Carlos Salas Oral History, Part 1/3

Descriptive

Part OfCarlos Salas Oral HistoryIntervieweeSalas, CarlosInterviewerMcBride, JoyceBrowse TopicCommunity GroupsEducationLaborSociety and CultureSubjectGlobe, AZHigh SchoolsHistory--20th CenturyDescriptionThe grandparents of Carlos Salas, Rosalio and Maria Mendez Salas, fled Zapatecas, Zapatecas, Mexico during the Mexican revolution just prior to 1918. Whenever either armies would enter the town the band would go out to greet them by playing music in the plaza. Rosalio was a musician in the band. When Poncho Villa was informed that the band also welcoming the Federales, he lined them up against a wall and warned the band that if they were to play music again for the Federales the following would happen to them all. He then had the first seven killed firing squad style. Rosalio Salas was the 8th person in the line. He quickly decided there was no future in music, gathered up his pregnant wife and two little daughters and fled to the U.S. border. Before crossing the border, Maria gave birth to a son they named Jesus. They crossed over to El Paso, Texas, then moved on to Deming, New Mexico and finally relocated near Ruiz Canyon on Buena Vista Street in the copper mining town of Globe in August 1918. It was in this humble little home that the family grew to 9 members. Second daughter, Maria married and had 3 boys, Salvadore, Cruz and Carlos. She then divorced her husband and moved back home, and now there were 14 living under the same roof. Carlos tells the story of how the cross was placed on top of Navarro Hill. Grandfather Rosalio Salas and 11 other men built the cross of timbers from the Dominion Mine. They carried the cross up the hill in May of 1935 and set it up under a clear sky. A rain cloud came out of nowhere and sprinkled the cross and the crowd of worshippers. The cross is traditionally lit on religious holidays and on special occasions, such as the anniversaries of those departed, but it was lit from November 1979 to January 1980 during the Iran Hostage crisis, when Globe’s son, Jimmy Lopez was held captive. The cross is now listed on the National Historic Register, perhaps the only cross. Carlos remembers growing up on Buena Vista Street, of going to school at Hill Street, and being set back his first grade because he didn’t have a fluent grasp of the English language. He talks about growing up Hispanic and his early entrance into sports. His first love was basketball, but at the taunting of his older brothers, finally went for football in his sophomore year. He credits his success in football to his brother Cruz, who trained him one-on-one, and credits his basketball success to Coach Kenny Trout who made sure he had shoes from Unique Sporting Goods. Carlos was actively sought after by several colleges, but it was Coach Max Spilsbury from NAU who came to his home, sat and spoke to his grandparents and mother in Spanish and offered him a scholarship. He supplemented this scholarship by working for APS during the summers. Audio Length00:42:56Date Original2015-04-30Date Range1910s (1910-1919)1920s (1920-1929)1930s (1930-1939)1940s (1940-1949)1950s (1950-1959)TypeSound- NonmusicalOriginal FormatOral historiesLanguageEnglishContributing InstitutionGila County Historical MuseumCollectionOral Histories of Globe High SchoolRights StatementThe opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and interviewer only. They do not represent the views of the Gila County Historical Society of Globe High School. Please contact the Gila County Historical Society Museum, located at 1330 North Broad Street, Globe, AZ 85501; call 928-425-7385 or email [email protected] with questions concerning content or the use and reproduction of this resource.

Geographic

City or TownGlobeCountyGila CountyStateArizonaCountryUnited StatesGeoNames URIhttps://sws.geonames.org/5296013

Oral HistoryCarlos Salas

Administrative

IdentifierSalas, Carlos, Part 1.mp3Date Digitized2015-04-30Digital FormatMP3

19.mp3

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Carlos Salas Oral History, Part 1/3