On The Origins Of Cactus County:
The evolution of a chaotic Wild West town into an oasis of reason in the desert of New Mexico
The evolution of a chaotic Wild West town into an oasis of reason in the desert of New Mexico
The old Wild West abounds with tales of cowboys, cattle and horses; of shoot outs, outlaws and the great outdoors; of one horse towns, six shooters and hundreds of miles of prairie and desert. One place that typified the old Wild West was the town of Cactus, where those prickly plants were plentiful and careless folk got hurt. But in just a few decades this hazardous habitat, overlooked on many maps, changed into an oasis of learning and culture, a civilised and civilising welcoming sanctuary for those who eschewed superstition and ignorance for understanding and knowledge.
~ ONE HORSE TOWN ~
Situated in the State of New Mexico, Cactus County is the smallest county in the State smaller even than Los Alamos, and comprising just three towns, Cactus City, Evolution and Ataraxia. To begin with though, there was just Cactus, a small, chaotic town in the desert of the New Mexico Territories. A witness to violent times and dangerous incidents, it was a place where the laws that govern us today were formed from base nature and harsh experience. The chaos of cowboys and cattle was joined by the scramble for silver and gold in the mines a short ride from Cactus.
Situated in the State of New Mexico, Cactus County is the smallest county in the State smaller even than Los Alamos, and comprising just three towns, Cactus City, Evolution and Ataraxia. To begin with though, there was just Cactus, a small, chaotic town in the desert of the New Mexico Territories. A witness to violent times and dangerous incidents, it was a place where the laws that govern us today were formed from base nature and harsh experience. The chaos of cowboys and cattle was joined by the scramble for silver and gold in the mines a short ride from Cactus.
~ A NEW HOPE ~
But with the approach of a new century the inhabitants of the town were joined by another group of people searching for a new home. Calling themselves scientists, philosophers, atheists, rationalists and free thinkers, they came from all over America and other parts of the world, looking for a place to reside where they could live and work away from religious bigotry; where study, experiment and thought could replace superstition and ignorance. Cactus seemed an ideal location for them; out of the way, sparsely populated and with an ideal climate. The existing residents were more than happy to have their little town bolstered by these new settlers, people whose idea of a good time wasn’t to shoot the place up and steal everything in sight. Shortly after their arrival, the newcomers arranged a town meeting with the existing populace to explain who they were, what they believed in and what they hoped to achieve by moving there. Though unsure of many of their new ideas and their total disdain for religion, the locals were anxious for their little community to thrive, so they put aside any misgivings they may have had and warmly welcomed the newcomers.
But with the approach of a new century the inhabitants of the town were joined by another group of people searching for a new home. Calling themselves scientists, philosophers, atheists, rationalists and free thinkers, they came from all over America and other parts of the world, looking for a place to reside where they could live and work away from religious bigotry; where study, experiment and thought could replace superstition and ignorance. Cactus seemed an ideal location for them; out of the way, sparsely populated and with an ideal climate. The existing residents were more than happy to have their little town bolstered by these new settlers, people whose idea of a good time wasn’t to shoot the place up and steal everything in sight. Shortly after their arrival, the newcomers arranged a town meeting with the existing populace to explain who they were, what they believed in and what they hoped to achieve by moving there. Though unsure of many of their new ideas and their total disdain for religion, the locals were anxious for their little community to thrive, so they put aside any misgivings they may have had and warmly welcomed the newcomers.
~ EVOLUTION ~
By the turn of the century, Cactus was a different place. No longer the haunt of gunmen and outlaws, it became a flourishing community. And as the reputation of the town spread, so more people were drawn there; artists as well as scientists and philosophers made it their home, making it a well rounded and generally more fulfilling place for everyone.
The mines just a little ways outside of Cactus, though they had promised much in the
way of riches, had delivered very little in the way of silver and gold. However, the new residents, some of whom were geologists, discovered the mines to be rich in many other ores and minerals, precious and semi-precious stones, and, to the delight of many of the scientists, fossils. A small township grew around the mines, and because of the fossils it came to be known as Evolution. Today in the county, the fact of evolution and its discoverer is celebrated by more statues of Charles Darwin than any other place on earth.
~ COUNTY STATUS ~
With so many great minds living in the area, the townsfolk decided to build a university. An ideal location was found away from the mines of Evolution and just far enough away from the bustle of Cactus, where a university and campus could blossom. This place they called Ataraxia after the Epicurean state of tranquillity brought on by a knowledge of the way the world and nature works and the disregarding of superstition. In time the university came to boast a world renowned telescope and small but very effective particle accelerator. Before long everyone came to regard the three towns as a county and so Cactus County was born as a new century dawned, with the original town of Cactus, now Cactus City, becoming the administrative centre for the county.
~ PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED ~
Not everyone, however, saw the benefits of this Epicurean utopia. There were some outside the locality who believed it their duty to bring religion to the “godless heathens” of Cactus County and filled with missionary zeal they built places of worship and began to preach. However, the tables were often turned as many of those missionaries were exposed to ideas they hadn’t encountered before and while they shouted from the pulpits about their many and varied supernatural beliefs, the inhabitants of Cactus County spoke quietly to them of rationalism, of reason, and of science, and for the first time these missionaries found themselves actually thinking about what they believed in. Many became atheists and those that didn’t found they made no headway at all and soon packed up and left, leaving a number of empty churches, mosques, temples and synagogues, all of which in time found a more useful and egalitarian function as libraries museums, art galleries and even music venues.
Not everyone, however, saw the benefits of this Epicurean utopia. There were some outside the locality who believed it their duty to bring religion to the “godless heathens” of Cactus County and filled with missionary zeal they built places of worship and began to preach. However, the tables were often turned as many of those missionaries were exposed to ideas they hadn’t encountered before and while they shouted from the pulpits about their many and varied supernatural beliefs, the inhabitants of Cactus County spoke quietly to them of rationalism, of reason, and of science, and for the first time these missionaries found themselves actually thinking about what they believed in. Many became atheists and those that didn’t found they made no headway at all and soon packed up and left, leaving a number of empty churches, mosques, temples and synagogues, all of which in time found a more useful and egalitarian function as libraries museums, art galleries and even music venues.
~ DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ~
The citizens of Cactus County have a diverse ethnic and cultural background, though today many now share similar reasoned philosophies. They enjoy coming together to celebrate many traditional festivals and anniversaries but of course in their own unique way. El Dia de los Muertos is a favourite festival in the county and is marked as a time to celebrate life with food and drink, music and dancing, but also it is a time to remember fondly those loved ones who have died. And this they do in a secular fashion without reference to an afterlife they do not believe in, as the dead survive only in the memory of the living. The county also boasts many fine artists, and with everyone encouraged to be creative, the area has a strong tradition of folk art, much of which is centred round a secular celebration of the Day of the Dead.
~ TODAY IN CACTUS COUNTY ~
Today, though still relatively small compared to many towns and cities in the USA, Cactus City continues to thrive with all the county folk meeting there to purchase their supplies, eat out and generally to chat and have fun. Much important work is undertaken at the university in Ataraxia with its large telescope and small but effective particle accelerator. And in Evolution the mines continue to provide the county with both wealth and fascinating finds while the county’s largest employer, Carson’s Robot Factory, builds the future.
The majority of people in Cactus County continue to live lives of rational and reasoned atheists, keen on science, education and the arts, who, despite what anyone else thinks of them, see themselves as very patriotic Americans and citizens of a progressive world.
~ SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN? WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? ~
Cactus County's Wild West past is an allegory to the chaos of the early universe and also to the chaotic state of man's understanding of the universe and how it works. The settling of Cactus County by scientists, atheists, artists etc alludes to mankind coming out of chaos and ignorance, to a greater state of understanding and rationalism, discarding the supernatural (including religion) and realising its true potential. Most of my paintings and art are about just that. I'm kind of repeating myself with the meaning and also the images in my work but that's my message and I can't think of anything more important than that, so I keep doing it.