Translated from 'Nordmændene i Amerika' by Martin Ulvestad. 1907. New Mexico The only place in New Mexico where it can be said there is any number of Norwegians is Albuquerque, Bernalillo County but there are not many of them either. Olaf B. Aagaard, who now lives in La Center, Wash., writes, "It was in the year 1881 that a mining company in Boston sought to colonize its vast land holdings in New Mexico with Scandinavians and the company's Norwegian agent in Chicago gathered a group of 50 persons who set off. But the disappointments we encountered were great. First, the lawlessness was so great that we always had to be armed with great revolvers - hanging from cartridge belts around our waists. We were surrounded by Indians and half-wild Mexicans all the time and shots were exchanged quite often with death as a consequence. Finally we were afflicted by an epidemic that took several members of our families. After a stay of two years down there we were fortunate to get back to civilisation." But civilisation has also reached New Mexico now.