
"I was born in 1857 on Twelfth Street, right here in New York City. After my father's death in 1869, my mother made her home in Nuremberg in
order to give us a good education." At seventeen, while still in Germany
Flora met Willi Spiegelberg who at that time was home from America visiting
his parents.
At the time of their introduction, Willi was 30 years old and already a
very successful businessman in New Mexico. He was the youngest of six
Spiegelberg brothers. In Flora's own words "I was young, and he was handsome,
and I soon became Mrs. Willi Spiegelberg." The couple was married on November
11 at the new Reform Temple in Nuremberg in 1874. The Wedding was followed by
a yearlong honeymoon through the European cities of Vienna, Munich, Paris and
London. In 1875, they returned to America in order for Willi to attend to
his business interests in Santa Fe.
"Crossing the ocean was an experience in itself in those days, but it
was nothing in comparison to the cross-country journey we had to take. After
our honeymoon in Europe, we started out for Santa Fe in 1875. We traveled,
via St. Louis, in very primitive steam cars to West Los Animas, Colorado,
then the terminus of the railroad. The train arrived at sunset and I was
fearfully tired for there were no Pullmans or any riding comforts in those
days. Then we continued our journey to Santa Fe for six days and six nights
in a stagecoach, often drawn by four horses. The Stagecoach stopped at the
log house coach stations three times daily; and hour to change horses and
provide a most primitive meal.
Usually we had dried buffalo chips, with beans, red or green peppers,
coffee and tea without milk or sugar, and occasional delicacies such as
buffalo tongues, bear and buffalo tongues, bear and buffalo steaks. I did not
relish this food, but my hardened pioneer husband never complained. Many of
the stationmasters were old friends of my husband. When they assisted me out
of the coach, they raised their big sombreros with a hearty greeting,
"Welcome Don Julian El Bonito" meaning William, the Handsome, and your pretty
"Tenderfoot Bride, of the Santa Fe Trail."
The next day near Dry Cimarron station, our coach was stopped to let
Colonel Price, a friend of my husband, pass with a band of roving Indians he
had captured. I was terribly frightened, for they were the first live
Indians I had ever seen. At the next station, Las Vegas, which was then the
second largest town in New Mexico and had a population of nearly one
thousand, among them some twenty American men, four Jews, and three American
women. It was a perilous and a thrilling ride all the way through, but after
five days and nights, we finally arrived. We arrived in Santa Fe in a bright
moonlight night. To our great surprise, my husband's brother Lehman joined by
friends in buggies or horseback and even on burros, had come to welcome come
us with a band of Mexican musicians. As the coach drove up the main street
accompanied by these friends we were cheered until we reached the home of my
husband's brother. There General Devens, Commander of the Territory waited
to welcome us with his military band playing 'Lohengrin's Wedding March.'
At that time I was the eighth woman in Santa Fe. There were about fifty
American men, officials and merchants, and a Mexican population of two
thousand. Amid clean and happy surroundings, I soon forgot all the privations
I had endured and I became a satisfied member of the community.
Initially the couple first resided in an adobe home located near the
plaza, opposite the cathedral. Then, in 1880 befitting a successful
merchant's family, the Spiegelberg's constructed a fourteen-room home at 237
Palace Avenue. Flora was extremely proud of this home, which reflected her
sophisticated tastes as well as her deeply cultured roots. On the back of a
photograph dated 1890, which depicts her Palace Avenue residence she writes
"My first house planned by me and built under my direction, the first house
to have gas and water in Santa Fe, New Mexico."
Willi together with the rest of the Spiegelberg brothers ran a very
successful mercantile organization. They were progressive in their approach
towards all their business dealings. They were the first to make
improvements to their building and surrounding sidewalk, and according to the
Daily New Mexican, provided "superb show windows" with female models. The
store carried a wide variety of goods imported from the East and Europe,
selling everything from "a pin to a piano." By the year 1872, the Spiegelberg Brothers had become one of the largest wholesale operations in
the West. Later that year they expanded their commercial business to include
a charter for the Second National Bank of Santa Fe.
Further expansion of the Spiegelberg businesses included mail route
contracts, mining projects, land speculation, construction and working with
the federal government by supplying military posts and Indian agencies. Willi
was the most politically active of the brothers, serving as president of the
Santa Fe Board of Trade, and as probate judge in 1880. Between 1884-1886,
Willi Spiegelberg was the elected mayor of Santa Fe. Flora, with her spirited
and cultured ways was perfectly suited for her role as Santa Fe's first lady
during this period. She enjoyed hosting many visiting dignitaries and
celebrities of the time. Among them were General Ulysses S.Grant, President
and Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes, Billy the Kid and Archbishop Lamy.
Flora displayed along with her husband, much civic-mindedness. During
her stay in Santa Fe she established the first nonsectarian school for girls,
raised money and built a three-room schoolhouse, taught Hebrew school, as
well as creating the first children's playground in Santa Fe. In a letter
to the editor of The Albuquerque Journal dated January 3rd, 1935. Flora
writes, "In 1879 I organized the first non-sectarian school for girls in
Santa Fe, I rented a room in an old adobe house near the Plaza, It was very
primitive had a mud floor and to keep it sanitary for the twelve pupils I
disinfected it personally three times weekly. Instead of desks and benches
the pupils had little tables and three legged stools."
Rev. Dr. Jones pastor of the Presbyterian Church engaged a competent
teacher from the Presbyterian Mission Society. But at my urgent request
before Miss Carpenter accepted the position I made it obligatory that her
pupils be taught to recite the Ten Commandments, and at the same time explain
to them that the Ten Commandments are not a religious, but and ethical and
moral code upon which the civilization rest today. She fully agreed with my
earnest request, and all the parents approved it also.
I also organized the first Children's Gardens; I taught them how
cultivate flowers and vegetables. I also gave the children nature
study lessons, aided by a magnifying glass. I showed a large collection of
all kinds of insects and how the golden, yellow pollen carried on the tiny
hairs of their wings while flitting from flower to flower dropped on the
pistils of the various flowers changed their color.
I also taught the children sewing and fancy needlework, each child had
her embroidered sampler with her name, and they treasured them. This may
amuse you and Miss Monk, my two daughters now grandmothers still have their
samplers from the 1880's. They are framed and decorate the playroom of their
grandchildren!"
During her early years in Europe Flora had developed a passion for the
piano, the French language, and gardening. She was able to share these
interests with Archbishop Lamy with whom she enjoyed an especially close
friendship. As a token of his friendship towards the Spiegelberg family, the
archbishop planted two willow trees with his own hands in the front yard of
their Palace Street home. Flora also states that "our good and tolerant
friend Archbishop Lamy always sent us and several other Jewish families gifts
of fruit, wines and flowers as greetings to the Jewish New Year."
Flora and Willi were the proud parents of two daughters; Betty, born
October 24th, 1876 and Rose born May 11, 1878. Flora maintained a firm
commitment to her Jewish heritage. It was important to Flora that her
children receive a religious education, and to that end she organized a
Sunday school class, which she herself taught.
There is evidence that the small Jewish community in Santa Fe came
together to celebrate the High Holy days as described in The American
Israelite, February 13, 1881 issue: "It was Yom Kippur, 1860. How strange it
appeared to us all to meet together as Jehudim, on this grand and holy day,
that makes us all bow with awe, and reverence at the grand Sabbath of
Sabbaths. How we remained together all that day until night fasting, praying
and seeing who could fast the best. It was a strange crowd in that Catholic
country, where Indians fight, murders, broils and fandangos were everyday
occurrences; but that motley crowd consisted of men and women whose hearts
beat for Israel."
In 1888 Flora, Willi and their two daughters left Santa Fe and settled
in New York City. It was hoped that their children Rose and Betty would
benefit from a larger and more diverse Jewish community; from which they
would secure Jewish husbands. During the second chapter of Flora's life, she maintained her commitment to
social improvement. She donated to New York its first covered garbage truck
built to her specifications. Flora was criticized for her "unladylike"
concerns with garbage disposal and to this she explained that "the health of
the population and the cleanliness of the streets was within the province of
women."
While living in New York Flora served on a number of committees. She
authored two children's books and became interested in publishing the stories
she had written about her own life as a pioneer woman in New Mexico. In a
letter to the editor of the Albuquerque Journal, dated January 3, 1933 Flora
presents an almost apologetic tone for her prolific literary output:" I
presume you will be much surprised with this large collection of stories, but
the Spiegelberg's have still many friends Mexicans and Americans that will
enjoy these reminiscences if you find some of the stories too long decrease
them as you see fit."