The Las Cruces Railroad Museum hosts a free Brown Bag Lecture at 12pm on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. On March 12, Machelle Wood will present “The Magoffin Connection to Railroad History in El Paso.”
Wood is the Education and Public Events Coordinator at the Magoffin Home Historic Site in El Paso. She became interested in the Magoffin Home when she was working as an architectural conservationist and worked on restoring the site approximately five years ago. She has also worked on the Plaza Theatre, various state capitals, historic homes and other theatres across the United States.
Joseph Magoffin arrived in the El Paso area in 1856. After serving in the Civil War, he became an advocate for the development of the El Paso Region, aiding in bringing the railroads, utilities and new businesses to the area. He and his wife Octavia were active in the community and Catholic charities.
The 1877 Magoffin home reflects traditional Spanish and Territorial architecture, though it was also influenced by the Greek Revival style popular at the time. The Magoffin family lived in the home for more than 100 years.
The museum is located at 351 N. Mesilla Street and is open Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday 9am to 4:30pm. For additional information, visit the website at: http://las-cruces.org/museums or call (575) 528-3444.