USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume I > Part 8
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In 1722 an inquiry made by a visitador general as to the reason why the southern portion of New Mexico, from Chihuahua north to the settle- ments, was not occupied by prosperous and tribute-paying Spaniards, was. answered by the explanation that as yet immigration was not sufficient to fill up this country, which was in constant danger from Indian raids and beyond the range of protection furnished by the garrisons at Santa Fé and neighboring presidios. A presidio at Socorro and another at Aguatuvi, it was contended, would afford the necessary protection and incentive to settlement. This region remained unexplored, except for the route up the Rio Grande, until 1747, when four parties of soldiers, settlers and Indians marched north by different routes as far as Acoma. No substantial results followed this expedition, however.
The Spanish population at the middle of the century, as estimated by one authority, was 3,779. though it was probably more than that number. The Spaniards at that time were concentrated chiefly in the three villas of Santa Fé, Santa Cruz de la Cañada, and Albuquerque. Santa Fé, the seat of the governor, after a century and a half of existence, had (using the statistics available for that time) a Spanish population of 965, and 570 Indians. Santa Cruz de la Cañada, which, it will be remembered, was founded by a colony of Spanish settlers in 1695, by the middle of the Vol. I. 3
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
eighteenth century contained the largest Spanish population of any New Mexico villa, the population, including those in the mission and ad- jacent ranchos, being 1,205 Spanish and 580 Indians. Albuquerque, founded at the beginning of the century, by 1750 had a population of 500 Spaniards and 200 Indians, including those in the mission and the suburb of Atrisco.
The mission and pueblo of San Augustine Isleta had been refounded in 1709 by the custodio, Juan de la Pena, who collected some scattered families of Tiguas at that point. Its Indian population at the middle of the century was 250. The Spaniards here numbered 100, while several settle- ments around were under the supervision of the padre at Isleta. One of these, consisting of fifty families, was named Concepcion, or Fuenclara, perhaps the same as the Tome (Valencia), founded in 1740 as a visita of Isleta.
Other missions with the adjacent ranchos attended by the padre were Taos, in which were 125 Spaniards and 541 Indians, and the rancho of Ojo Caliente of forty-six families, and four other ranchos of ten families. The Picuries mission liad 64 Spaniards and 322 Indians, including the ranch Embudo. San Juan contained the largest Spanish population outside of the three villas mentioned, the figures being 346 Spaniards and 404 In- dians, including the rancho Soledad of forty families, seven leagues distant. San Ildefonso and its visita, Santa Clara, and the ranchos Chama and Santa Rosa Abiquiu, had a population of 89 Spaniards and 631 Indians. Tesuque and Pujuaque, containing 507 Indians, were visitas of Santa Fé. Nambe had 100 Spaniards and 350 Indians. Pecos was one of the largest missions, having a fine church and convent, two padres, with an Indian population of 1,000. Galisteo, containing 350 Indians; Cochiti, with 25 Spaniards and 400 Indians; Santo Domingo, 300 Indians; Cochiti, with 25 Spaniards and 400 Indians; Jemes, 574 Indians; Santa Ana, on the Rio Bernalillo, 100 Spaniards and 600 Indians; Cia, fifty families; Laguna, 401 Indians ; Acoma, 750 Indians ; Zuñi, 2,000 Indians, and Sandia, founded in 1748, as previously mentioned, comprised the missions in upper New Mexico at the middle of the century. The El Paso district at this time com- prised between 200 and 300 families.
The following half century witnesses a decrease in the pueblo Indian population of about twenty-four hundred, according to the most reliable figures, while the Spanish population had multiplied by four. It has been mentioned that the pestilence of 1780 resulted in a consolidation of the missions, some of those mentioned above having been reduced to visitas. Population had not yet begun. to spread beyond the limits of the upper Rio Grande valley, hence the settlements remained about the same as named before. Such statistical and descriptive details as concern each settlement, with date at the close of the eighteenth century where not otherwise stated, are given as follows :
Albuquerque, as regards its population figures, comprised the settle- ments for many leagues up and down the valley, the people living on their ranchos, chiefly at Alameda, and frequenting the town only on Sundays and fast days. The militia force for protection numbered eighty in 1766. The population estimated as belonging to Albuquerque in 1760 was 1,814 Spaniards; in 1788 the total population was placed at 2,146; in 1793 the Spaniards numbered 1,650, and in 1798 the Spanish enumeration was 2,279.
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IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Governor Chacon's census in 1799 showed 4,020 Spaniards in Albuquerque jurisdiction and 603 Indians.
Santa Fé, the capital villa, increased in population during the last half of the century according to the following figures: In 1760, Spanish popu- lation, 1,285; in 1788, total population, 2,244; in 1793, Spanish, 2,419, and the enumeration tor the jurisdiction in 1799 was 4,194 Spaniards and 314 Indians. An estimate of the population in 1766 was 2,324. The small garrison of eighty soldiers indicates how small was the total force re- quired to keep the territory. in subjection. There were no fortifications at the capital till late in the century, $2,000 having been appropriated for the building of a presidio in 1788. This, too, was the religious center. The vice custodio resided here, and a secular priest was paid by tithes. A record of 1760 states that there were two churches and another almost completed.
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Santa Cruz de la Cañada was the largest of the Spanish villas during the eighteenth century. Its white population for the different dates was, in 1760, 1,515; in 1793, 1,650; 1799, 7,351 (including the entire juris- diction). Its Indian population in 1760 was 316, and in 1799, 1,079.
Data concerning the other settlements and missions for the last half of the century are given briefly : *
Abiquin, a pueblo of genisaros or rescued captives, with a large Span- ish population, in the jurisdiction of La Cañada : Spanish population in 1760, 617; in 1793, 1,147; in 1798, 1,573. Indians in 1760, 166; in 1793, 216; in 1798, 176. The figures for population of this and following set- tlements include those settled in the ranchos of the vicinity.
Acoma, a visita of Laguna, had only 10 Spanish residents in 1793, being almost entirely populated by the natives, whose numbers were, in 1760, 1,052; in 1793, 820; in 1798, 757.
Cebolleta, the name of the unsuccessful mission established for the Navajos, described above, was practically abandoned at the close of the century, a few Navajos and Apaches living in a rancheria in the vicinity.
Cia (or Zia), one of the pueblos mentioned by Castañeda in his nar- rative of Coronado's journey, was the seat of a considerable native popula- tion, the number being 568 for 1760, decreasing to 275 and 262 in 1793 and 1798 respectively.
Cochiti, the Queres pueblo, which was a separate mission until 1782, after which it was a visita, had a Spanish population of 140 in 1760, of 400 in 1793 and 425 in 1798. Its native population for corresponding years was 450, 720, 505.
Galisteo, a visita of Pecos, had 255 Indians in 1760, but is not men- tioned thereafter and was probably abandoned.
Isleta, including the settlements of Belen and Tome, had a steady growth during this period. Its white population in the years 1760, 1793, 1798 was, respectively, 620, 2,680, 1.771, the number of Indians being 304, 410, 603. The padre of Isleta had charge of Belen and Tome. At Belen, besides the thirty-eight Spanish families, in 1766 there lived a considerable number of genizaro families, as also at Tome.
Jemes pueblo, as also Santa Ana, were visitas of Cia after 1782. The population of the Jemes jurisdiction in 1799 was given as 398 Spaniards
* From the statistical matter in Bancroft's History, pp. 279-281.
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
and 1,166 natives. Santa Ana's Indian population in 1760 was 404; in 1793, 356, and in 1798, 634, while in the last year a Spanish population of 84 is recorded.
Laguna included in it jurisdiction after 1782 Acoma as a visita. The population of the jurisdiction in 1799 was given as 15 Spaniards and 1,559 Indians. The Spanish inhabitants of the Laguna pueblo were never many, 85 being the number in 1760, 6 in 1793, and 15 in 1798. Its natives num- bered, in 1760, 600; in 1793, 668, and in 1798, 802. In the Laguna region was also the Moquino pueblo, probably established at the close of the century with the Moqui survivors mentioned on an earlier page.
Nambe, which became a visita of Pujuaque after 1782, was credited with a white population of 118 in 1760, which fell to 20 by 1798. The Indian population was 204 in 1760, 155 in 1793, and 178 in 1798.
Pecos, described as one of the most flourishing missions earlier in the century, was now declining in population, the figures (including those at Galisteo) being, for 1760, 599 Indians; for 1793, 152; and for 1798, 189. In the last year a Spanish population of 150 is given.
The Picuries mission was surrounded by an increasing Spanish settle-
ment. In 1760 the white population was 208, which by 1798 numbered 566. The Indians numbered, in 1760, 328, and in 1798, 251.
Pujuaque had been made a mission after 1782, and six years later had two padres, who had charge, also, of Nambe and Tesnque. The Indian population of Pujuaque was small, being 99 in 1760, 53 in 1793, and 79 in 1798, a much larger number of natives living at Nambe and Tesuque. In 1793 the Spanish population of Pujuaque was given at 308, and in 1798 at 229.
San Felipe, a visita of Santo Domingo after 1782, was credited with 424 Spaniards in 1798, its native population being 458 in 1760, 532 in 1793. and 282 in 1798.
San Ildefonso, reduced from a mission to a visita after 1782, had 30 Spanish residents in 1760 and 225 in 1798. Of Indians there were 484 in 1760, 240 in 1793, and 251 in 1798.
San Juan de los Caballeros, including the site of Oñate's first official seat and the first capital of New Mexico, was a Tehuas mission with two padres in 1788, but the Spanish population of the vicinity far outnumbered the natives. The figures for the years 1760, 1793 and 1798 are, respectively, Indians, 316, 260, 202 ; Spaniards, 575, 2,173, 1,971.
San Rafael de los Gentiles was a settlement of 15 Spaniards, whose location is not known. Their petition for arms to defend themselves was granted in 1765.
Sandia as a jurisdiction had a white population in 1799 of 1,490, and 1,513 Indians. The rebuilding of the pueblo in 1748 has been previously mentioned. The population figures for the different years are: Indians, 291 in 1760, 304 in 1793, and 236 in 1798; Spaniards, 222 in 1760, 810 in 1793, and 384 in 1798.
Santa Clara, the Tehuas mission, shows the following population figures for 1760, 1793 and 1798: Spanish, 277, 635, 1,840; Indians, 257, 139, 193.
Santo Domingo mission had two padres in 1788. Its Indian population was 424 in 1760, 650 in 1793, and 1,488 in 1798. In this last year the Spanish population is fixed at 257.
37
IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Taos; the great trading rendezvous for the tribes of the plains, was a mission pueblo with a large Indian population and the Spaniards living on ranchos in the vincinity became an increasing number during the last half of the century. Taos was a jurisdiction and its population as such in 1799 was estimated at 1,351 whites and 782 Indians. The statistics of the Taos mission for other years are: Spanish, in 1760, 160; in 1793, 403, and in 1798, 789 ; Indians for the same years, 505, 518, 531.
Zuñi, the westernmost mission, was almost entirely inhabited by In- dians, who were served by two friars in 1788. The population, including the residents of five adjacent ranchos, in 1790, was 1,121. The enumeration for the jurisdiction in 1799 was 7 Spaniards and 2,716 Indians. In 1760 the Indians numbered 664, and in 1793, 1,935.
Of the settlement at El Paso, generally known as the El Paso district, little need be said in this connection. As the gateway to all expeditions entering New Mexico, it naturally was a place of importance throughout the history of the Spanish occupation. A presidio garrison was stationed there, and the officials were a captain and alcalde (mayor). Two friars and two priests had charge of the missions.
The settlements of San Lorenzo, Senecu, Isleta and Socorro, founded after the retreat of the Spanish forces and their few Indian allies in 1680, were located down the river at varying intervals east of El Paso.
SPANISH AND MEXICAN GOVERNORS AND CAPTAIN GENERALS OF NEW MEXICO, 1598-1846 .*
1598-1608, Juan de Onate.
1608 -. , Pedro de Peralta.
1621-28, Felipe Zotylo.
1629, Manuel de Silva.
1640 (?), Fern. de Arguello.
1841 -.... , Luis de Rosas.
1642, Valdes.
1643, Alonzo Pacheco de Heredia.
1645, Fern. de Arguello.
1647, Luis de Guzman.
1650, Hernando de Ugarte y la Concha.
1653-54, Juan de Samamiego.
1656, Enrique de Avila y Pacheco.
16. .- 1661, Bernardo Lopez de Mendizabal.
1661-64, Diego de Penalosa Briceno. Fern. de Villanueva. Juan de Medrano.
Juan de Miranda.
1675, Juan Francisco de Trevino.
1679-83, Antonio Otermin.
1683-6, Domingo Jironza Petriz Cruzat.
1686-9. Pedro Reneros de Posada.
1689-91, Domingo Jironza Petriz Cruzat.
1691-97, Diego de Vargas Zapata Lujan Ponce de Leon.
1697-1703. Pedro Rodriguez Cubero.
1703-4, Diego de Vargas.
1704-5, Juan Paez Hurtado, acting.
1705-7, Francisco Cuervo y Valdes (ad interim).
1707-12, Jose Chacon Medina Salazar y Villasenor.
1712-15, Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon.
1715-17, Felix Martinez (ad interim).
*NOTE .- Following Bancroft's History.
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
1717, Juan Paez Hurtado (vice). I717-22, Antonio Valverde y Cosio (ad interim).
1722-31, Juan Domingo de Bustamente.
1731-6, Gervasio Cruzat y Gongora. 1736-9, Enrique de Olavide y Michelena (ad int.).
1739-43, Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza. 1743-9, Joaquin Codallos y Rabal.
1747 -.. Francisco de la Rocha (appointed).
1749-54, Tomas Velez Cachupin.
1754-60, Francisco Antonio Marin del Valle.
1760, Mateo Antonio de Mendoza (acting).
1761-2, Manuel Protillo Urrisola (acting).
1762-7, Tomas Velez Cachupin.
1767-78, Pedro Fermin de Mendinueta (last to hold title of Captain General). 1778, Francisco Trebol Navarro (acting).
1778-89, Juan Bautista de Anza. 1785, Manuel Flon (appointed). 1789-94, Fernando de la Concha. 1794-1805, Fernando Chacon.
1805-8, Joaquin del Real Alencaster.
1807-8, Alberto Mainez.
1810-14, Jose Manrique.
1815-17, Alberto Mainez.
1816-18, Pedro Maria de Allande.
1818-22, Facundo Melgares.
1822-23, Francisco Javier Chavez.
1822-3, Antonio Vizcarra.
1823-5, Bartolome Vaca.
1825-7, Antonio Narbona.
1827-8, Manuel Armijo.
1828, Antonio Vizcarra (acting).
1828-31, Jose Ant. Chavez.
1831-3, Santiago Abreu.
1833-5, Francisco Sarracino.
1834 -.... , Juan Rafael Ortiz (acting).
1835 -.... , Mariano Chavex (acting).
1835-7, Albino Perez.
1837-8, Pedro Munoz.
1837-8, Jose Gonzales (revolutionary governor).
1838-46, Manuel Armijo.
1841 -.... , Antonio. Sandoval (acting).
1844-5, Mariano Martinez de Lejanza (acting).
1845, Jose Chavez (acting).
1846, Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid (acting).
39
EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
The first actual relations between New Mexico and the territory under the government of the United States began in the nineteenth century. There are evidences that while Louisiana was a French possession a few traders from that region were occasionally seen at the fairs in northern New Mexico. About 1720 appear the first orders regulating trade with the French cast of the Mississippi. It was charged that New Mexico traders bought $12,000 worth of goods in Louisiana. Then in 1789 the commandante at Natchitoches urged the opening of trade between Louisiana and New Mexico by the establishment of a presidio among the Jumanos. This would prevent smuggling. The alleged purpose of the presidio makes it clear that illicit trade relations were not uncommon between the two Spanish colonics mentioned.
All of the old Louisiana territory west of the Mississippi ceded by France to Spain in 1762-3, and returned to France in 1800, was finally ceded to the United States in 1803. From this date for many years the question of boundary between the United States territory and the Spanish possessions was an unsettled one, and, as is well known, the United States government caused several expeditions to be made among the unexplored regions of the western plains and mountains for the purpose of ascertaining just what was the nature and value of the vast areas added by the Louisiana purchase.
LIEUTENANT PIKE'S EXPEDITION.
It was while engaged in the execution of the purposes of the govern- ment to explore this territory as far as the Red river, that the first Ameri- can in an official capacity visited New Mexico. It is fortunate that he committed the results of his explorations and observation to writing in the form of a journal. and its publication has given us the first reliable account of New Mexico from an American's standpoint.
Zebulon M. Pike, a lieutenant of the Sixth U. S. Infantry, after having made an exploration of the upper Mississippi, while Lewis and Clarke were making their journey to the Pacific, was sent with twenty-two men, in 1806, to explore the country of the Red and Arkansas rivers, and to establish a good understanding with the Indians, especially the Comanches. In October he was on the Arkansas, where he found traces of a recent visit from the Spaniards. At the end of the month Lieutenant Wilkinson, with a portion of the men, embarked in boats on the river to follow it down to the Mississippi, while Pike, with the rest of the party, started up the river for the mountains, intending, according to his instruc- tions, to return by the Red river to Natchitoches. Late in November he was at the base of the lofty peak which has since borne his name. Then followed two months of wandering through the snows and mountains and parks of what is now Colorado, marked by terrible sufferings from cold
40
HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
and hunger. Crossing the range in the vicinity of the modern Leadville he thought he was on Red river; but after a perilous descent through the canyon he found himself back at his old camp on the Arkansas. Again he struggled on, over another series of ranges, and at the end of January, 1807, succeeded, with a number of his companions, in reaching another large river, which he thought must surely be the Red river. His plan was to reach Natchitoches by boats or rafts on this river.
By a mistake in his reckonings, which was very excusable at this time of incomplete knowledge of the geography of this portion of the world, Lieutenant Pike had made and fortified a camp on a branch of the Rio Grande river in New Mexico territory, and by raising the stars and stripes had unwittingly committed hostile trespass upon the soil of a nation at peace with the United States. A Dr. Robinson, who had thus far accompa- nied the expedition, here parted company with Lieutenant Pike and set out for Santa Fé, where he wished to transact a little item of business, and perhaps at the same time learn something of this portion of the Mexican domain. Robinson's arrival in Santa Fé apprised the governor of the American invasion, and spies were at once sent out to locate and ascer- tain the mission of the Americans. Some days later Pike's camp was ap- proached by a considerable force of Spanish troops, and he was informed of his unwarranted trespass, and, while assured that he was in no sense a ' prisoner, at the same time he felt obliged to submit to the request of the Spanish officers and go under their escort to Santa Fé. Arriving at the capital in March, Pike was examined by the governor, who then passed him on to the authorities at Chihuahua, whither he was compelled to go, much against his will, though ostensibly as a friendly American officer. From Chihuahua he was finally escorted out of the country through Coa- huila and Texas, not reaching Natchitoches until July.
Pike's book was published in 1810 and gave to Americans the first detailed information concerning that isolated region which as yet lay beyond the enterprise of American occupation. It is his description of New Mexico as he saw it in that early year of the nineteenth century that is of especial interest in this history.
Of the inhabited part of the territory he describes it as not more than 400 miles in length and 50 inbreadth, lying along the Rio del Norte, but broken by a desert of more than 250 miles. His opinion regarding the fer- tility of the country is of special note to those who now live in and enjoy New Mexico. "The cotton tree," he says, "is the only tree of this province, except some scrubby pines and cedars at the foot of the mountains. The former borders the banks of the Rio del Norte and its tributary streams. All the rest of the country presents to the eye a barren wild of poor land, scarcely to be improved by culture, and appears to be only capable of pro- ducing sufficient subsistence for those animals which live on succulent plants and herbage."
His witness bears out the claim that no mining worthy of mention was carried on in New Mexico at the time. "There are no mines known in the province, except one of copper, situated in a mountain on the west side of the Rio del Norte in latitude 34 degrees. It is worked and produces 20,000 mule-loads of copper annually. It also furnishes that article for the manufactories of nearly all the internal provinces. It contains gold, but
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EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
not quite sufficient to pay for its extraction, consequently it has not been pursued."
His description continues: "There is near Santa Fé, in some of the mountains, a stratum of talc which is so large and flexible as to render it capable of being subdivided into thin flakes, of which the greater propor- tion of the houses in Santa Fe, and all the villages to the north, have their window lights made."
The population of New Mexico was, as estimated by Lieutenant Pike, "not far short of 30,000 souls, one-twentieth of which may be Spaniards from Europe (or Chapetones), four-twentieths Creoles, five-twentieths Metifs, and the other half civilized Indians."
Of the status of manufacturing and commerce, he affirms that the ex- clusive route of regular trade is to Mexico through Chihuahua, Sonora and Sinaloa. The province "sends out about 30,000 sheep, annually, tobacco, dressed deer and cabrie skins, some fur, buffalo robes, salt, and wrought copper vessels of a superior quality. * The journey with loaded mules from Santa Fé to Mexico and returning to Santa Fé takes five months.
"They manufacture rough leather, segars, a vast variety and quantity of potters' ware, cotton, some coarse woolen cloths, and blankets of a su- perior quality. All those manufactures are carried on by the civilized Indians, as the Spaniards think it more honorable to be agriculturists than mechanics. The Indians likewise far exceed their conquerors in their genius for and execution of all mechanical operations. New Mexico has the ex- clusive right of cultivating tobacco."
Lieutenant Pike was much interested in the irrigation process in use in the Rio Grande valley, and devotes considerable space to agricultural meth- ods. "They cultivate corn, wheat, rye, barley, rice, tobacco, vines and all the common culinary plants cultivated in the same latitude in the United States. They are, however, a century behind us in the art of cultivation ; for, notwithstanding their numerous herds of cattle and horses, I have seen them frequently breaking up whole fields with the hoe. Their oxen draw by the horns after the French mode. Their carts are extremely awkward and clumsily made. During the whole of the time we were in New Mexico I never saw a horse in a vehicle of any description, mules being made use of in carriages as well as for the purposes of labor."
On the journey south from Albuquerque in March he had opportunity to observe the method of irrigation. "Both above and below Albuquerque the citizens were beginning to open the canals to let in the water of the river to fertilize the plains and fields which border its banks on both sides; where we saw men, women and children of all ages and sexes at the joyful labor which was to crown with rich abundance their future harvest and ensure them plenty for the ensuing year. The cultivation of the fields was now commencing and everything appeared to give life and gaiety to the sur- rounding scenery." His description of irrigation at El Paso is more in de- tail. "About two miles above the town of the Paso del Norte is a bridge over the river, where the road passes to the west side, at which place is a large canal, which takes out an ample supply of water for the purpose of cultivation, which is here carried on in as great perfection as at any place that I visited in the provinces. There is a wall bordering the canal the whole way on both sides, to protect it from the animals; and when it arrives at the village, it is distributed in such manner that each person has his fields
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