Return to Glory
by
HOW THE FAMOUS MCCORMICK BUILDING WAS RESTORED BACK TO ITS
FORMER GLORY
Jean Di Lisio
2006-2016, a decade of
revival was initiated by Lonnie and
Vibeke Adkisson when they purchased
and restored the McCormick Building
on Commercial and Main, remodeling
it to it’s original splendor of the 1880’s.
The rich exterior green trim and warm
red walls wrap around the bustling
corner with an elegance of a big city
Macy’s. Now home to Purgatoire
River Trading Company, The Lunch
Box, Bar K Corral Boutique, Crazy
Raven Coffee and Mountain Trail
Home Sales, Vibeke’s entrepreneurial
vision spurred further investments for
Trinidad’s historic downtown.
“Basket Spirits,” the red cedar
carving by Tachineh (Richard Sedillo)
enraptures Mrs. Adkisson’s devotion
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to the value and emotional attachment
for old pawn Indian jewelry that has
been owned, appreciated, worn and
used by Native Americans. The ‘old
pawn jewelry’ is an intimate relic
of a people and a culture, which is
slowly disappearing into history. Here
at PRTC she represents over 500
individual Native American artisans
in the ancient art forms of silversmith
jewelry making, pottery, basket
weaving, fetish making and leather
craft.
The items of ‘Old Pawn’ may
have a long, probably sad, story to
tell. In times past, the Navajo people
wore, and treasured their turquoise
jewelry, not only a thing of adornment,
a protector of good health, but also
as portable wealth. Not having
ready access to banks, or cash money,
this turquoise jewelry would often serve
as the family “reserve” or “emergency”
fund. In times of need, this turquoise
jewelry could be easily used as security
with an authorized trader (pawned) for
cash to meet the current crisis. Then,
when the crops came in, or the sheep
were shorn, the turquoise jewelry could
be redeemed and take its place back in
the family. On occasion, this turquoise
jewelry would not be redeemed as
planned. The lender would keep it for
the agreed amount of time, and if the
agreed date, the trader did not pay off
the loan, he would be authorized to sell
the turquoise jewelry. Often, when the
elders of the family die, the items are
pawned, and the money is divided up
within the family.
Serving the Pima Indian
Tribe in the early 1960s as an educator,
Mrs. Adkisson visits artisan families
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