Quarter Moon OJ Branding Iron

Quarter Moon
Forged Handle
Both Pieces Together
The OJ Part By Itself

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These are the branding irons that belonged to my maternal grandfather Roman Benavidez. Roman was born in El Gusano in 1874 to Juan Andres Benavidez and Maria Espirirona Garcia. I do not know at what time he moved to Rowe, New Mexico but he was married to my grandmother Ignacia Archuleta on October 2, 1895. He was probably there by that time as there are no indications that Ignacia lived anywhere other than Santa Fe, Las Ruedas and Rowe, New Mexico.

I do not know how he came upon the brand (1/4 moon OJ). At least that is what I call it. I am making some assumptions here, one is that the quarter moon fit above the OJ part. I do not know for sure but it seems appropriate. He used these till the early 1950's when he quit having either horses or cows. 

There may be some information on the brand in the historical records of the state dealing with brands. I will have to check and see. You never know when you will find something interesting.

My Grandparents House in Rowe, New Mexico in 1955

Click on the image to make it larger. This image is part of the one on my previous post. Just separated it.

This is the back of my grandparents house in Rowe, New Mexico in 1955.  There is a peach tree on the left some measly Lilac bushes behind by the window. The wood pile by the bushes and the remnants of an old corral, now being used as a chicken coop. If you look carefully from the house diagonally to the upper right hand corner you can see the path to the out house.

The front of the house faces North East towards where I-25 is today. The approach to the exit as you drive between Las Vegas and Santa Fe would have been visible from the front porch. But that was years in the future.

The house was a "jacal" built by my grandfather Roman Benavidez. A "jacal" was built by using juniper or pinon trees standing upright. They were inserted into logs that had been shaped to accept them as a foundation and a header. The logs were then chinked with mud and plastered with mud over that. The roof was an "azotea". That being logs used as "vigas" and, in this case, boards placed across the vigas and mud plastered on the roof several inches thick, sometimes up to a foot. 

I spent many nights there with them. There were no electric lights, water was carried from the spring in the arroyo about 200 yards away. The house had a large kitchen, a "dispensa" or pantry and 2 bedrooms. One bedroom they used and the other one was for when someone came over. The kitchen served as a living room too.

For entertainment in the evenings we used to play card games, or look through the Sears and Roebuck catalog. Sometimes my grandparents would tell us stories of the old days or read from a book titled "Mil y Una Noche".

Ignacia Archuleta, Marianna Duran and Roman Benavidez

This picture (click on it to see a bigger view) was taken sometime in the summer of 1900. On the left is my maternal grand mother Ignacia Archuleta, her mother, Marianna Duran and my grandfather, Roman Benavidez. On Marianna's lap is her grandson, and my uncle, Jose Benavidez. The proud parents taking a three generation picture.

This is the only picture of Marianna that I know of. She was about 66 years old when the picture was taken. Marianna was born circa 1834 in Tesuque, New Mexico and she died circa 1921 in Rowe, New Mexico at the age of 96. Her parents were Jose Pablo Duran and Ygnacia Francisca Lovato.

Ignacia Archuleta was born January 31, 1876, the last child born to Juan de Jesus Archuleta and Marianna Durna in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She died there on the 15 of October of 1971 at the age of 95 plus years. In this picture she would have been 24 years old.

Roman Benavidez was born the 24th of February in 1874 in El Gusano (South San Isidro), San Miguel County, New Mexico. He was the fourth child of Juan Andres Benavidez and Maria Espiririona Garcia. He died on the 4th of January in 1962 in Rowe New Mexico at the age of 87.

Jose, the child of Ignacia and Roman was born the 18th of March, 1900 and died in Santa Fe in March of 1986 at the age of 86.

All are burried in the cemetery at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Rowe, New Mexico.