Above, top of Solomon Biboís letterhead. Below, Bibo Mercantile Co.

athan Bibo and his brother Simon came to the United States in 1866. They wasted no time in making arrangements to travel to Santa Fe. Meeting other Jewish pioneer ìmishpachaî facilitated the process of getting established. The Spiegelbergs, Staabs, and Ilfelds warmly welcomed the new arrivals to Santa Fe. They consulted together on strategies of success and worked closely together. Other Bibos who worked their way into the fabric of life in the Territory were Joseph Bibo, Emil Bibo, Benjamin Bibo, and daughters Lana, Clara, and Rica. Ruth Bibo, Irving Bibo, Isaac Bibo, Sonny and Arthur Bibo represented other descendants who gained prominence in the community of New Mexico. The Bibos were active in more remote areas of the Territory than many of their Jewish counterparts who gained notoriety in Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Bernalillo and Albuquerque.
      Perhaps the best example we can use to document frontier life is to focus on the Bibo family. During the 12th Annual Conference we will honor the memory of, perhaps, one of the most controversial and memorable pioneer Jews, Solomon Bibo. Solomon was well known in the area surrounding Acoma. He met his young bride, the granddaughter of the Governor of Acoma, when he operated as a post trader at the Acoma reservation. Clearly, he was highly motivated to gain a foothold in the profitable trading relationships with the economy of Indian reservations far from the marketplace in Santa Fe. Whatever the case, Solomon followed the lead of the older Bibo traders in becoming a force to reckon with in the social and economic drama which was unfolding in New Mexico.
      They came to the Southwest and grappled with conditions which at times were overwhelming and would have discouraged people with less fire in their belly.