In Santa Fe in 1926 if your wife was having labor pains, if you needed some moonshine, or if your neighbors were disturbing the peace, there was only one person in Santa Fe that you would want to come to your house. That person was Albina Lucero who was Santa Fe’s first female deputy sheriff. Albina was able to quell the rowdy neighbors. And since was also a partera, she could assist in delivering your child. And did I mention that Albina was also the local bootlegger? Yes, she good deliver the latest batch of moonshine to your casita.
Atalaya Prairie
Albina Lucero was born into a family of modest means on April 29, 1879, in Los Llanitos (little prairies), in the Atalaya area of Santa Fe County. She was born just before dawn as the planet Venus began to fade and the sky was turning from a violet backdrop to one that had hints of peach hues on the horizon. Albina was a legend in her own time: the mother of four children, a rancher and a gold miner, too.
Among Albina’s strongest traits was her belief in law and order. Her desire to seek justice came to fruition in 1926 when Santa Fe County Sheriff Isaias Alarid swore her in as deputy sheriff. Her duties included taking charge of a woman murderer, as well as other women prisoners. Albina was always on hand to supervise local dances to ensure that no one got out of hand. She also did her part in arresting cattle rustlers and other thieves.
There’s Gold in those Mountains
Albina’s success as a gold miner brought concern for her safety. To avoid getting robbed she sewed the nuggets into the hem of her skirt. She knew that no one would ever take her skirt. In one particularly busy month Albina assisted seventy women in childbirth. For that feat of resilience she received a certificate from the Department of Public Health for her contributions in aiding the local community.