Susan Parks

In 1916, Susan "Susie" Parks operated the telephone switchboard in Columbus. She and her husband, Garnet, owned and published the Columbus Courier newspaper and lived in back of the office on Broadway Street. In the early morning of March 9, while alone with her infant daughter, Gwen, she awoke to gunshots and shouts of "Viva Villa!" as Pancho Villa's army raided the village. Despite the gunfire, she used the switchboard to summon National Guard troops from Deming. Susie and Gwen were wounded by glass and bullet fragments, but both survived the attack.

Columbus, New Mexico · United States