The Streets of Carlsbad - Mermod Street

Land speculation in the 1890s is the main reason for the development of Eddy/Carlsbad. To develop land in the desert, it was necessary to provide water to agricultural land.  The early irrigation developers, Charles B. Eddy, Robert W. Tansill, Charles Greene, Joseph Stevens, and Francis Tracy were joined by Arthur Mermod. The early developers used land laws to obtain land for development. Both Mr. Mermod and his wife were granted a section of land under the Desert Land Act.

Arthur Mermod (pronounced with a silent “d”) was from a wealthy family in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was the owner and president of the Mermod-Jaccard Jewelry Company of St. Louis, at the time one of the largest jewelry companies in the country. Mr. Eddy knew Arthur Mermod from the Colorado Springs area, where Eli and Arthur Mermod, Jr. had “dabbled” in cattle ranching. His father had invested in a cattle ranch in the Colorado Springs area, in an effort to give his sons a sense of purpose. The Mermod ranch and the Eddy ranch were in close proximity. Mrs. Arthur Mermod was the best friend of the Charles Eddy’s sister, Mrs. Mary Fox (Fox Street). When the Tansill party made the trip from Toyah, Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Mermod were visiting the Eddy Ranch and acted as hostesses to the visiting potential investors.

Although the Mermod family did not establish a residence in Eddy, they spent a part of each winter in the town. The family divided their time between St. Louis, Colorado Springs, and Eddy. Mr. Mermod became involved in the first real estate sales office in Eddy. During the 1890s, he served as a U.S. land commissioner.  He recorded deeds of land transactions as early as August of 1890. There were handbills printed by The Argus that identified Mr. Mermod as a land commissioner, notary, and sales agent for the investment company. He was mentioned in advertisements and brochures sent across the country talking up the advantages of life in the Pecos Valley.

Land speculation in the 1890s is the main reason for the development of Eddy/Carlsbad. To develop land in the desert, it was necessary to provide water to agricultural land.  The early irrigation developers, Charles B. Eddy, Robert W. Tansill, Charles Greene, Joseph Stevens, and Francis Tracy were joined by Arthur Mermod. The early developers used land laws to obtain land for development. Both Mr. Mermod and his wife were granted a section of land under the Desert Land Act.

Arthur Mermod (pronounced with a silent “d”) was from a wealthy family in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was the owner and president of the Mermod-Jaccard Jewelry Company of St. Louis, at the time one of the largest jewelry companies in the country. Mr. Eddy knew Arthur Mermod from the Colorado Springs area, where Eli and Arthur Mermod, Jr. had “dabbled” in cattle ranching. His father had invested in a cattle ranch in the Colorado Springs area, in an effort to give his sons a sense of purpose. The Mermod ranch and the Eddy ranch were in close proximity. Mrs. Arthur Mermod was the best friend of the Charles Eddy’s sister, Mrs. Mary Fox (Fox Street). When the Tansill party made the trip from Toyah, Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Mermod were visiting the Eddy Ranch and acted as hostesses to the visiting potential investors.

Although the Mermod family did not establish a residence in Eddy, they spent a part of each winter in the town. The family divided their time between St. Louis, Colorado Springs, and Eddy. Mr. Mermod became involved in the first real estate sales office in Eddy. During the 1890s, he served as a U.S. land commissioner.  He recorded deeds of land transactions as early as August of 1890. There were handbills printed by The Argus that identified Mr. Mermod as a land commissioner, notary, and sales agent for the investment company. He was mentioned in advertisements and brochures sent across the country talking up the advantages of life in the Pecos Valley.

In Mr. Tracy’s Reminiscences, he reported (when the Panic of 1893 and the flood of the Pecos followed), “The strain of the reversal was so disheartening, that discord broke out among the promoters themselves , and after an unsuccessful attempt to wrest control from Mr. Hagerman, Mr. Eddy and his associates (including Mermod) withdrew from the valley and never returned.”