"Rich Man Poor Man...Indian Chief" - The Bibo Family

Rabbi Greenburg spent a short time in New Mexico but left his mark on a new congregation. The Grunsfelds were both religious and community leaders. The Bibos, however, were perhaps more representative - spending their lives here, laying down roots, impacting the economy and social justice, and leaving future leaders for our congregation.

In the beginning, however, there was a 'Rosenstein' Lucas, who fled to the USA in 1812 to avoid Napolean's draft. He returned home to wed, stayed and shared many memories of his foreign adventures with his grandchildren. His son traveled to New Mexico in 1860, but within five years he was laid to rest in Santa Fe.

Meanwhile, in Graetz, Posen, Lucas' daughter Blumchen married 'Isaac Bibo,' a teacher and Cantor. The Lehrer was honored in Brakel as Chevalier of the House of Hohenzollern for his 50 years of teaching. After his death, all his living children left Westphalia, Prussia, following Lucas' dreams to NM.

Setting the scene, the Bibos arrived when New Mexico territory, newly acquired by the US, was predominantly small towns, most without stores or services. The US Bureau of Indian Affairs was moving the tribes to reservations, away from their traditional livelihoods and into unfamiliar economic situations and great poverty. Common languages were those of the tribes (the Navajos and Apaches), Spanish, even German. Only the newcomers were comfortable in English. Enter the Bibos - with a large family, many friends, and a linguistic fluency extraordinaire. Between them they spoke perhaps a dozen languages.

Simon Bibo was the first to arrive in 1865. He traveled to Ceboletto as a post trader at Ft. Apache, also acting a trade intermediary for the Navajoes. He bought and brokered their grain, fruit, vegetables and meat, encouraging farming and stockraising. With his brother Sam he built a bridge to open the first commercial road from NM to Northern Arizona, furnishing the government with provisions and simplifying trade. He opened a store with brother Joseph in Bernalillo (1873-80), moving on to Laguna, San Rafael and ultimately Grants, where he was a merchant and stockraiser. He served as Justice of the Peace, postmaster in Grants, and joined the Albuquerque B'nai Brith Lodge in 1883. He was the father of 18 children, who lived in California, Texas and Old Mexico, and who owned a butcher shop in Albuquerque and a fine ladies' shop in Silver City.

Nathan Bibo Sr. was the family historian. His "Reminiscences of Early New Mexico" were published serially in the 1902 Albuquerque Sunday Herald, he delivered his recollections at Temple Albert's 25th anniversary in 1923, and his written memoirs survive. Of three days of his travels to NM in 1867, he wrote "I boarded a car which was attached to what seemed a ... construction train carrying regular freight, bridge material ... for road construction. The car contained plain wooden benches and the cushion I provided by rolling up my overcoat and blanket. The car was soon filled with a 'riff raff' of humanity ... wild Western life. Fellows in fringed buckskin suits and grey broad brim hats, a couple of pistols in the holsters, belts full of cartridges buckled around their waists, soldiers..., railroad workers ... men of dime novel type noisily talking and puffing cigars and chewing tobacco ... the car was stuffy and the odor bad, but it had one good effect - it kept away the flies."

Met at La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe by his friends, the Spiegelbergs, he was soon employed by them as post trader and army supply agent for Fort Wingate. There he made connections with military administrators (early networking) and soon was appointed sub-Agent of Indian Affairs for the Navajo. Learning to speak their languages, he helped them, as well as the Apache, to increase trade, broker agreements, and deal with the government. He advised, intervened and kept their secrets, once aiding in hiding Geronimo from the US Army.

The respect was mutual. While making a delivery through the White Mountains, Nathan was overtaken by a sudden fierce, raging ice storm; trees marking his route were obscured. With snow up to his arms, Nathan froze and lost the gun off his shoulder without even noticing. Suddenly he heard Apache yells and two men rode to his rescue.

Nathan was asked to open a store in Bernalillo, where he also built a home, government station and stables (for mail and stagecoaches). He served as Bernalillo postmaster and, assisted by his widowed sister Lina Weiss, business prospered. Their rising fortunes were forestalled when Bernalillo residents overpriced land, sending the railroad route to Albuquerque. In 1884 he married and began business in San Francisco, but was wiped out in the 1906 earthquake. Leaving his family there, he returned to NM to look for gold properties, "selling his wife's sheep to support his 'common law second wife' ("a Mexican woman") and son, 'Sam.'" He was also a serious gambler - winning or losing as much as $5000 in a single night of poker.

A priest told about a deep family secret that 'Sam Bibo' returned to Mexico, where he was reputed to be the highest official in Mexico government (Presidente Miguel Aleman) and a millionaire - the rumor persisted for more than 10 years, as late as 1961. Eventually Sam was discovered by Rabbi Fierman, operating a gas station in Oklahoma.

Solomon Bibo is the most famous brother. He began, in 1869, as post trader for Acoma. At that time, the Acoma were fighting to regain land taken by Spain and ceded to the US after the Mexican War. Solomon helped their fight in court, creating problems for himself with the Indian agent who accused him of misuse of position, and later by a Catholic Priest as "Rich Jew who wants to defraud." Solomon was so respected he was elected tribal governor by the Acoma - a true Indian Chief.

At a time when Jewish men headed to the East or West coast, or back to Europe, to find Jewish wives, Solomon sent a daughter of the tribe, Juana, to school to learn "European" ways; she converted to Judaism and they were married - twice. Papers show the marriage of Solomon Bibo de Cubero & Johanna (Juana) Valle del Acoma at Acoma by Governor Jose Bernedo on 1 May 1885, and again by Justice of the Peace Juan feo Montana of Valencia County in August. Eventually the family moved to San Francisco, to educate their children, and had "all moral children except one." Sol and Juana are buried there in the Temple Emanu-El cemetery.

Benjamin Bibo left his mark as a merchant and postmaster in Bibo, NM (15 miles NW of Laguna in Valencia county).

Emile Bibo entered the business in Bernalillo, moving on to Laguna, Cubero, and Grants. His life was devoted as advisor and friend to Acoma Indians. He moved to San Francisco in 1916, for his children's future, selling his store to the Seligman Brothers. His wife, Elizabeth Weisskopf, was sister to Sam Whitehead - Sam's descendants include the Danoff family and the late Eleanor Florsheim Seligman.

Decendants also include members of our community who are: Milton and Randy Seligman, Larry Rhee and Ellen (Epstein) Abel.

The story of Carl Bibo, who became a Bar Mitzvah and experienced coming of age rites at Acoma, is in our temple and public libraries: 'Katzimo, the magic mountain' by Bobette Guggilioto (novel for ages 8-12?)

Photo presumably taken at a Bibo-Seligman family reunion. From left to right: Rica Bierman, Betty Bibo, Lena Bibo Weiss, Willie Bierman, Flora Bibo, Clara Bibo, Unknown, Irma Bibo, Adolph Bierman, Unknown. Seated: Unknown, Nathan Bibo, Carl Seligman, Lucille Seligman, Joseph.

Photographs courtesy "The Leona G. and David Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives," University of Arizona Library

January 1999 Bulletin Home Page
Next Bulletin Page