Louise Massey Mabie (1902-1983)

Her biggest record crossed a line the industry kept. "My Adobe Hacienda," which she wrote with Lee Penny and recorded in January 1941, ran on the hillbilly and the pop charts at once, one of the first crossover hits. The Westerners were her family: her brothers Curt and Allen and her husband, Milt Mabie, with whom she bought a ranch in the Hondo Valley and later retired there. Curt went on to write the theme music for The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. Her Roswell home on West Alameda Street is on the National Register.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Louise Massey Mabie (1902-1983) The Original Rhinestone Cowgirl One of the female radio stars in the 1930s, Louise's career spanned from 1918 to 1950. Her recordings in English and Spanish sold millions of copies. Heading the Roswell-based group, Louise Massey and the Westerners, she became known for spectacular costumes and a ladylike demeanor, garnering the title "the Original Rhinestone Cowgirl." She was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1982. Official Scenic Historic Marker New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative The New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative was founded in 2005 by members of the New Mexico Women's Forum in a statewide effort to recognize women's contributions to New Mexico history on the state's Official Scenic Historic Markers. The Initiative ensures that women's diverse histories will be remembered and told, and will inspire and provide a guide for future generations. The 2006 Legislature funded the project.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Bottomless Lakes State Park — 5.9 mi
  Nine sinkhole lakes under red bluffs east of Roswell, named by vaqueros whose ropes never touched bottom, and set aside in 1933 as New Mexico's first state park.
• International UFO Museum and Research Center — 10 mi
  A 1930s movie theater on Roswell's Main Street turned into a museum by two men who had been part of the 1947 story, one of them the officer who announced the flying disc.

More markers nearby

• Bottomless Lakes State Park — steps away
• Goodnight-Loving Trail — 2.1 mi
• Roswell — 7.7 mi
• Roswell — 9.9 mi