06/04/2026
A little history from Back Again Mercantile.
A historical tidbit from Back Again Mercantile
At Back Again Mercantile, we love bringing treasures from the past into the present — and every now and then, we like to bring a little history to light as well.
One of the most fascinating early accounts of life in the Southwest comes from Susan Shelby Magoffin, who traveled with her husband and brother‑in‑law on a trading expedition from the United States through the frontier of New Spain -New Mexico, and on to Mexico in the 1840s. Her journal offers a rare window into what life was really like along the Santa Fe Trail.
Magoffin writes that when their party arrived in Santa Fe, they were greeted by women who appeared almost ghostlike. This wasn’t fashion — it was practicality. At the time, many women from northern New Spain (and later New Mexico) applied a gypsum‑based powder to their faces. The pale, chalky look protected their skin from the intense sun, wind, and dry climate of the Southwest.
Magoffin’s journal remains one of the earliest firsthand Anglo accounts of the region, capturing the cultural blending, adaptations, and everyday realities of a frontier world in transition.
History has a way of surprising us — and we love sharing these stories just as much as the treasures we bring back again.
Be sure to visit the Back Again Mercantile Etsy store -
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Backagainmercantile
Also, The Back Again Mercantile Booth Store 3131 as part of LoneStar Antiques, 5605 Denton Hwy, Haltom City, (Fort Worth), mini booth Cooper Street Antique Mall, 4905 Cooper St, Arlington Tx.