MYSTERY: What’s story behind this building?

Photograph from New Mexico stumps readers of GwinnettForum

CLUE:  This building has a story behind it, but what is it and where?  Send your guess to Elliott Brack at elliott@brack.net — and be sure to include your name and hometown.

Not a soul among GwinnettForum readers have ever been to Artesia, New Mexico, it appears, for no one recognized the last mystery photo, send in by Sandy and Rick Krause of Lilburn. It was a four person statue of the Derrick Floor and Oilfield Pioneer Monument in that town. The Derrick Floor is a bronze artistic representation of a four-man crew on a drilling rig. The drilling rig is a 100 percent life-size sculpture while the four men in the crew are 125 percent life size, emphasizing the men who built the oil patch. The Derrick Floor was dedicated on April 24, 2004 “to the men and women who take the risks and do the work to find, produce and refine New Mexico oil and gas.”

‘Artesia” is the town’s third name. The first name was “Miller,” which came from a railroad employee. For a brief time it was known as “Stegman” after the first postmistress, Sallie Chisum Robert Stegman. With the discovery of artesian wells in the area, the fledgling town was renamed “Artesia” in 1903 and officially incorporated in 1905.

Artesia became an agricultural oasis until the early 1920s when many of the area’s artesian wells began to dwindle. Fortunately, in 1924 another kind of well was discovered when the Illinois #3 oil well came in, opening up the Artesia oil fields locally and the Permian Basin regionally. It continues to flourish today.

Swearing in

The Georgia Gwinnett College Office of Public Safety recently expanded the campus’ police force with the addition of four new officers, bringing its total to 22 officers, including K-9 officers.  GGC President Stas Preczewski (right) and Chief of Police Terrance Schneider (second from right) led the formal ceremony. After Officers Ashley Still, Ryan Borders, Chris Wragg and K-9 Officer Buddy were sworn in, family members pinned GGC police badges on their uniforms. “Buddy, the bomb dog,” is a two year old black Labrador Retriever. Chief Schnider says: “Buddy is a huge asset to our force.” The dog has completed a rigorous training course with his handler, Officer Chandler Smith, (holding Buddy), a four year veteran of the force.