Hachita Valley, New Mexico

Ena’s father, Orson Oriel Richins, homesteaded property south of Hachita in what is called the "boot heel" of New Mexico on the eastern side of the continental divide in Hidalgo county. The Richins homestead was located on Range 30 south, 14 west, Township 30 and consisted of eight 40-acre blocks (quarter-quads) arranged in a rough "U-shape."  Five blocks were located in Section 28 and 3 were located in Section 33.  The legal land description, including the Township and Range designation are only important for locating the property location on a federal Bureau of Land Management map.  The  official description of the land is "the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter and the north half of the northwest quarter, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter, and the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section twenty-eight and the north half of the northwest quarter and the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section thirty-three in Township thirty south of Range fourteen west of the New Mexico Meridian, New Mexico, containing three hundred twenty acres."  The legal description can be confusing—refer to the graphic to understand what the legal jargon means.

The area the Richins homesteaded is known as the Hachita Valley, which runs northwest to southeast. It is bordered by the Big Hachet mountains to the southwest and the Sierra Rica mountains to the northeast.  The Mexican border is about three miles east and 23 miles south.  The homestead was a "dry farm," meaning it was not irrigated.  When I visited the homestead site in May 2002 I observed it was the best land in the area for faming.  I believe Orson Oriel was familiar with the area from his freighting route between the Mormon colonies in Mexico and southern New Mexico.

Ena attended the Hachita Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. On June 30, 1914 Ena became a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Her father, Orson O. Richins was serving as the “Presiding Elder” for the Hachita Branch of the Church. Ena was well schooled in the Gospel, and of gospel principles. She always set the proper example for her family and those around her. Her faith and dedication not only made her a stalwart in the Gospel but a sterling example of to all on how we should conduct our lives and treat our fellowmen.

Ena continued her education in the Hachita school system by staying initially with her older sister Ireta and her husband Jim Wright, and after Ireta’s death she lived with her older sister Mae and her husband “Babe” Bowers in Hachita. She spent her school vacations and summers at the homestead. From the homestead site Ena and her family saw the smoke from Pancho Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico on March 9, 1916.

Red Rock, New Mexico

On January 8, 1923 Orson Oriel Richins was granted a patent deed for his Hachita homestead. Shortly, thereafter he sold the homestead to a cattle company to become part of a large cattle ranch. He then moved his family, which included Ena, to a farm near Red Rock, Grant county, New Mexico.

One afternoon while living on the farm near Red Rock Ena went horseback riding with a friend. During the ride they discovered a wild beehive loaded with honey. Carefully extracting some of the honey, Ena and her friend had a sweet feast. Shortly thereafter Ena became violently ill. As they made their way back to the farm Ena prayed she would be able to make it home and recover. They did make it back to the farm, but it was a very close call. After much prayer and care from her mother she began to recover and after a few weeks was back to normal.

Virden, New Mexico

The farm at Red Rock was not very productive, so Orson Oriel sold it and moved the family to Virden, Hidalgo county, New Mexico.

During her stay in Virden Ena visited her married sister Mae at a mining camp in the Burro Mountains north of Lordsburg, Hidalgo county, New Mexico. Mae’s husband “Babe” had been a “mule skinner” in General Pershing’s army and stationed at Camp Shannon to the north of Hachita. “Babe” was discharged from the army and had taken a job as a master mechanic at the mine in the Burro Mountains. The foreman of the mine was Hanson Caldwell Walter, and his son Charles David Walter (recently discharged from the Navy in World War I) worked in the mine with his father. While on this visit Ena met and fell in love with Charles D. Walter.