The original inhabitants of Moreno Valley were Native Americans, the Cahuilla and Shoshone. Rock drawings and granite metate bowls used to grind acorns can still be found in this area. This was the setting found by the early Spanish explorers. The first small town to appear in the valley was Alessandro, built in 1888 along old Highway 395, a mile or so south of Alessandro Boulevard and extending a short distance east to what later became Alessandro Flying Field. As agriculture in the area increased water demands, severe drought caused a decrease in the water supply, and a few years later, the entire valley was nearly deserted except for a few dry farms producing wheat, oats, and barley. Two facilities, March Air Force Base and Camp Haan, spurred growth during World War II, and water was imported to the area, resulting in the approximately 175,000-person metropolis of Moreno Valley witnessed today.

Before it became part of the vast Beaubien-Miranda Land Grant (later the Maxwell Land Grant) of more than 1.7 million acres in the New Mexico territory, the Moreno Valley was the summer hunting grounds of Apache and Ute native tribes. Later this was the scene of a gold rush, the center of the Colfax County War, a passageway to the Santa Fe Trail, and on the regular route of American frontiersman Kit Carson. Visionaries, explorers, ranchers, scallywags, and murderers called the location home. At one time the population of this obscure place was larger than that of Santa Fe, and the now-ghost town of Elizabethtown was proposed to become the state capitol. Little had been written about the history of northern New Mexico’s Moreno Valley until the 1990s, when a group of business people called upon local writers to research and document the fascinating history of the area and the towns that still exist here today. Speaking with members of the pioneer families who came West with nothing much more than grit and determination, the resulting oral history grew to encompass the work of historians and, with the blessing of the History Department at University of New Mexico, the resulting book brought to life the legends of the Moreno Valley’s tumultuous past. Now in its 3rd Revised and Expanded edition Lure, Lore, and Legends is a must-read for anyone who has ever visited or dreams of visiting northern New Mexico. Praise for Lure, Lore, and Legends of the Moreno Valley: “It was an honor to play even a minor role in introducing these hardy souls to the arduous but fulfilling work of incorporating oral testimony into historical research. They applied their writer’s sensibility and its attendant demand for perfection to a task few have attempted before. Their product speaks for itself … a gift given back to a region which has brought them so much joy and pleasure … an acknowledgement of a debt owed those who came before and who might have been relegated to oblivion by the oversight of professional historians had they not taken pen and microphone in hand?” –Carlos Vasquez, The University of New Mexico [from the Foreword] Reviews from the 1st edition: “Fun read, especially if you are new to the area.” – Bob Hurt, 5 stars, online review “This book was of especial interest since we now have a cabin in this region. A must for locals.” – Suzanne M. Schneider, 5 stars “Full of stories about the history of Northern New Mexico, well written by a selection of published and new authors.” – rsafford, 5 stars “The Moreno Writer's Guild have put together a wonderful book about the history of Moreno Valley (For Vietnam Veterans that includes Angel Fire Vietnam Memorial.) Great book to read while visiting that part of New Mexico. I visit Angel Fire often and found the book to be entertaining and enlightening about why the area is like it is today - like the unfinished tunnel on the north side of Eagle Nest lake, and of course, the building of the Vietnam Memorial. This area is so rich with treasured old stories and tales that the authors share with us. I would recommend a copy of this book to any visitors to the area or for those who just like reading local history books. it is most enjoyable to read.” – Rev. Bill McDonald Jr., 4 stars, online