We all know our local library as Branigan Library. But not everyone knows the history behind that name. Here, in brief, is a little information about the man for whom our local library is named.
Thomas Branigan was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847, and immigrated to the United States at the age of 2. His family settled in Ohio.
When he was 14, Thomas fought in the American Civil War as a member of the Ohio Infantry. He later moved west, living the life of a pioneer in Kansas. He also served for four years as Captain and Chief of Scouts on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. After relocating to Las Cruces, he farmed, raised horses and briefly tried his hand at gold mining in Silver City.
Branigan held several offices in the Las Cruces area, including County Assessor and Treasurer of the County Committee. He also was a member of the Las Cruces Board of Education. Additionally, he served for many years as Captain of the local unit of the territorial militia, and from 1901 to 1908 Branigan served as Las Cruces’ Postmaster.
Today, Thomas Branigan is best known as the person for whom Las Cruces’ Library is named. Upon her death in 1932, Thomas’ widow, Alice Montgomery Branigan, bequeathed the Town of Las Cruces land, $35,000 for a library building and equipment, and $3,000 for books to honor her late husband.
The original Thomas Branigan Memorial Library was dedicated in 1935 in a modified Southwest Pueblo-style building that today houses the Branigan Cultural Center in the Downtown Mall.
As Las Cruces grew, the functions and services of the Library increased. By 1976 it was clear that a larger facility was needed, and the City Commission committed to constructing a new building. Six acres of land at the corner of Campo Street and Picacho Avenue were purchased in 1977 for the new Library. The present Library building, completed in 1979, is a 36,800 square foot facility.
The Library was designed through an invitational architectural competition. Southwestern native forms are reflected in the contemporary Pueblo styling of the building. Located within the natural slope of the library site, a passive solar design assists with temperature control in and around the building. An 8,000 square foot addition to the building, consisting of office and meeting space, was completed in 1991.
Today, the Library has a collection of more than 200,000 items, and serves a population of nearly 175,000 citizens in the City of Las Cruces and Doņa Ana County.