History of New Mexico United States of America

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Local History Notes:

The Santa Fe Trail, that great highway of trade and travel, which extended from the Missouri River to the capital of New Mexico, crossed the southeastern corner of what is now Baca County, in the State of Colorado. This trail was the principal highway through the Great West. Adventures of infinite variety and numerically greater than could be recorded in a work of this scope were experienced by the hundreds who journeyed along this trail.

When trade first began with New Mexico the traders usually followed a route straight west from the Missouri River to the mountains, then turned south to Santa Fe by the trail from Taos. It was not long, however, until the amount of travel increased to such an extent that an easier and quicker route had to be devised. The road then followed along the left bank of the Arkansas River until the stream turned to the northwest, and then crossed the river and went southwest to Raton Pass.

Baptiste La Lande and James Purcell (Pursley), in the years 1804 and 1805 respectively, were the first to open a regular trade with the New Mexicans, while representing American interests. Purcell liked the New Mexican country so well that he became a permanent resident of Santa Fe. In November, 1809, three other American traders -- McClanahan, Patterson and Smith -- left St. Louis for Santa Fe, for the purpose of trading, but were never heard of afterward. Whether they were killed by Indians or met other mishap is not known. Another and larger party of Americans, including Samuel Chambers, James Baird and Robert McKnight, went to Santa Fe to trade in 1812, but they were received as enemies and imprisoned at Chihuahua, where they remained for nine years, or until Mexico revolted successfully from Spanish rule.

After the downfall of the Spanish administration in New Mexico the Santa Fe Trail as a route from the Missouri to Santa Fe became an established highway. The revolution occurred in 1821 and late in the same year William Becknell, of Missouri, with a large party, went to the capital. He has been termed "the founder of the Santa Fe trade and the father of the Santa Fe Trail." His journey was undoubtedly the first of any importance after the Spanish were downed by the Mexicans, and for this reason was probably the first to obtain unmolested entrance to the markets of the southern province. His route led him straight west to the mountains, all the time following the Arkansas River, and then turned southward. In 1822 several caravans followed the trail to Santa Fe and in this year the trade may be said to have opened in earnest.

The original eastern terminus of the Santa Fe Trail was the small hamlet of Franklin, located on the Missouri River, about one hundred and fifty miles west of St. Louis. After ten years or so the terminus was changed to the town of Independence, Missouri, near the present Kansas City, then in the '50s to Westport and to Kansas City. From Independence the Trail ran southwest to the extreme northern point of the great bend in the Arkansas, then along the north bank to the 100th meridian. At this point a crossing of the Arkansas was made at a place known as the Cimarron Crossing, and the course continued southwest to the Cimarron River, thence along the north bank of this river, crossing the south- eastern comer of the present Baca County, Colorado, over the Cimarron Pass through Oklahoma, northeastern New Mexico to Santa Fe. The total distance covered by the Trail is estimated to have been 840 miles.

After the Mexican War traffic upon the Trail vastly increased. Mails were carried over its route, troops were marched and transported along its broad stretches and caravan after caravan of "prairie schooners," pack-animals, riders and pedestrians followed its course to the mountains and the Far West. The Bent brothers opened a branch road from their first trading-post, following the north bank of the upper Arkansas to the Santa Fe Crossing. This is now a public road from the mountains to the eastward. A trail lead from fhe upper Arkansas to Fort Laramie, via Fort St. Vrain. Another trail afterwards led from the second Bent trading-post, which was Fort Bent, into New Mexico by way of the Raton Pass, joining the Santa Fe Trail after entering the Territory of New Mexico. There were numerous other and smaller trails established during this period, many of them to suit the convenience of the trappers alone.

The Santa Fe Trail continued as a highway of commerce until after the Civil War and the coming of the first railroads. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway was built up the Arkansas Valley in the early '70s and as its steel rails were advanced the old Trail was just so much shortened. Freighters used the Trail only so far as to reach the beginning of the railroad. On February 9, 1880, the first train over this railroad by way of the Raton Pass entered Santa Fe and the famous Santa Fe Trail became a thing of the past.

From: History of Colorado edited by Wilbur Fiske Stone, 1918

NEW MEXICO, a Territory of the United States, and a portion of the tract acquired from Mexico by the treaty of peace concluded in 1848, is bounded on the N. by Utah and the Indian Territory, E. by the Indian Territory and Texas, S. by Texas and Mexico, and W. by California. It lies between 32° and 38° N. lat., and 103° and 117° W. lon., being about 700 miles in extreme length from E. to W., and 430 in breadth from N. to S.; but with an average length of near 600 miles, and a mean breadth of 350 miles, including an area of some 219,744 square miles, or 140,636,160 acres, of which only 161,201 were improved in 1850.

Population: The population of New Mexico is of a very mixed character, but composed for the most part of domesticated and nomad Indians, with an intermixture of Mexicans and Americans. According to the census of 1850, there were 61,547 inhabitants, exclusive of Indians, of whom 31,728 were white males, and 29,802 females; 14 free colored males, and 3 females; 28 were deaf and dumb; 98 blind; 11 insane, and 38 idiots. In the twelve months preceding June 1st, 1850, there occurred 1157 deaths, or nearly 19 in every one thousand persons.

Counties: There are eight counties in New Mexico, viz. Bernalillo, Rio Ariba, Santa Anna, Santa Fé, San Miguel, Taos, and Valencia, Socorro. Capital, Santa Fe.

Towns: The principal settlements (we use this term, because the limits of the towns are not defined with much accuracy) are Santa Fe, population, 4846; La Cuesta, 2278; St. Miguel, 1926; Las Vegas, 1559; Zuñi, or Tuñi, (an Indian pueblo or village,) 1312, and Tuckelata, 1311.

Face of the Country, Mountains, Minerals, &c: This extensive territory is for the most part a high table-land, crossed by several ranges of mountains, and generally destined to hopeless sterility. The valleys of the Rio Grande and its tributaries occupy the eastern part of New Mexico, and lie between and among the different ranges of the Rocky mountains, which cross the territory in a direction nearly N. and S. The western limit of the Rio Grande valley is the Sierra Nevada, and the eastern the Jumanes and Sierra Blanco mountains. The larger portion of this territory lies W. of the Sierra Madre mountains, and partakes of the general character of the Fremont Basin, (see UTAH.) The mountain ranges, commencing at the E., are first, the Gaudalupe mountains, which diverge from the main chain of the Rocky mountains, and pass S. E. into Texas, forming the eastern boundary of the valley of the Pecos; then the Sierra Hueca or Blanco, and some other detached ranges E. of the Rio, Grande, with several ridges of the Sierra Madre W. of it. A broken ridge of mountains coasts the Gila river for a considerable distance, rising, according to computations of Major Emory, to 4347 feet and 5724 feet, in two places, estimated by him. Mount Taylor (in the Sierra Madre, a little S. W. of Santa Fe) is estimated at 10,000 feet. The valley of the Rio Grande itself is a high table land of 6000 feet elevation in the N. part, 4800 at Albuquerque, and 300 at El Paso, just beyond the limits of New Mexico.

Minerals: It is highly probable that New Mexico abounds in the precious metals, but owing to the jealousy of the aborigines, and the unskilfulness with which, even when worked at all, they have been managed they have not, so far as is known, hitherto produced abundantly; yet gold and silver are both known to exist, and mines of both metals have been worked. Iron occurs in abundance, and gypsum in large quantities has been found near Algadones; copper is plentiful, some coal is found, and salt lakes, about 100 miles S. S. E. from Santa Fe, have been resorted to for that necessary culinary article. Recent reports state that rich silver mines have been discovered about 60 miles N. E. of Doña Ana. Lead is also found at the same place in abundance.

Rivers: The Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo del Norte, as it was formerly called, which crosses the entire territory from N. to S., is the largest river of New Mexico, and drains the great valley which lies between the Sierra Madre mountains on the W., and the Jumanes and the Sierra Hueca mountains on the E. The Pecos river drains the eastern slope of the same mountains, and passes off into Texas, The Puerco, a river of more than 100 miles in length, is the principal tributary of the Rio Grande from the W.; but in the hot season it is often completely evaporated in the lower part of its course, rendering no tribute whatever to the parent stream. The Canadian river has its sources in the N. E. of New Mexico, from which it runs in a S. E. direction, to join the Arkansas. A large portion of the S. boundary is formed by the Gila river, which rises on the western slope of the Sierra Madre, and runs almost directly W. to its mouth in the Colorado. The Salt, its principal tributary, drains the central regions of the territory. The Colorado enters. New Mexico from Utah, and running S. W. for about 150 miles, receives the Virgen, turns to the S., and forms the W. boundary from 35° N. lat. to the mouth of the Gila. These rivers are of very little importance to navigation, seldom being deep enough for any craft beyond a canoe or flat-boat. Indeed, for a great part of the year the tributary rivers have either dry channels or are a succession of pools. Major Emory found the Rio Grande itself but 25 yards wide, and hub-deep at Albuquerque, 300 miles from its source. He also states that it seldom rises more than two feet. Lieutenant Simpson found it 200 yards wide and four feet deep 150 miles farther S., in September, 1849. He afterwards mentions crossing in a ferry at Albuquerque.

Objects of Interest to Tourists: Crossed as New Mexico is by lofty chains of mountains, it cannot fail to possess many objects of striking interest in its scenery; but they have been hitherto imperfectly explored, West of the Rio Grande, and among and beyond the Sierra Madre mountains, are vast curious, (kanyons,) i.e. deep channels in the earth, mostly forming the beds of streams, often two or three hundred feet in depth, and almost shut out from the light of day. In the same region are found steep bluffs of red and white sandstone rock, worn by the action of the elements into very striking resemblances of fortresses, castles, &c. Lieutenant Simpson has given some sketches of the most remarkable, in his recent work on New Mexico. One curiosity of the country is the deserted pueblos, or Indian villages, which, from the quantity of broken pottery around them, give evidence of having been the abode of a much more dense population than subsists there at present, probably supported by a system of irrigation. These pueblos are particularly numerous near the banks of the Gila. They generally consist of one building, forming three sides of a square, often several hundred feet in circuit, (sometimes as many as 800 feet,) two, three, and even four stories on the outer side, with a blank wall, while the inside receded (ascending) by steps or terraces, so that the fourth story has but one breadth of chambers, the second two, the third three, and the basement four. The wall of the latter was also blank on the inside, the entrance being by ladders, which were probably drawn up at night to prevent an attack. The present Indian pueblos are constructed on the same plan, but are not so extensive or well built.

Climate: The habitable part of the valley of the Rio Grande lies in the latitude of the northern and central portions of the Southern States; but its climate is very much modified by its great elevation, giving it a temperate but constant climate. The mercury sometimes rises to 100° but the evenings are always cool. Some of the higher peaks of the mountains are covered with perpetual snow. Considerable rain falls between July and October, but New Mexico has essentially a dry atmosphere, being most of the year parched where there is no irrigation.

Soil and Productions: We have already characterized the soil as generally hopelessly sterile, but this generalization is not without considerable exceptions, as many parts of the valley of the Rio Grande, and of other streams, are highly productive, and yield fine crops of Indian corn, wheat, and other grains, besides apples, peaches, melons, apricots, and grapes. But everywhere irrigation is necessary to successful agricultural operations. During the dry season, however, in some districts, even this resource fails, from the total evaporation of the streams. On the table-lands, which are utterly useless for agriculture, there grows a peculiar grass, which in the dry season cures and preserves its nutritious qualities. On this, cattle, sheep, horses, and mules feed all the winter, and preserve themselves in good condition. The mutton of New Mexico is excellent. The Indians on the Gila cultivate cotton, wheat, Indian corn, beans, melons, and other vegetables, by means of irrigation, and a small quantity of buckwheat, wine, butter, potatoes, and molasses. According to the census of 1850, there were in New Mexico 166,201 acres of improved land, producing 196,515 bushels of wheat; 365,411 of Indian corn; 15,688 of peas and beans; 8467 pounds of tobacco; 32,901 of wool, and 5848 of cheese; live stock valued at $1,494,629; market garden products, $6679; orchard, $8231; and slaughtered animals, $82,125.

Forest Trees: Only a small portion of the surface is covered with forests, and the country is almost entirely destitute of the hard woods. Some of the streams are fringed with cottonwood, and pine of an inferior quality occurs on the mountains. Sycamore, ash, cedar, walnut, evergreen, oak, and willow, are found in small quantities.

Animals: Deer, mountain-sheep, wild hogs, turkeys, geese, brant, swans, ducks, scorpions, and lizards are met with in this territory, though animal does not appear to be more prolific than vegetable life in this region.

Manufactures: Twenty manufacturing establishments, each producing $500 and upwards annually, were reported by the census of 1850; domestic manufactures were produced to the value of $6033.

Internal Improvements: None; all that relates to facilitating travelling being in the most primitive state.

Education: On this head there is little to be said at present, but to speak of its absence, and to urge its introduction.

Religious Denominations: In 1850 there were 146 churches, all belonging to the Roman Catholics.

Government: New Mexico, in common with all other territories of the United States, has a governor appointed by the president and senate of the general government, who is also superintendent of Indian affairs, and receives a salary of $2500 per annum. It has a senate, a council of 13 members elected for two years, and a house of representatives of 26 members, elected annually. The judiciary, appointed by the president of the United States, with the advice of the senate, is composed of a chief and two associate judges, receiving $2000 each per annum. Assessed value of property in 1850, $5,063,474. Banks, none.

History: Lying in the interior, and possessing no very great inducements to tempt emigration thither, New Mexico has not been the theatre of many striking events in history. As elsewhere stated, traces exist in the deserted and ruined pueblos of a much more dense Indian or Aztec population in former times than at present. It formed a Mexican province or department, until the conquest of Mexico by the Americans, when, by the treaty of 1848, it became a part of the United States, and in September, 1850, was formed, with a portion of Upper California and Texas, into the present Territory of New Mexico.

History of New Mexico

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