Louisiana, and engaged in
cotton planting for a period of two
years. His next removal made him a
resident of Mississippi, where he lived
for three years, coming thence to
New Mexico in 1875. He first located
in Colfax County. but in 1877 arrived
in the Pecos Valley, where he engaged
in cattle dealing and also established
a mercantile store.
This was wild and undeveloped re-
gion at that time. Captain Lea being
one OF the first settlers in the valley
Roswell was then a cattle ranch 400
miles from the railroad and the most
far-sighted could not have imagined
that within a few years, this would be
populous region with nearly all of
the industries, business enterprises
and conveniences known to the older
east. In 1879 Captain Lea organized
the Lea Cattle Company, of which he
was elected president and in which po-
sition he served until 1892, when he
disposed of all his cattle interests.
The company at one time owned more
than $4,000 acres of land.
He served efficiently and honestly
40 NOuAIy OOAuLOOlOACl VI AAACOl1
County for number of terms. Cap
tain Lea stood by Roswell through
thick and thin and had the gratifica-
tion of seeing the town grow from a
cattle ranch to a modern and prosper
Gus and progressive American town of
5000 people. He worked hard for the
creation of Chaves and Eddy Counties
in the legislative session of 1889.
From the commencement he was a
member of the board of regents of the
New Mexico Military Institute and per-
formed his duties as such acceptably
and satisfactorily. He was a good,
public spirited and honored citizen
and held in high esteem by the people
of Roswell and southeastern New
Mexico where he had made his home
for the last % years. He was elected
first mayor of Roswell at the city elec-
tion last December, as a token of re-
spect and esteem and in recognition
of his eminent services to the town by
his fellow citizens. He was a con-
scientious member of the Masonic fra
ternity. At one time he was one of
the largest property owners in Chav-
es County and at the time of his death
still held much valuable Roswell city
property. His demise was unexpected
and will be sincerely mourned by the
many who had the pleasure of being
his friend or of knowing him during
his long. active and honorable career
as a citizen of New Mexico.