At the End of the Santa Fe Trail

2019 Reprint of 1948 Edition. Illustrated with photographs. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. Here, in the tersely recorded journal of Sister Blandina, a Sister of Charity, is an valuable picture of the Southwest from 1872 to 1892; an authentic piece of local Americana revealing twenty years of struggle against lawlessness, mob rule, Indian threats, bigotry and violence of all sorts.

It is a tale of the life and work of Sister Blandina mostly in Santa Fe and Albuquerque from 1872 to 1892. The story is told for the most part by means of extracts from Sister Blandina's journal and her letters to her sister. They reveal a very human figure, with a well-developed sense of humor and a fine measure of moral courage to buttress her religious faith. The southwest in that period was characterized by lawlessness, mob rule and Indian raids. Life was rough and life was raw. But this unassuming woman was equal to it. She could play politics and administer schools and social institutions tough-mindedly. But above all she was the humanitarian meeting the needs of her people and the religionist ministering to their souls. Catholics particularly would be interested in her views on the formation of the state of New Mexico.