Bosque de los Pinos was created in 1769 when floods caused the Río Grande to change course approximately two miles to the west, cutting off pieces of the Sedillo and Gutiérrez grants. The tract eventually came into the hands of Francisco Xavier Chávez, who built a hacienda on the…
In his reminiscences, recorded in 1777, Juan Candelaria described the founding of many towns after the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico in the 1690s. He thought that Sabinal was founded in 1741 and associated it with Belén (Armijo 1929:280-281). Sabinal is listed on official registers of towns for 1820s…
Lemitar was built on the west bank variant of the Camino Real in the nineteenth century. Although Lemitar does not appear on any Mexican period lists of settlements it apparently came into existence in 1831. The present church, completed by 1835, had its first burial in its camposanto shortly…
Between the 26th and 27th of May 1598, the Oñate expedition traveled nine leagues from the “Arroyo de los Muertos” or “Arroyo de las Parras” without their carts because it was impossible to proceed with them. On the 27th, they arrived at “Ciénega de Mesilla de Guinea,” named this…
his campsite, between the east bank of the Río Grande and the Organ Mountains, was used by Lafora on August 7, 1766. He located it some 20 leagues north of the place where he crossed the river. From this paraje, Lafora went to Robledillo (Alessio Robles 1939:90-91). Robert Julyan…
On May 22, 1726 Rivera followed the bank of the Río Grande eight leagues and stayed at a paraje next to the river called Ranchería, which used to be inhabited frequently by the Mansos Indians before they were converted to pueblo life (Alessio Robles 1946:49). A comparison of the…
After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the Spanish colonists retreat to El Paso along with members of the Tigua and Piro tribes. A century later, a garrison was founded in San Elizario. After Mexican independence, Juan Maria Ponce de Leon established a hacienda in what is now downtown El…
