Thomas Benton Catron (1840-1921) is usually remembered today as the one New Mexico lawyer and politician most deeply involved in the legal struggle over Spanish and Mexican land grants. However, the Missouri native, it is now often forgotten, played a prominent role in guiding the territory toward winning statehood.

Soon after his initial arrival in Santa Fe, he became an activist and spokesman for the cause. Later, his adversaries in the political arena would charge Catron's efforts on behalf of statehood as being wholly self-serving, in that he foresaw in it only opportunities to advance his personal fortunes.

In fact, many others in positions of influence were similarly motivated. But Catron went beyond that since he never missed a chance to point out that as a state, New Mexico would attract outside capital, fueling economic growth and general prosperity.

Not everyone believed that giving up territorial status was a good thing. Much of the Spanish-speaking population, for instance, had serious doubts.

Those citizens feared that statehood would bring higher taxes, particularly property taxes, that their voting rights would not be protected, and their language and traditions would be threatened.

During his years in the territory, Tom Catron had gained iron-fisted control of the Republican machinery, or what his foes termed the Santa Fe Ring. Using that base of support, he stepped up his campaign to push statehood.

In 1894, Catron managed to win election for territorial delegate to Congress. Delegates from the territories had no real power in that legislative body, since they could not vote and were unable to introduce bills. Their only function was to serve as advisers whenever matters arose that dealt with their own territory.

For the delegate's job, Republican Catron managed to defeat the five-term holder of the office, Democrat Antonio Joseph, who had neglected to boost vigorously enough the statehood agenda.

When Catron packed his bags and set out for Washington, he was determined to remedy that failing. He had no greater success than his predecessor, however, partly because the Democrats then held both the Congress and the presidency.

A larger reason that Catron's mission to gain statehood fizzled had to do with his heavy-handed lobbying. His brashness and bluster that typified the conduct of New Mexico politicians at home alienated senators and representatives in the nation's capital.

At the end of his two-year term as delegate, Catron returned to Santa Fe admitting failure as far as the statehood goal was concerned. Historian Ralph E. Twitchell later wrote that "the year 1896 marked a decline in the political strength of Thomas B. Catron."

The man was down, but not out. Achievement of statehood was an end that continued to consume his energies, following defeat in a run for a second term as New Mexico's congressional delegate.

Bitter partisan politics at home distracted Catron from his own personal business ventures. The New Mexican described him as "one of the largest land holders in the nation," and Catron admitted he was the biggest individual taxpayer in the territory.

Long the king-maker of local Republicans, he saw his many enemies within the party collecting around a new rising star, Miguel A. Otero. When Otero won a presidential appointment as territorial governor in 1897, regional newspapers declared "the end of Catron's political power in New Mexico." That obituary, however, was premature.

The aging master of stand-up battles over politics still wielded enough influence in March 1912, just three months after statehood was proclaimed, to be named one of the first two U.S. senators. The second senator selected by the new state Legislature was Albert B. Fall, a Southern New Mexico rancher and long an arch foe of Catron.

Historians have noted that Thomas Benton Catron's great wish, dating from his arrival in Santa Fe in 1866, was to become a U.S. senator upon New Mexico's elevation to statehood. Nearing the end of his life, he finally realized that goal.

Historian Marc Simmons is author of numerous books on New Mexico and the Southwest. His column appears Saturdays.