Miguel Antonio Otero was a prominent Spanish

Spanish people

The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....

 politician of the New Mexico Territory

New Mexico Territory

thumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...

 and instrumental in the economic development of the territory.

Early life

Miguel Antonio Otero was born in Valencia, Nuevo México

Valencia County, New Mexico

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.2% White*1.4% Black*3.8% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*17.0% Other races*58.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

 to Don Vicente Otero and Doña Gertrudis Aragón de Otero, natives of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 who had come to New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 as colonists. Don Vicente had held prominent civic positions as judge and mayor in Valencia County, under both Spanish and Mexican

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 Governments.

Otero received his early education in Valencia. In 1841 he enrolled at St. Louis University in the state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

 and subsequently graduated from Pingree College in Fishkill, New York

Fishkill, New York

Fishkill is an upscale village within the much larger town, Town of Fishkill, one of the fastest growing towns in the region, in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The village population was 1,735 at the 2000 census...

, where he taught while he began his study of law. In 1851 he returned to Missouri, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. He was a public advocate of the Mexican-American War.

Career as politician

In 1852 Otero became the private secretary to the Governor of New Mexico, William C. Lane, and was elected to the second Legislative Assembly of the territory of New Mexico. In 1854 he was appointed attorney general for the territory, and served for two years. On March 4, 1856 he was seated as a Democratic Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, after successfully contesting the election of José Manuel Gallegos

José Manuel Gallegos

José Manuel Gallegos was a delegate to the US Congress from the Territory of New Mexico.Born in Abiquiú, in what is now Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, Gallegos attended parochial schools...

. With the support of the Bishop of New Mexico, Jean Baptiste Lamy

Jean Baptiste Lamy

Jean-Baptiste Lamy , was a French Roman Catholic clergyman and the first Archbishop of Santa Fe , United States. American writer Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop is based on his life and career.-Ordination as a priest:Lamy was born in Lempdes, Puy de Dôme, in the Auvergne region...

, Otero was reelected to the next two Congresses, but was not a candidate for renomination in 1860.

An outspoken Congressman and a strong supporter of the railroad, Otero devoted much of his efforts to the construction of the transcontinental railroad through New Mexico.

After Otero had completed his term in Congress, President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

 nominated him to be minister to Spain in 1861. Otero declined that office to accept an appointment as secretary of the territory of New Mexico, but the Senate did not confirm him because of his involvement in the 1860 Democratic National Convention

Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...

 in South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 and his pro-confederate tendencies.

Otero failed in another reelection bid in 1880. His business endeavors, however, in merchandizing, banking, and farming, were highly successful. In addition, he was a strong supporter of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...

. And he became one of the founders and later president of the San Miguel National Bank in Las Vegas, New Mexico

Las Vegas, New Mexico

Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...

. He also engaged in out-of-state endeavors, mostly in Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

.

He died in 1882 at the age of 51 and was buried in Denver's Riverside Cemetery

Riverside Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)

Riverside Cemetery, established in 1876, is Denver, Colorado's oldest operating cemetery. More than 67,000 people are buried there, including 1,000 veterans.-Location and operation:...

. His son, also named Miguel Antonio Otero

Miguel Antonio Otero (II)

Miguel Antonio Otero , nicknamed "Gillie," was governor of New Mexico Territory from 1897 to 1906 and in later life the author of several books on Western lore...

, and nephew Mariano S. Otero

Mariano S. Otero

Mariano Sabino Otero was a Delegate from the Territory of New Mexico, nephew of Miguel Antonio Otero and cousin of Miguel Antonio Otero ....

 would continue the family tradition of civic service, his son becoming Governor of New Mexico, and his nephew a delegate.

Both Otero County, New Mexico

Otero County, New Mexico

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.7% White*3.5% Black*6.7% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.2% Two or more races*11.2% Other races*34.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

 and Otero County, Colorado

Otero County, Colorado

Otero County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for Miguel Antonio Otero, one of the founders of the town of La Junta and a member of a prominent Hispanic family. The county population was 20,311 at U.S. Census 2000...

are named in his honor.

External links