Richens Lacy (Uncle Dick) Wootton

Jesus Silva and his friend, old Uncle Dick Wootton

Richens Lacy (Uncle Dick) Wootton was a "famous" trapper and built the toll road over Raton Pass in the middle 1800's. He was known as Richard (Uncle Dick) Wootton. He married Maria Dolores LeFevre on the 6th of March of 1848 in Taos, New Mexico. Maria Dolores was the daughter of Manuel LeFevre, a Frenchman and Maria Teodora Lopez a local woman from Taos, New Mexico. Uncle Dick had other wives, Maria Dolores was the first, together they had 4 children. Maria Dolores died in 1855 in Southern Colorado. The book where the quotes below come from is a very interesting read.

Refernce the book "Uncle Dick Wooten" written by Howard L Conrad published originally by W.E. Dibble & CO. of Chichago, IL in 1890. The quotes attributed to Uncle Dick below are from there;

"I have observed in reading our frontier literature, that the tendency has been to exegerate and overdraw everything, and the effect of this has been, to give the Eastern public a wrong idea of the conditions which existed in this country (New Mexico and the early West), and the character of the men who found their way into these savage wilds in search of wealth and adventure."

"I could use a gun as well as anybody, knew how to handle a team, and while never particularly in love with hard work I wasn't afraid of it.... I got along first rate."

Manuel LeFevre and New Mexicans

Manuel LeFevre was a Frenchman, born circa 1810 in Missouri or Canada, one or the other. Manuel married a New Mexican woman named Maria Teodora Lopez in Taos. Maria Teodora was the daughter of Ramon Lopez and Maria de la Luz Martín. Manuel and Maria Teodora married on December 1, 1827 in Taos and made their home there. All total they had 11 children, at least one of whom died while young, the first Maria Pacifica.

1. Maria Leonor - Birth date unknown
2. Maria Dolores - Born June 29, 1828 
3. Jose Vicente - Born April 7, 1830
4. Francisco Antonio - Born April 3, 1831 
5. Maria Francisca Guillerma - Born March 12, 1833
6. Maria Pacifica - Born February 4, 1835 
7. Maria de La Luz - Born May 18, 1843
8. Maria Teodora - Born July 16, 1848 **
9. Manuel Carlos -  Born April 23, 1850
10. Jose Manuel - Born October 16, 1851
11. Maria Pacifica - Born May 22, 1852

** Maria Teodora married Ricardo Ortiz, a distant relative of mine, but that is another story all together.

Anyway, Manuel LeFevre was not in Taos when the New Mexicans revolted against the American occupation of New Mexico in January of 1847. It is not known where he actually was. But he was to be found at Bents Fort just across the Mexican/US Border, near present day La Junta, Colorado, when the news of the revolt arrived there. 

When the news of the revolt arrived at Bents Fort a group of 23 men volunteered to go and retaliate for the Americans killed. In all reality it was to retaliate for Americans and their New Mexican sympathizers killed as there were several New Mexicans killed also. Among those going were Lucien Maxwell, Manuel LeFevre and the author of the book referenced here, Lewis H. Garrard. Here he wrote;

 " We crossed the river into Nuevo Mejico at the fort (Bent's Fort) ford, and followed the Santa Fe Trail, which kept (to) the river bank. five of us were mounted; the rest were to get animals at the PURGATORIE, ninety miles distant. The object of the expedition in which we were about to engage was to travel as far as we could towards Taos; kill and scalp every Mexican to be found and collect all of the animals belonging to the Company of the United States."

NOTE: The writer, Lewis H. Garrard, is writing about a trip to Taos in the winter of 1847 after the revolt of New Mexicans in Taos and the assassination of Governor Bent.

Anyway, the group never got to "kill and scalp" any Mexicans. But the plan was there none the less and begs the question, would Manuel LeFever have actually "killed and scalped every Mexican to be found". Or maybe he would have been a bit more selective being that he had a Mexican wife and at least 7 half breed children with her. 

Reference the book "Wa-to-yah and the Taos Trail" written by Lewis H. Garrard and published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

Also reference page 421 of the book "Origins of New Mexico Families, A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period", the revised edition published by the Museum of New Mexico Press and written by Fray Anjelico Chavez.


NOTE: The name LeFevre has changed in New Mexico to Lefebre.

Maria del Refugio Benavidez - 1905 to 1998

Maria del Refugio (Ruby) Benavidez was born on April 5, 1905 in Rowe, New Mexico and died in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 26, 1998.

Maria del Refugio's ancestors came to New Mexico into what was then known as New Spain with the very first colonists who arrived here with don Juan de Onate. They arrived in New Mexico on the 30th of April of 1598.  They crossed the Rio del Norte (Rio Grande) at EL Paso.  Two, out of several, interesting ancestors that arrived on that day were her 10th great grandparents Juan Lopez Olguin Villasana and his wife Catalina Villanueva as were another set of 10th great grandparents, Pedro Robledo and his wife Catalina Lopez. Both couples had their families with them.

Juan Lopez Olguin Villsana and his wife, Catalina Villanuva, arrived in good health at the future colony north of Santa Fe. Catalina is interesting because in a muster roll she identified her father as an "Indian from the valley of Mexico". Catalina was a Mestiza, 1/2 Mexican Indian and 1/2 Spanish. Catalina, her husband Juan and one daughter (Ana) were members of Onates 1597 expidition and some of the "first colonists".

Don Pedro Robledo was to suffer a tragic accident and died because of it. He was thrown from his horse and died on the May 21, 1598 at a place known as Paraje Robledo near present day Radium Springs, New Mexico. The Robledo family burried him there and continued up into Santa Cruz near Santa Fe where the first Spanish colony was established. Don Pedro was the 1st known settler of european decent to die in what today is the United States of America. Other Europeans had died, but they were soldiers or Catholic priests and not settlers, don Pedro was the very first. The Robledo family was a very famous Spanish family in those early days of the colony.

Most Spanish New Mexicans were expelled from New mexico during the 1680 Pueblo Indian Revolt, some came back during the reconquest of the province with don Diego de Vargas and more came at that time for the very first time. Amongst them were Maria del Refugio's (Ruby) Benavidez 5th great grandparents Juan Esteban Benavidez, known as "El Mozo" and his wife Maria de Diezma who came north from Zacatecas. Juan Eateban was a soldier/settler. Juan Esteban Benavidez and his wife, Maria de Diezma arrived in New Mexico during December of 1695. Both Juan Esteban and Maria de Diezma were dead by 1702. Many, many of their descendants still live in New Mexico and Colorado.

Los Herreras, Los Gorras Blancas Y Poco Mas

The Herrera brothers, Juan Jose bottom left, Pablo standing and Nicanor seated right.

Juan Jose, Pablo and Nicanor Herrera from San Miguel County are identified by many as associated with, if not the organizers of "Las Gorras Blancas" in New Mexico. A good dissertation on them and Las Gorras Blancas comes from the book "Mexicano Resistance in the Southwest" written by Robert J. Rosenbaum and published by Southern Methodist University Press. Most folks who are familiar with Northern New Mexico are familiar with Las Gorras Blancas.

This family has a very interesting story as well as genealogy. Here is a sampling:

Manuel Herrera the son of Jose Miguel Herrera and Maria Josefa Saavedra married Maria Paula Archibeque, the daughter of Juan Domingo Archibeque and Maria Josefa Gallegos on the 5th of October 1832 at San Miguel del Bado, New Mexico.

Manuel Herrera and Maria Paula Archibeque had the following children;

1) Juana Paula Herrera - Baptismal date July 21, 1833
2) Maria Paula del Refugio Herrera - Baptismal date January 15, 1835
3) Juan Jose de la Cruz Herrera - Baptismal date September 24, 1837
4) Ambrosia Herrera - Birthdate/baptismal dates, December 7, 1841/December 19, 1841
5) Jose Pablo Herrera - Birthdate 1843
6) Nicanor Herrera - Birthdate/baptismal dates, November 28, 1846/December 5, 1846

As far as is known all were born in San Miguel del Bado, New Mexico.

Juan Jose, Pablo and Nicanor Herrera from San Miguel County are listed in several of the U.S. Federal Census. NOTE: Be advised that ages listed on the census can vary a whole lot.

1850 - Tecolote, San Miguel County, New Mexico

Manuel de Herrera
Maria Paubla de Herrera, 32
Juana de Herrera, 17
Refugio de Herrera, 15
Juan Jose de Herrera, 13
Jose Pablo de Herrera, 7
Maria Ambrosia de Herrera, 9
Nicanor de Herrera 

In 1850 living next door is

Maria Justa Urioste, 30
Jose Feliciano Urioste, 1 year old
Luciano Trujillo, 25

1860 - El Salitre in San Miguel County, New Mexico

Manuel Herrera, 58 listed as a laborer,
Maria Paula Herrera, 40,
Ambrosia Herrera, 18,
Pablo Herrera, 17,
Nicanor Herrera, 14,

In 1860 and right next door lived;

Justa Urioste, 58, listed as a servant,
Feliciano Herrera, 12,
Estefana Herrera, 9,
Pedro Herrera, 4,
Antonia Lucero, 13,
Juan Lucero, 10.

1870 - Ojitos Frios in San Miguel County, New Mexico

Paula Herrera, 48 listed as a seamstress,
Pablo Herrera, 25 listed as a freighter,
Juan Jose Herrera, 33, listed as a freighter,
Nicanor Herrera 23, listed as a farmer,
Justa Urioste 48, listed as a domestic servant,
Antonia Lucero 23, listed as a domestic servant,
Estefana Herrera 17, listed as a domestic servant,
Felicario Herrera, 23, listed as a farm laborer,
Pedro Herrera 13, living at home.

A note of real interest is that living with this family or right next door is "Justa Urioste". Her relationship to the Manuel Herrera and Maria Paula Archeveque family is not noted in the documents we have looked at but there is no doubt that there is some very close relationship(s). Justa Urioste is listed as living next door in 1850 and 1860 and in the same house in 1870.

Justa Urioste had at least 3 and maybe 4 children, all of them with no father listed:

1) Feliciano Herrera (Urioste) - Born June 17, 1849 from unknown parents and baptized as Feliciano Herrera by Manuel Herrera and Maria Paula Archeveque.
2) Doroteo Urioste - Born January 5th 1855 and his padrinos were the daughter of Manuel Herrera and Maria Paula Archeveque, Juana Paula Herrera and her husband Ramon Ulibarri.
3) Pedro Celestino Urioste  - Born May 25 1857 and his padrinos were brother and sister and the children of  Manuel Herrera and Maria Paula Archeveque, Pablo and Ambrosia Herrera.
4) Ursula Urioste - Born on October 21, 1859 and baptized by another son of Manuel Herrera and Maria Paula Archeveque, Juan Jose Herrera and a woman identified as Luisa Pinard.


On January 31, 1871 "Feliciano Urioste" listed as the son of Justa Urioste married Altagragia Jarmaillo the daughter of Vicente Jaramillo and Juana Gallegos from "los Ojitos" (Ojitos Frios). The marriage occurred at Nuestra Senora de Los Dolores Catholic Church in Las Vegas, New Mexico. NOTE: Feliciano is listed as Herrera in both the 1860 and 1870 census.

On January 7 1891, twenty 0ne (21) years later almost to the day, Altagracia Jaramillo's son Toribio Herrera is marrying Luisa Gallegos. This marriage also occurred at Nuestra Senora de Los Dolores Catholic Church in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Here Toribio's father is listed as Feliciano Herrera.

New Mexico Justice for Joe Felipe Gallegos, 1878 Style?

The speed with which Judge L. Bradford Prince (pictured above) worked in dispatching court business is illustrated by a case which came before him during his first session which he held of the Mora County District Court.

On Friday morning of the week that the court was in session, the grand jury bought in an indictment against Joe Felipe Gallegos for the murder of Sabino Lopez on August 9, 1878. Gallegos was immediately arrested and his trial went on in the afternoon of that very same day.

Mr. Thomas B. Catron (of Santa Fe Ring fame) was assigned to prosecute the case and a Mr. Leyden. who had just been admitted to the bar, was named to defend Joe Felipe Gallegos. The trial continued Friday night until nearly 11:30 o'clock and throughout the day Saturday. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the 4th degree Saturday evening. A sentence of seven years imprisonment, the highest penalty under the circumstances, was imposed. Thus the defendant was indicted, arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced, all within less than 2 days.

It may be doubted that this speed was always in the best interest of complete and impartial justice in individual cases.

References:

1. Frank W. Clancy, "Reminiscences of Territorial Days", Proceedings, New Mexico Bar Association, 1919 on page 55.
2. Frank W. Clancy, "In Memory of L. Bradford Prince." Historical Society of New Mexico, publication No. 25 on page 5.
3. Arie W. Poldervart, "Black Robed Justice". Published by the Historical Society of New Mexico on page 112.

History is history, no matter what happened or whose fault it was. It happened!

Some folks gloss over the reason recorded history is what it is. The belief that "victors write the story". While that is common, it is not always true, not by a long shot. What is true is that the literate person with the means wrote history. The literate person with the means writes history. Not the illiterate person with all of the paper and ink in the world. The literate person with the means wrote it, writes it! The non literate person/persons/peoples were, and are, left on the sidelines unable to read what others wrote. That is a fact today and that was a fact in the past.

New Mexico history is a perfect case in point. The "original" history was written by the Spanish, next by the Americans and lately by anyone with a computer and a weblog. It does not matter if they are  Hispanic, Native American or some other genre of folks. The only thing about this, the good thing, is that current "historians" cannot really lie successfully. The original history that is being written about is very well documented, in several languages, but well documented non the less. If someone takes liberty with the truth, they are soon called on it. There may be interpretations, but that is the extent of the differences allowed in today's world.

Illiterate peoples have never written history, they will never write history. Not then, not now and not in the future. That is a fact of life that everyone must live with. The degree of literacy determines the degree of the historical narrative that a person or group writes. History, like time, rolls on. Someone may document it if they can, but it rolls on non the less. We, in the current time, can yell and scream about the history that has been written, but the only thing we can do is to highlight the error and document the truth.

And, this is a big AND, we do have hindsight now. We can correct the narrative by documenting the truth of what was written about in the past. And/or we can write about the past in a new light as documents are discovered about events in the past which no one had written before.

The bottom line is that you have to be able to write about it to leave a trail. A trail that can be looks at as new information is gathered. "Oral history" is a joke, a big funny joke. If that is what you will hang your hat on, good luck.

One other thing, be careful that what you write you can verify. If not you will be called on it. The documents you use as source material can be contested, but they are there. No more cowboy history! Please.....

Que paso con Maria Viviana Martín? Preguntas y mas preguntas?

Maria Viviana Martín was born on December 1, 1827 in Potrero, New Mexico in what is now Rio Arriba County, the daughter of  Bernardo Martín and Maria Apolonia Gutierrez. Viviana died the 27th of October in 1897 in Mora County, New Mexico, most probably in the area of current day Watrous, New Mexico where she lived with her family. She is listed in the 1870 and 1880 U.S. Federal Census at La Cueva, Mora County, New Mexico. Over time she lived with 3 seperate "Americano" men and had at least 7 children with them.

We need to keep in mind that this was the period when there were no non Hispanic or non Native American women in New Mexico. There were no American or what we would call "Anglo" women in the area then. So, if an American man wanted a woman, his choices were limited to what was available.

The first man she lived with and had children with was James Bonney, an Englishman, whom she ended up with in 1845 when she was 18 years old. James Bonney died about 1846. The second man was Daniel Eberle from Switzerland whom she met and moved in with in about 1848, Daniel died about 1855. The 3rd man was Friedrich (Frank) Metzgar from Prussia, whom she had a relationship with which started in 1856, Metzgar died about about 1885. So Maria Viviana outlived all three of them.

It seems like Maria Viviana never actually went through the process of marrying any of the fathers of her 7 children, anyway no record of any marriage has been found. This is odd on several levels.

1. In that time period 99.99% of New Mexican's were Catholic and usually ended up married by the church. Non of her relationships were relationships with benefit of marriage nor can any record be found of any baptisms of any of her children. Her parents were Catholic, she was baptized. Some of her decendants when they married, did so in the Catholic Church. So far as any of the records show.
2.  She ended up having children with 3 "Americanos", non of whom were from the Unites States. All of the fathers of the 7 children were "Americanos", there is no record of her having children with a local Hispanic or Native American.
3. She is always found in the U.S. Federal Census with her children but none of her "common law" husbands were ever enumerated with her and her family, their children. Did she actually live with them, or just fathered the children?

Living with men and having children with them, while not unheard of, was uncommon in those days in New Mexico. Add to that the fact that non Hispanic men were few in the province then and you have another riddle. Now if a person was looking for non Hispanic men, the area around La Junta (Watrous) was the place to be. This time period included the time just prior to the American occupation and was the height of use on the Santa Fe Trail. Commerce was hot and heavy then, especially at and near La Junta (Watrous).

The population of non New Mexicans was the highest in the area around La Junta de los Rios (Watrous). And her relationships started prior to Fort Union coming to the area. Loma Parda, if it was there, had not reached its heyday. That would happen after the military established Fort Union.

Did Maria Viviana move to the area with her parents, Bernardo Martín and his wife and her mother, Maria Apolonia Gutierrez? Or did she somehow make the move by herself? She probably moved with her parents as they both died in the area, Bernardo in 1869 and Apolonia in 1870. My guess is that she moved with her parents in their quest for work and or land in the pre American period, but when the Santa Fe trail was going full blast.

Anyway, she ended up living the rest of her life in the area adjacent to current day Watrous. And the questions remain, even current  family members have questions. No matter how you look at it, Maria Viviana Martín was a very unusual woman for her time, very unusual.

From Martin to Martinez and from Santa Fe to Raton. Hilario Martin(ez)

Hilario Martinez was born on the 14 of January in 1871 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his parents were Jose Santiago Martín and Maria Ynes de Escuipula Rodriguez. His  baptismal padrinos were Ginovevo Sandoval and Rosalia Martinez. Hilario probably used his mother's maiden name as his middle initial, hence the Hilario R. Martinez in later documents. The shift from using the last name of Martín to Martinez happened a lot in New Mexico in that period of time. Probably 95% of Martinez used to be Martín before the American occupation of New Mexico in 1846. My father was one of the few who stuck with the name and spelled it Martín. Even then, my brother and I were born Martín and my older sister was born Martinez, all to the same parents.

Hilario Martinez 1st married Teresa Sacoman in Las Vegas on June 15, 1902 and was enumerated in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census at Las Vegas Ward 3, San Miguel, New Mexico; Roll: T624_917; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0197; FHL microfilm: 1374930. Living with his wife and inlaws. Hilario R. Martinez and his wifeTeresa had been married 8 years and there were no children listed for the couple. It appears that Teresa passed away as she does not show up in any of the later census.

Hilario's age is consistent as we have followed him via the documents we have identified. It varies a few years on the census records but we are still very comfortable we are talking about the very same man. Census records are not very accurate when documenting age. Hilario had a younger brother by the name of Juan who is listed as living with him in 1920 in Raton. His brother was born in Santa Fe on the 5th of May in 1875, so he was a few years younger than Hilario.

Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Raton Ward 4, Colfax, New Mexico; Roll: T625_1075; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 38; Image: 193. Hilario is living with his brother Juan, and others, one named Martha, another name Zella Barnum and Zellas brother Albert Barnum. Living on Lopez Street in Raton, New Mexico. Lopez Street in Raton is 1 block east of Martinez Street.

Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Raton, Colfax, New Mexico; Roll: 1393; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0011; Image: 740.0; FHL microfilm: 2341128. Living on Martinez Street in Raton, New Mexico. Hilario (Dario) Martinez is living with his family consisting of his wife, now identified as Felicitas Martinez, and sons Santiago, Adolfo, Luis and a daughter Rosarita. He was employed as a deliveryman working for a "mine".

Hilario's 2nd wife Felicitas was born Felicitad Gonzales on February 21, 1893 in La Tablason, San Miguel County, New Mexico to Nicolas Gonzales and Victoriana Aragon. Her baptismal padrinos were Leandro Aragon y Chavez and Gregoria Cordova.

When Hilario R. Martinez and Felicitas Gonzales Martinez died has not been determined to date.

NOTE: Source material can be elaborated on if someone needs to know.

Snake oil salesmen and folks who need snake oil and how they relate to our Genealogy

Snake oil salesmen and folks who use their product(s) are made for each other. Snake oil salesmen used to be on every corner and now they are all over television and on the internet. And like religion, it seems that if snake oil salesmen are not selling something somewhere we go looking for them.

Genealogy is no different. Folks are looking for heroes and heroines, or some attachment to the king or queen or some illustrious person(s). And there are some of these in our trees, but for the most part not so much or in the distant dim past.

Or trying to erase folks who we prefer to not have as relatives or anywhere close to us in our "tree". It seems like rogues are ok 6-7 generations back, especially if they are famous rogues. Not so famous rogues are not so welcome. Trying to whitewash what these rogue relatives did is another example of dealing with them in our trees, maybe letting them be there, just not mentioning that they are there. There are some relatives who do not want to see who their relatives are rather than have someone there who is unsavory.

There is additional information in an older post, read about it further here. Or click on the page at the link below:

http://nuevomejicano.blogspot.com/2013/12/you-can-choose-your-friends-you-cannot.html

Anyway, snake oil salesmen have a keen understanding of human nature and figure out how to get us to buy their products. With genealogy, they do not have to hunt us down, we go looking for the products our selves, always searching for the connection to the hero and always trying to avoid the rogues.

Like I used to hear a long time ago "you soy quien soy, y no me paresco an nadie". I am who I am, and I do not look like anyone. In reality we are who we are, a conglomerate of all of our ancestors, the good, the bad and the ugly.

You Have To Read This By Former New Mexican Territorial Librarian Samuel Ellison

New Mexico Terr. Governor (1869 - 1871) William A Pile

The quote, bold and in red,  below comes from the New Mexico Historical Review, XIII (January, 1938), pages 10 and 11. This individual, Territorial Librarian, Samuel Ellison, is talking about the New Mexican Spanish and Mexican archives and the effort by then Governor William A. Pile to destroy and/or get rid of them. The governor mind you, not some ordinary vandal, the Governor of New Mexico. And we wonder if we New Mexicans have been wronged.

"Under the administration of William A. Pile many of the archives were sold to merchants and grocers for wrapping paper, and only about one fourth recovered... The deed of vandalism was found out the day after it was done, when some citizens met and appointed a committee who waited to see the governor and requested him to have the papers returned. Then he sent out the librarian Bond and had them brought back, a cartload of them, and dumped in the back room. Wendell Debus kept ordinary goods, Indian antiquities and pottery, He bought one lot for about $30.00, and had the money refunded to him, when he returned most of them, but not all. Others bought smaller portions. The governor was partly fool and partly knave... They were place in a room loosely and remained there with the chickens roosting on them and the drippings from the house falling on them till Governor Wallace employed Ellison to gather them up and place them in a room adjoining his parlor."

You can also find the quote at your local library on page xvii of the book "Crusaders of the Rio Grande" authored in 1942 by J. Manuel Espinosa, Asst. professor of history at Loyola University in Chicago and a member of the Royal Spanish Academy of History and published by the Institute of Jesuit History Publications.