Las Ruedas, For Sale Again

The old Las Ruedas town site is the grassy area on the upper right hand of the picture.  Click on the image(s) to make them larger.

Las Ruedas is for sale again. Jane Fonda put it up this past week. Here are some photos of Las Ruedas and environs today.

I last visited the area a few years ago with some relatives who had arranged with the ranch foreman, the late Gilbert (Gille) Ortiz, another Archuleta descendant, to visit the site. Gilbert led us down and briefed us on the site as he was probably the best informed. He had worked the ranch since he was in high school.

Las Ruedas was one of 3 small Hispanic villages on the old Los Trigos Land Grant.  The others being Pajarito and Los Trigos. The only one still in the hands of descendants is Pajarito. Las Ruedas is about 2 miles away from Rowe, New Mexico and I-25.

Anyway, Las Ruedas is long gone. The last person buried in the old cemetery is my great grand mother Maria Ana Duran. Her husband, Juan de Jesus Archuleta is most likely buried there also. No way to identify the few graves still visible.

This is one of the several houses and out buildings on the property for sale.

The grassy area to the right is immediately below the old Las Ruedas town site.

Jane Fonda is letting go of her New Mexico ranch, "a sanctuary and a place of great joy" known as Forked Lightning.

"The ranch encompasses 2,300 acres outside Santa Fe, and includes 3.5 winding miles of the Pecos River. The actress and activist bought the property -- part of a larger historic ranch once owned by oilman Buddy Fogelson and his wife, actress Greer Garson -- back in 2000. She is asking  $19.5 million. That includes the 10,000-square-foot River House, which is the main residence; a 2,000-square-foot guest house dubbed the Hacienda; and a 3,500-square-foot Log House, where Fonda lived while she was building the River House."

To have $19.5 million laying around. 

Alas, the old home of my ancestors will change hands again. My hope is that who ever buys it takes care of it and allows some limited access to it for folks wanting to see where their ancestors once lived.

Ocho Reales

Two "ocho reales" Mexican coins. The top one from1886 and the bottom from 1836. This was THE coin in New Mexico, in the the west as a whole and even the western part of the United States for the better part of the early and mid 1800's.

The term "real or reales" hung around a lot longer than the coin really. In my youth the term ocho reales meant one American dollar, quatro reales was a 50 cent piece and dos reales was a quarter. It was understood all over the place by Spanish speaking New Mexicans. Since there was no 12 and 1/2 cent piece there were no uno real coin. Dos, quatro and ocho reales was it.  Mostly applied to coin.... as compared to the greenback which was called a peso.

The English term two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar referred to the Mexican Ocho real coin.

There were no Mexican dos or quatro real coins, it is my understanding they cut the ocho real coin into 8 pieces. Thus the 2 bit English term.

Money spoke Spanish back then, especially in the frontier. And New Mexico seems like the eternal frontier.

Our New Mexican History is like a Multi Dimensional Puzzle

Our New Mexican history is a huge multidimensional puzzle. It  is made up of the people. This includes and included mostly Hispanic New Mexicans, Native Americans, a few Africans and later French. Lastly, starting about 1810, the Americans.

This history includes the land, New Mexico, and the lands our ancestors utilized. We must keep in mind that initially New Mexico was huge, huge! It has been shrinking ever since the Spanish took possession of the province. Initially, as part of New Spain, it included everything west of the Mississippi all the way to the Pacific Ocean and north to places unknown. On the south it was bounded by the Rio Grande (El Rio Bravo del Norte).

This history also includes time, for Hispanic New Mexicans, our history in the area starts  in 1527 with Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. It proceeds  through 1540 with the explorations of Francisco Coronado and others and then begins in earnest in 1598 with don Juan de Onate and our ancestors who came north from Mexico to establish the colony. It includes the expulsion of our ancestors by the Native Americans in the 1680 revolt. It encompasses their return, with additional settlers who again came north, this time led by don Diego de Vargas in 1693 -1695. The revolt was by the Native Americans and some mixed Spanish/Native Americans and the expelled included most of the Spanish and some Native Americans who had embraced Catholicism. A mixed bag as we say today.

The New Mexican land was vast, though shrinking over time, it was still vast. The time was long, interrupted at various intervals, but still very, very long, 1527 to the present. Almost 500 years. The people, our ancestors, were few. Very few, especially when taken into the perspective of time and space. The actual numbers never amounted to much until here recently. And those numbers have dispersed all over the country and many foreign countries.

And they all fit together, not real neat, but they all fit. Just like a multidimensional puzzle. The most interesting to me is the people, our ancestors. Since they were few it is possible to find out who they were, when and where they were born and how they lived and died. Their trials, the hardships, the triumphs. Like it or not we ended up being related by blood to one degree or another. The poor, the rich, the educated and the illerate, we all ended up related. Como luego dicen, una gran familia.

Our New Mexican history is not like American history. Not at all and not in the least. The "Americans" were scattered (concentrated) over a much smaller area with much greater numbers and a much reduced time frame. The American history starts about 1620 and proceeds from there. This is 93 years shorter than our history here in New Mexico! 93 years shorter and millions upon millions of people coming from many countries and the African continent. Santa Fe was an established place way before the first "Pilgrim" set foot on Plymouth Rock. The Americans in the then America came in droves, in huge human waves from all over Europe and Africa.

Not so our ancestors, they came and stayed and added a few here and there. But so few were added that you can identify them, sometimes individually, as you look at the historical documents. You can identify the "heroes", the idiots, the priests, the church goers the nay sayers the soldiers, etc., etc.

One bad thing about this is that the New Mexican population(s) remained stable, or grew very slowly. The New Mexicans had great difficulty getting people, any material needed and direction from the center of government in far away Mexico or Spain. As a result time seemed to stand still between 1598 and about 1810 when the "Americans" arrived. They came with their new technologies which New Mexicans had only vague ideas what they were.

Native Americans in New Mexico were essentially stuck in the stone age. Dependent on Hispanic New Mexicans for any thing that did not grow or was born locally. That includes the horse that changed the way they lived. All of a sudden, with the arrival of the Spanish, they were a stone age people but now were mounted on a horse.

This is what the Americans found in 1846 when they captured and annexed New Mexico. The Americans had known how many New Mexicans there were and how many ancient weapons they had. It would and was a cakewalk taking control. And that is what they did.

General Kearney in Las Vegas, New Mexico

PROCLAMATION OF 

BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN W. KEARNY,

to the PEOPLE of LAS VEGAS

August 15, 1846

Mr. Acalde, and people of New Mexico: I have come amongst you by the orders of my government, to take possession of your country, and extend over it the law of the United States, we consider it, and have done so for some time, a part of the territory of the United States.  We come amongst you as friends - not as enemies; as protectors not as conquerors.  We come among you for your benefit[not for your injury, "Henceforth I absolve you from all allegiance to the Mexican government, and from all obedience to General Armijo.  He is no longer your governor [great sensation] I am your governor.  

I shall not expect you to take up arms and follow me to fight your own people, who may oppose me; but I now tell you, that those who remain peaceably at home, attending to their corps and their herds, shall be protected by me, in their property, their persons, and their religion; not a pepper nor an onion, shall be disturbed or taken by my troops without pay, or by the consent of the owner.  

But listen! he who promises to be quiet, and is found in arms against me, I will hang.  From the Mexican government you have never received protection.  The Apaches and Navajoes come down from the mountains and carry off your sheep, and even your women, whenever they please.  My government will correct all this.  It will keep off the Indians, protect you and your persons and property; and, I repeat again, will protect you in your religion.  

I know you are all great Catholics; that some of your priests have told you all sorts of stories-that we should ill-treat your women, and brand them on the cheek as you do your mules on the hip.  It is all false.  My government respects your religion as much as the Protestant religion, and allows each man to worship his Creator as his heart tells him best.  The laws protect the Catholic as well as the Protestant, the weak as well as the strong; the poor as well as the rich.

  I am not a Catholic myself - I was not brought up in that faith; but at least one-third of my army are Catholics and I respect a good Catholic as much as a good Protestant.  There goes my army - you see but a small portion of it; there are many more behind - resistance is useless. "Mr. Alcaide, and you two captains of militia, the laws of my country require that all men who hold office under me shall take the oath of allegiance I do not wish, for the present, until affairs become more settled, to disturb your form of government.  if you are prepared to take oaths of allegiance, I shall continue you in office, and support your authority.

Que Hera Su Nombre?

What was your New Mexican ancestors real name? Was it Jane or Juana? Was it Juan or Johnny? Was it Juan de Jesus or J.J.? Was it Juan Carlos or J.C.?

Sort of hard to tell what name New Mexican's used a few years ago. Especially if they had names that were hard to pronounce in English. People changed their names, I did too. Hard to go through life with a name like Nemesio, Maria del Carmel, Chrisostomo or Chrisostoma, Higino, Veneranda or Policarpio... You get the drift. Our parents gave us names that meant something to them at the time. I have a cousin, who shall remain unnamed, who is always deploring names our common ancestors saddled us with. I personally do not mind the name given to me, but understand his concern.

I have used various different names over the years, as have a lot of us. I recall a special day for me, a very special day. My very first day of school with the Catholic Sisters at Saint Anthoney's School in Pecos, New Mexico.  At our first recesses we realized we had all been given brand new names by the nuns who did not know a word of Spanish. We spent our free time over the next few days getting used to them. Francisco (Kiko) was now Frank, Manuel (Melo) was now Manny, Hernandez (Nandes) was now Ernie, Mariquita was Mary, Jacinta was now Jackie. Again you get the picture.

Sometimes the time we were baptized was the last time we used the baptismal name. I remember my mother. I knew her as Ruby or Refugio. It was not until after she passed that I got to know her birth name, Maria del Refugio.

It is different now with names for the descendants of New Mexicans, gone, for the most part are the old Spanish names. Instead we have Josh, Mariah, Jacob etc., etc.

That is not bad, it just is.

Dwayne and Geert performing for Flaco Jimenez's 70th Birthday.

Two young guys from the Netherlands, Holland. They are good, well worth the look and listening.

Click here to hear it.

 Wish I could play and sing like this.

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.