Constructed 2007.
Several monuments are located in the Artesia MainStreet District that celebrate the history of the community. The monumental sculptures that comprise the History in Bronze public art project, depict scenes from the cattle drive era to the later discovery of oil in the area. The monuments include: The Cattle Drive Series (honoring the ranching industry in southeastern New Mexico) – The Trail Boss (First and W. Main), the Vaquero (Second and W. Main), and The Rustler (Second and Texas); First Lady of Artesia – sculpture of Sallie Chisum (Third and W. Main); The Derrick Floor & Oilfield Pioneers (6th and W. Main) includes a crew of men on a drilling rig, among other works that honor local pioneers tied to the oil industry and featured on Oil Patch Plaza. The first of the History in Bronze sculptures was unveiled on July 26, 2003, to honor the spirit of a pioneer woman, Sallie Chisum.
The niece of famed cattleman John Chisum, Sallie settled in Artesia in 1890. Her accomplishments as an entrepreneur, developer and woman led her to be known posthumously as First Lady of Artesia. She left Artesia in 1919, and died in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1934. The Derrick Floor is a bronze artistic representation of a four-man crew on a drilling rig. The drilling rig is a 100 percent life-size sculpture while the four men in the crew are 125 percent life size, emphasizing the men who built the oil patch. The Derrick Floor was dedicated on April 24, 2004 to the men and women who take the risks and do the work to find, produce and refine New Mexico oil and gas. “The Trail Boss” was the first work in the Cattle Drive series was unveiled in 2007. It represents and honors the development of ranching in the southeastern part of the state. The three sculptures feature three personalities common in the Pecos Valley during the Cattle Drive era the Trail Boss, the owner of a small herd of cattle; the Vaquero, a cowboy; and the Cattle Rustler, a cowboy who makes his living stealing cows.
Main Street Artesia, NM 88211
