Historical Overview

The history of The Lands of Netherwood Park is just part of broader story of Albuquerque’s population growth and land development east of Albuquerque’s New Town towards the University of New Mexico “in the sand hills”, and beyond.

Prologue

 

  • Land speculation on Albuquerque’s East Mesa was first driven by the establishment of the University. “In 1891, M.P. Stamm, a local fruit wholesaler, starts Terrace Addition Improvement Company with several other business leaders.  Each pledges to build a house in the area. Stamm names the streets after trees – Cedar, Elm, and Oak (near Presbyterian Hospital today) and starts to build his house.  He digs a well for water and nearby farmers protest and throw rocks at him. His other backers abandon the project and Stamm puts off his plans for several years until the water problem can be solved.” (John Vittal).  The following link provides an excellent summary.
    Near Heights – A Sense of Place – Albuquerque’s Environmental Story (albuqhistsoc.org)
  • Residential land development is made possible by the discovery of underground water in the early 1900’s below the vast East Mesa.  M.P. Stamm completed a 240-foot-deep water well directly south of the University as reported in the newspaper article below from February 2, 1906.
    Feb-02-1906 Stamm – Terrace Addition (Albuquerque Evening Citizen, February 2, 1906, pg 5)
  • D. K .B. Sellers promotes “sure water” for University Heights subdivision south of the University and east of Yale Blvd. as reported in newspaper advertisement from February 19, 1916.
    Feb-19-1916 University Heights (D.K.B. Sellers)
  • After the First World War, home construction “booms” on the East Mesa near the University with worker “bungalows above the hustle and bustle of the “city”, i.e., in the valley below. In 1925, the City annexed 4,166 acres including the University Heights subdivision (including water well and water distribution system) and a large area currently described as east of Girard Blvd. to San Pedro Dr. between Constitution Ave. and Gibson Blvd.“New developments spread north of Central, including what was first known as the Country Club Addition (now Spruce Park) between Grand and Las Lomas. Thus, the number of houses rose from about 175 in 1920 to 760 in 1930, a 330% increase. University Heights also began to fill rapidly with over 300 new dwellings erected in that decade.” (from Near Heights link above).
  • Following the Second World War, the residential development “boom” resumed in earnest.“In the first decade after the war’s end, several additions to the built environment near the University presaged both the maturity of the neighborhoods in the area and the rapid dispersal of population even further east that would characterize the next quarter-century.” (from Near Heights link above).There were several massive annexations by the City of Albuquerque of East Mesa land, including the 368 acres of The Lands of Netherwood Park in 1950.

The Lands of Netherwood Park is a history of land ownership and subdivision development of 368 acres north and northeast of the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque and the stories of the people that accomplished this extraordinary feat.

Our story begins with four remarkable women, Ada M. Cutler, Alcida L. Morrow, Martha L. Taylor, and Harriet E. Jenness, who between 1885 and 1893 emigrated from the Midwest to the New Mexico Territory as public school and university educators and had the foresight to envision the growth and development of Albuquerque’s barren East Mesa above the Rio Grande river valley.  Morrow and Taylor were two of the first professors hired by the University of New Mexico (UNM) when instruction commenced in June 1892.  Morrow is credited with establishing the Departments of English and Spanish, and Taylor with the Department of History.  Jenness came to UNM the following year in 1893 to teach drawing, dance & drama, and music, and is credited with establishing “crimson & silver” as the UNM school colors.  After teaching public school in the Silver City area beginning in 1885, Cutler moved to Albuquerque in 1892 to assume teaching and Vice Principal duties at Albuquerque High School, shortly after the City received the power to levy taxes for public school education.

With the establishment of UNM on the vast and nearly empty East Mesa, Cutler, Taylor and Jenness must have seen the potential for the City’s growth and development, especially up in “the sand hills”.  In 1896, each of the women purchased 160 acres from the U.S. Government north and northeast of the UNM Campus and received formal land patents in 1897.

Morrow obtained ownership in various tracts of land from Ada Cutler and Martha Taylor, her friends and colleagues, starting in 1896, even before the patents were formally issued.

By 1899, three of the women had departed the New Mexico Territory. Taylor moved to Yuma, Arizona Territory in 1897, where she married Robert Theilman, a former public-school teacher/administrator from the Silver City area in New Mexico.  Morrow settled in Los Angeles in 1897 where she taught at Los Angeles High School and later at the University of Southern California.  Cutler re-located to teach public school in Denver in 1899, where she married Edwin Netherwood, an experienced real estate developer and home builder from Massachusetts.  Sadly, Jenness passed away in 1895 at the age of 38 while teaching at UNM.

While in Denver, Ada Netherwood kept abreast of growth in Albuquerque, and through various real estate transactions involving Alcinda Morrow (now Alcinda Whitson) and Martha Taylor (now Martha Theilman) increased her East Mesa land holdings to a total of 208 acres.  Finally, in 1908, Ada and her husband Edwin re-located to Albuquerque to pursue active real estate development of their land, which by 1914 included the Jenness parcel of an additional 160 acres.

During the early years back in Albuquerque, reports are that the Netherwoods were actively buying and selling residential lots in the Terrace Addition south of Central Avenue near UNM developed by M.P. Stamm, but by 1913 they had platted the Netherwood Park Addition First Filing, developed a water supply for the subdivision, built a house for themselves and began actively marketing lots for sale and home construction on their East Mesa land north of Indian School Rd. near Girard Blvd.

By 1914, Ada and Edwin Netherwood had acquired the 160 acres previously owned by Jenness, and established Netherwood Park Second Filing currently described as north of Indian School Rd. between Carlisle Blvd. and San Mateo Blvd.

Marketing efforts for their residential lots continued with the Netherwood Park Third Filing in 1919 comprising 18.54 acres currently described as north of Indian School Rd. and east of Girard Blvd. The replat of the First Filing in 1926 shows a “dwelling, garage, water tower, tennis courts and clubhouse” located in the Third Filing area.

The importance of establishing an underground water source in this area north of the UNM Campus by Edwin Netherwood in 1912 can’t be overstated. In 1913, he announced the sale of a group of lots to a Wyoming investor to create a “vineyard on the mesa” for growing grapes.  Mr. Netherwood’s marketing skills were heralded in newspaper articles announcing the purchase of blocks of lots by notable persons, including a well-known professional boxer who promoted his land investment prowess, as well as an advertising executive who “will shortly erect a beautiful home built along the lines of the California bungalows of the Old Mission design… having secured a magnificent site in the Netherwood tract overlooking Albuquerque.”  Advertisements for Netherwood Park called for buyers to  “Get Out of the Rush.. Move to the Suburbs” offering lots for sale, as well as build-to-suit four-room bungalows.

It appears that development and marketing efforts at Netherwood Park slowed because of World War I and Edwin’s advancing age (he was born in 1845) and ultimately with his death in 1926.  Ada continued to live in their home at Netherwood Park until her death in 1937 at the age of 77.

A long hiatus of about 25 years after Edwin’s death, ended when Ada Netherwood’s nephew Edward Schell took over real estate development of Netherwood Park.  Mr. Schell was the son of Ada’s twin sister Ida, and interestingly, was also an educator like his aunt, being a graduate of Wheaton College holding a Ph.D. and serving as the Dean of Wheaton Academy in Wheaton, Illinois from 1924 until his retirement in 1949.

Records suggest that Schell first became involved in the final stage of development of Netherwood Park property through the City of Albuquerque’s annexation of 3,320 acres in January 1950 which contained a portion of the total 368 acres. Following this annexation, Schell replated the Netherwood Park First Filing in 1951 and in 1954 was installing the subdivision streets and utilities in anticipation of selling lots to builders.  The design of the 1951 plat is noteworthy in that it reflected curvilinear roads, cul-de-sacs, larger sized lots, and the reservation of land for a park and a school site.

The first home builders, A.B. Poe and John H. Hill were active the mid-1950s on the east side of Princeton Dr. in between Morrow Rd. on the south and Schell Place on the north, across from the neighborhood park site.  Home construction then moved east along Morrow Rd. to Vassar. In 1957, Netherwood Park First Filing was further replated (called the Second Replat) to remove the northern portion of the property for the construction of the AMAFA North Diversion Channel and Interstate 40.

During the period of 1955 to 1969, records indicate 127 homes were constructed out of a total of 209 lots, although it’s likely that many more were built but as yet not documented.  The most active builders in Netherwood Park, Second Replat area by far were John H. Hill and Arnold Miller.

Epilogue

 

While not the primary focus of this historical endeavor, a brief comment on the remaining land purchased by Martha Taylor and Harriet Jenness in 1896 may be useful.

Of the original 160 acres acquired by Taylor, 40 acres were sold to Ada Cutler in 1896, which was combined with her original almost 160 acres.  Taylor’s interest in an additional 10.30 acres was also sold to Ada Netherwood in 1910, bringing her total holding at that time to approximately 208 acres.  The remaining Taylor land, approximately 110 acres was ultimately developed by Calvin Horn, Charles Balduini, Louis Balduini and Joe Weeks in 1950 as the Miracerros Subdivision.

As for the original Jenness property, records indicate that Ada and Edwin Netherwood owned the entire 160 acres in 1914 at the time of their Netherwood Park Second Filing platting action.  Records also indicate that Ada Netherwood sold a number of the Second Filing lots in the 1914-1917 time period.  The details of further transactions have not been researched, but it appears that Wilhelmina Coe (neé Neat) acquired a large number of lots in the subdivision prior to 1957 when she and her husband donated 902 of the original 1,440 lots to the Peace Foundation that was founded as a nonprofit corporation by Wilhelmina seven years earlier.

 

The Lands of Netherwood Park – Chronology

 

New Mexico Educators Assemble Netherwood Park Lands (1896-1910)

1885   Ada Mary Cutler (age 26) arrives in Silver City, New Mexico Territory from Illinois to teach in public school.

1892   Cutler begins teaching in Albuquerque public school.

1892   Alcinda L. Morrow (age 49) arrives in Albuquerque from Kansas to teach at the University of New Mexico (English & Spanish)[1].

1892   Martha Lois Taylor (age 31) arrives in Albuquerque from Missouri to teach at UNM (History).

1893   Harriet Elizabeth Jenness[2] (age 37) arrives in Albuquerque from Argentina[3] to teach at UNM (Drawing & Drama)[4].

1896   Cutler, Taylor and Jenness[5] each acquire 160 acres of federal land north of the current UNM Campus. Subsequently, 368 acres were platted and later become three Netherwood Park Subdivisions starting in 1913, 1914 and 1919.

1896   Morrow acquires a one-third interest in 18.54 acres[6] near present day Girard Blvd. and Indian School Rd. with Taylor and Cutler.

1897   Morrow, now married and known as Alcinda Morrow Whitson, moves to Los Angeles, California to teach in a public school, then goes to the University of Southern California (Spanish).

1897   Cutler moves to Denver, Colorado to teach in a public school.

1899   Taylor, now married and known as Martha Lois Theilman, moves to Yuma, Arizona Territory with her husband, Robert Theilman[7], who was involved in irrigation projects and ranching.

1900   Cutler marries Edwin Netherwood (real estate developer/builder) in Denver.

1905   Alcinda Morrow Whitson sells her one-third interest in 18.54 acres to Ada Netherwood.

1910   Martha Theilman sells her one-third interest in 18.54 acres to Ada Netherwood.

 

Early Subdivision & Lot Sales Activity (1912-1926)

1908   Ada and Edwin Netherwood move to Albuquerque and settle in the Los Duranes area of Old Town.

1912   Edwin Netherwood digs a 164-foot water well near what is now Girard & Indian School Rd. north of UNM that creates interest in the development of the East Mesa and establishes the marketability of Netherwood Park subdivision platted lots.

1913   Edwin and Ada create Netherwood Park subdivision (First Filing; west of Girard between Indian School and Menaul Blvd.) and begin lot advertising and sales.

1914   Edwin and Ada create a second Netherwood Park subdivision (Second Filing; east of the current Carlisle Blvd., to San Mateo Blvd., between, Indian School Rd. and Cutler Ave.)[8].

1919   Edwin and Ada create a third Netherwood Park subdivision (Third Filing; east of Girard, and north of Indian School)[9].

1926   Edwin and Ada replat the Netherwood Park 1913 First Filing.

1926   Edwin Netherwood dies at age 81 and is buried at Fairview Memorial Cemetery, Albuquerque.

1937   Ada Netherwood dies at age 78 and is buried at Fairview Memorial Cemetery.

 

Modern Era Development (1951-1967)

1947   Edward Schell[10], nephew of Ada Netherwood (formerly Cutler), assumes development control of Netherwood Park from his home in Milton (DuPage County), Illinois.

1950   Schell agrees to incorporate land into Albuquerque city limits.

1951   Schell moves to Albuquerque from Illinois and replats the Netherwood Park 1926 First Filing and establishes Covenants and Building Restrictions.

1951   Netherwood Park site (5.3 acres) was dedicated to City of Albuquerque.

1955   First homes are built by Andy B. Poe along Princeton Dr. north of Morrow Rd.

1956-59         32 total houses built[11]: 15 houses by John H. Hill.

1957   Schell replats the Netherwood Park 1951 First Filing  that  reflects the removal of land/lots in the northern portion of the subdivision to accommodate the AMAFCA North Diversion Channel[12].

1960-69         94 total houses built[13]: 23 houses by John H. Hill.

1962   Residents advocate for development of the park site, which has remained vacant since 1951.

1965   Park site is developed by the City as “scenic view park” (no playground).

1966   Interstate 40 / 25 “Big I” interchange is open to the public.

1967   Edward Schell dies at age 83 and is buried at Fairview Memorial Cemetery, Albuquerque.

1969   Replat Netherwood Park land along Menaul.

 

[1]  Formal instruction at UNM began in June 1892.

[2]  Taylor and Jenness were both teaching in Missouri from 1888 to 1890 before each move to New Mexico Territory.  Is it possible that they were acquainted at that time?

[3]  Jenness was teaching in Argentina from 1890 to 1893 and Morrow from 1884 to 1887.

[4]  Jenness is credited with establishing “crimson & silver” as the UNM school colors.

[5]  Jenness died in 1895 while at UNM.  It appears that the federal land patent was finally issued in 1897 after her death.

[6]  18.54 acre tract becomes Netherwood Park Third Filing in 1919.

[7]  Robert Theilman taught public school in Grant County (Silver City) from 1891-1896 before moving to Arizona Territory.

[8]  Most of this area is acquired by Wilhelmina & Ralph Coe and subsequently transfer in 1957 to the Peace Foundation which they established.

[9]  Northern portion contains their home built about 1912, including several other houses by 1926, tennis courts and a clubhouse.  In 1956 the Tennis Club of Albuquerque was established on the southern portion.

[10]  Edward Schell, Ph.D. a graduate of Wheaton College, Illinois was the Dean of Wheaton Academy from 1922-1950.

[11]  Based on available, but incomplete information

[12]   Approximately 217 lots total.  Subsequent minor plat revisions reduce total to 209 lots (approximately).

[13]  Based on available, but  incomplete information