Monday, June 25, 2012

Vuida a los Quince Anos



Click on the image to make it larger

Ana Maria Lopez, the daughter of Manuel Lopez and Maria Gertrudis Rael was born circa 1818 somewhere in New Mexico, probably San Miguel del Vado or maybe Santa Fe. She married Jose Francisco Griego, the son of Jesus Maria Griego and Maria Guadalupe Garduno, at San Miguel del Vado on September 4, 1831 when she was 13. A little on the young side, but not uncommon in those times, especially when you consider that her father is listed as deceased at the time of this marriage.

One (1) year, seven (7) months, three (3) weeks and three (3) days later on April 28 1833 she was remarrying. This time to Pedro Antonio Gallegos the son of Domingo Gallego and Juana Romero, age 27 born circa 1806 somewhere in New Mexico. The second marriage was performed again at San Miguel del Vado.

A little over a year later on May 18, 1834 she was baptizing her son Jose Felis Gallegos who was born 2 days previous in San Miguel del Bado.

She had better luck with her second husband as she was living at the Plaza de los Garcias in what today is San Miguel County, New Mexico in 1845.

Listed in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census with her husband and 3 children in Tecolote, New Mexico,

Assuming that she observed the traditional one year of mourning (luto) of the passing of her first husband, Jose Francisco Griego,  before remarrying it would appear that Jose Francisco must have died sometime prior to April of 1832. She was actually only married 7 or 8 months before her first husband died.

My guess is that she would have observed the mourning period, or close to it and then remarried as soon as possible. A 14 year old widow would have a hard time on her own and maybe her mother or in laws were not able to provide for the young widow.

The mystery of the death of her first husband remains.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Rowe, New Mexico Neighborhoods in the 1950's

Click on the image to make it larger.

La Sagrada Familia Catholic Church in Rowe, New Mexico

Yes, even a town with fewer than 300 people had neighborhoods or barrios and the neighborhoods had names, especially in New Mexico. There was no east side, south side or any other side for that matter. There was no bad part of town, there were just different neighborhoods. And besides, for the most part we were all related in one way or another. There were very few folks that weren't related.

  1. El Switche - Because of a switch in the railroad tracks is my guess. The E.T. Padilla and Trader Horn stores were located there. The post office and the AT&SF Train depot were located in that neighborhood.
  2. Los Colles (Coyes) - Down the road heading toward the Pecos River. Old Indian pit houses were located in the vicinity and may have had something to do with the name.
  3. El Rincon - This Neighborhood was located at the base of Rowe Mesa as you drove out of town towards Las Vegas. It was sort of tucked away in the woods at the base of the mesa.
  4. Abajo or Las Caleras  - This neighborhood was located across U.S. 85 and the AT&SF tracks from El Rincon. There was a place where you could get cal (calsomine) at some bluffs by the arroyo.
  5. Aya Arriba - This was located between the roads going to Santa Fe and Pecos. It was called Arriba because you had to go up the road. Mostly the Atliano Ortiz family and their relatives there.
  6. Rowe proper - This was the rest I guess. The neighborhoods that did not have a name fell in here. Included the areas by the church and the old schoolhouse.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Los Tres Benjamin Tapia's de San Miguel del Bado, New Mexico

Click on the image to make it larger.

The first Benjamin was born to Aparacio Tapia and Maria Emilia Urioste in January of 1895 probably in San Miguel del Bado, New Mexico. He was listed in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census as being 5 years of age and living with his father, mother and older sister Agrapina in San Miguel del Bado, New Mexico.

This 1st Benjamin must have died as a young boy because by the time the 1920 Census there is a 2nd Benjamin listed as being 8 years of age living in the household. This would put his birth date at sometime in 1912. Too old to be the Benjamin listed in the 1900 Census. The 1920 Census is a bit off on this birth date, in reality this Benjamin was born in 1908.

Birth and baptismal information for the 2nd Benjamin comes from page 124 of the publication Bautismos, San Miguel del Vado, 1 January 1900 - 25 May 1912 published by the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico. It lists this Benjamin  as being born on the 21st of December of 1908 and being baptized on the 5th of January of 1909. The padrinos were Miguel Ortiz and Trinidad Duran.

Sad to say but this Benjamin died at an earlier age than his brother whom he was named after because the 3rd Benjamin was born on 13 of March of 1911. Birth and baptismal information for the birth of the 3rd Benjamin comes from page 160 of the publication Bautismos, San Miguel del Vado, 1 January 1900 - 25 May 1912 published by the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico. His padrinos were Matias Lopez and Marcelina Sandoval.

It was not unusual in New Mexico at the time this was going on for parents to name newborn children for siblings that had passed away. A way to mitigate the grief of losing a young child. Aparacio Tapia and Maria Emilia Urioste went through this three different times with sons named Benjamin.

My own maternal grandfather, Roman Benavidez, was named after a brother of the same name that had died earlier. Roman Benavidez and his wife Ignacia Archuleta went on to lose a child by the name of Emilia only to name their next daughter Emilia. A way to mitigate the grief felt for the loss of their other child.

Friday, June 8, 2012

New Mexico Education, 1875 Style.

School In Watrous, New Mexico

This image (click to enlarge) comes from page 18 of the publication New Mexico's best Ghost Towns written by Phillip Varney and published by the University of New Mexico Press in 1981. My father, like his father before him, was born in Watrous or the surrounding area. One or both most likely attended this school. My father left in the 1930's along with most of his relatives.

The following three paragraphs come from page 71 of the book Maxwell Land Grant, A New Mexican Item authored by William A. Keleher and first published by in 1942 by the Royal Press and a revised edition published be the Argosy-Antiquarian LTD, New York, N.Y. in 1962.

Educationally, New Mexico in 1875, according to reports compiled by W.G. Ritch, Secretary of the Territory, was not in any too flourishing a condition.

Ritch's report shows that there were 128 public schools in the territory with 143 teachers and 5,420 pupils. In forty of the schools English and Spanish were taught. There were in addition 31 private schools, in 21 of which both languages were taught, with a total of 998 pupils.

There were also eight Pueblo Indian Schools with 10 teachers and 170 scholars. There were 10 institutitions of secondary instruction, with about 45 teachers and 400 scholars.