Story of Fair West Neighborhood

Below is a collection of stories and pictures about our neighborhood as told by our residents. Goals of the Story of Fair West Project included to create documentation of the history, sustain intergenerational engagement, and create a sense of connection and belonging with our neighbors.

This project was made possible through a grant from the Bernalillo County neighborhood outreach program.

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Did You Know?

The story behind San Mateo’s street naming has origins in Fair West.

“According to Judy Nickell in her book “Atrisco to Zena Lona,” the area between San Mateo and San Pedro, between Zuni and Lomas, was subdivided by Mary Fox. It is Fox who gave San Mateo street its name.

Fox’s travels to South America with her husband, Marion L. Fox, provided the inspiration for the names. Mr. Fox was involved in installing telephone lines in South America. Many of the streets in the subdivision, including San Mateo, were named for Venezuelan towns the couple visited while there”…. Read the ABQJournal article [PDF]