Rowe, New Mexico

This is a picture of Rowe, New Mexico. You can see the Santa Fe RR tracks heading towards Santa Fe on the far left, the next line is the current frontage road. That frontage road (U.S. 85) used to be the main drag through the area for many years before I-25 was built. The next 2 lines are I-25.

I did not take this photo, but it was taken just as you get to the top of Rowe Mesa. Click on it to get a really neat view. The area you see here was pretty much my back yard back in the 1950'5 and very early 1960,s when I grew up.

There was not a single street light in Rowe back then, not one trailer house. The schoolhouse was just in front of the church. Mrs. Isabel Gutierrez was one of the school teachers, as was Mrs. Trinidad Varela and a Mr. Lujan and Mr Martinez taught the 7th and 8th grades. There were four stores in Rowe back then. The old Lucky 7 as you first came into town from Santa Fe, then E.T. Padilla store, then the old Trader Horn, or "la Tienda Grande" and at the other end was the Midway Bar and Groc. owned by Abel Benavidez. The Lucky 7 used to rent cabins. And the Trader Horn was where we would wait for the bus on the porch, sitting on the rail and messing with the Greyhound Bus flag.

In this photo Pecos is at the upper portion and slightly to the right, Glorieta is at the top and slightly to the left of center. The highest point in the picture is Pecos Baldy! At least I think it is..

Catholic Church at Sapello, New Mexico

This is the Catholic Church at Sapello, New Mexico. The cemetery is to the left of the church. My Great Grandfather, Juan Cristoval Martin(ez) is buried here as is my Great Grandmother Josefa Rafaela Valdez. They were buried here, but lived, in La Junta de los Rios, now Watrous, New Mexico.

They were both was born In Abiquiu in the province of New Mexico in Nueva Espana, he lived in the same area when it was part of Mexico and died when the area was a United States Territory.

History just over ran them several times. Juan Cristoval was born a Martin and died a Martinez. The history of a family over the generations is very interesting and makes a person wonder what his/her ancestors were like.

Catholic Church at Watrous (La Junta), New Mexico

This is the Catholic Church at Watrous (formally La Junta), New Mexico. A sleepy little town N. of Las Veagas on I-25. But it was a humming town back before the railroad came thru late in the 1800's. My father and his father before him were born here and baptized in this church. My Great Grand Father moved here in 1859 from San Geronimo, New Mexico

Church at Rowe, New Mexico

This is a pretty nice painting of the La Sagrda Familia Catholic Church in Rowe, New Mexico. I was the Mayordomo there once along with my mother.

The rock wall (tapia) was originally about 5 feet tall and pretty much like it is depicted there, only 5 feet tall. Then someone contracted with Mr. Tranquilino Garcia of Rowe to pare it down and add cedar posts and a woven wire. This was in the mid to late 1950's. What you see here is the remnants of that wall.

Also the little room seen here as the entrance is new since the 1950's when I used to attend church here. My Grandfather, Grandmother and mother are buried here in the back part of the cemetery.