It was officially adopted as the state song by an act of the New Mexico legislature, approved on March 14, 1917, as signed by New Mexican governor Washington E.

[1] "O Fair New Mexico" was composed by Elizabeth Garrett, the daughter of former Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett, best known for killing the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid.

[1] In 1924, Elizabeth Garrett made a recording of the song at Marsh Laboratories in Chicago, released on Marsh's Autograph Records label.

[4][5] In 1928, military conductor John Philip Sousa presented New Mexico governor Governor Arthur T. Hannett with a version of the song arranged as a march.

[6] Contemporary versions of the state song have been arranged with more of a New Mexico music style.