RICARDO DE JESUS ROMERO y MARIA LIBRADA ROMERO

 

PART FIVE

The Romeros of Mora County New Mexico and Rawlins, Carbon County Wyoming

Chapter One

Ricardo de Jesus Romero 

               

Ricardo Romero's father Antonio de Jesus and grandfather  Felipe de Jesus were early pioneers of the Mora Valley when buffalo and elk still roamed the country side in great abundance and the fierce Comanche Indians raided New Mexican outposts to capture slaves and Spanish possessions. The Mora Valley had been one of the “last areas settled by Hispano people due to the ambiguous character of its ownership and its wild untamed nature.  His grandfather and father were a well to do farmers and Ricardo’s mother was a member of the wealthy Vigil family.

 

Enter  Mora Valley

The inhabitants of the Mora Land Grant, that became Mora County two years before Ricardo Romero’s birth, subsisted on semi-subsistence agriculture, grazing large herds of cattle and sheep, timber, and migratory labor. The Santa Fe Trail passed through the eastern part of the grant, but a railroad supplanted it after its completion in 1879. The wool industry then became important with a market for the trade in Wagon Mound, just outside the eastern boundary of the Mora Grant but within Mora County. Wheat was the most Important crop with seven flour mills dotting the Mora Valley with Fort Union a major customer until its closure in 1891.  Saw mills were an important feature as well for the timberlands.

 

The Romero families lived mainly at three communities today called Cleveland, Holman, and Chacon. Originally Cleveland was named San Antonio while Holman was Agua Negra, and Chacon was El Rito de Agua Negra some times called Agua Negra Arriba.  Holman is about 8 miles south of Chacon and Cleveland is about a mile and a half south of Holman.

 

The name of the Spanish Community of Agua Negra was officially changed to Holman when a post office was opened on 17 September 189. The village was named after the first postmaster, Charles W. Holman. This followed the standardization policy of the U.S. Postal Service, which preferred shorter names to the longer Spanish names for communities, often choosing the name of the first postmaster or a prominent citizen. James Holman and his son Charles who were merchants in Agua Negra.

 

The community of El Rito de Agua Negra was changed to Chacón when the post office was first established there in 1892 and named after the first postmaster, Diego Chacón.  The old names however were used for decades into the early Twentieth Century.  The community was named for as Charles was once the county treasurer.

 

Severiano Martinez, Ricardo Romero’s godfather

Ricardo  Romero was one of only two sons of Antonio and Gregoria Romero to grow to adulthood and leave posterity. Church Records of Santa Gertrudis de Mora located at Mora, New Mexico Territory show that Ricardo de Jesus Romero was born 6 April 1862 at Agua Negra, the son of Antonio Romero and Maria Gregoria Vigil. He was baptized  on 13 April 1862 and sponsored by Severiano Martinez and Nicanora Macarenas his padrinos. 

 

The 1860 census stated Severiano Martinez was the county clerk of Mora and he and his wife were enumerated in the community of La Cueva so it is doubtful the couple had any relationship to the Romeros.  Martinez was a captain in the New Mexico Cavalry during the Civil War enlisting  in September 10 September 1861 from Mora County as a Captain for 10 months. He was probably still in the cavalry when he acted as a sponsor for Ricardo Romero. In 1863 Severiano Martinez was chosen a state senator to represent Mora County. Politically he was a Republican in a mainly Democratic county.

               

The 1880 census of San Antonio listed Ricardo’s grandfather Felipe Romero as near neighbors with Severiano Martinez. He was a lawyer residing at household 49 and while Ricardo’s grandfather’s  household was number 53. Martinez gave his age as 49 born in 1831, which was consistent in all the census records he was enumerated in.

 

Severiano Martinez was active in the Republican Party however in 1889 Mora County Sheriff John Doherty and he joined the People’s Party. They were mentioned as attending  “a very large and enthusiastic People Party’s convention held at Mora a few days ago” where they were chosen “candidates to the constitutional convention.  They are well known citizens and will make excellent members of the convention. And  so the good work goes bravely on.”

 

In 1890 “Hon. Severiano Martinez” was  appointed  postmaster at the town of Mora. “This is the first time for twenty years  that a Republican is postmaster at that town.”  Three years later the Las Vegas Daily Optic reported in 1893, “Don Severiano Martinez a good old gentleman of Mora county and a wheel horse of the Republican Party there, came to Las Vegas to appear before the United States pension examiners. He served as captain of a company  and did good work during the war of the rebellion for which he deserves to be recognized  by the government. He was getting a pension of $20 a month in consideration of his right arm having been broken in the war but the new management of public affairs have suspended his pension and left the old man in want.”

 

His first wife died in 1893 and was buried at San Antonio however the last mention of Severiano Martinez was in the 1900 census where he stated he was born in March 1831 and was a farmer living in Cleveland, Mora, new Mexico. He also had remarried. His death date is unknown.

Ricardo Romero’s Youth 1862-1882

Within Ricardo Romero’s father, Antonio de Jesus’ household was a Navajo Indian servant named Jose Miguel Romero born in 1861,  he was about the same age as Ricardo and they would have grew up together in their father’s household but with decidedly different roles. Even after Jose Miguel married, between 1880 and 1885, he along with his wife were included in the household of Antonio de Jesus Romero. Although always listed as a servant, he may have been adopted into the family for him to have remained with them for that many years and used the surname Romero.

 

When Ricardo was an infant, the American Civil War raged on in the east,  however a decisive battle at Glorietta Pass in March 1862, between Santa Fe and Las Vegas, a few weeks before he was born kept New Mexico out of the hands of the Confederacy. His godfather Severiano Martinez was a Captain in the battle.

 

After math of Battle of Glorietta PassF

It is certain that Ricardo being the oldest son was put to work at a very young age on his father’s farm, herding livestock and doing chores as most children did.  However unlike his ancestors, while he learned to hunt and fish, he never had to have military training as the Indian threat had diminished with Fort Union nearby.

 

However,  in the 1860s and 1870s the Plains Indian tribes were harassing surveying parties trying to establish the eastern boundary of the Mora Grant. As late as in 1882 a band of Jicarilla Apache Indians who refused to move to their new reservation were found “in the Mora mountains . . . [where they had gone] to enjoy a hunt in their hunting grounds of former years.”

 

  The post Civil War  times, from 1865 to 1880, were changing for the people of the Spanish southwest. The population of the Mora County grew rapidly and by 1870, numbered 8,000. Both the 1870 and 1880 US Censuses for Mora County listed Ricardo Romero as being in the household of his father Antonio Romero. Antonio de Jesus’ family was recorded as living in Agua Negra next to his in-laws the Vigils. Ricardo Romero’s grandparents.  Felipe and his wife were enumerated within his father’s household and he most certainly knew who they were if not the family origins. 

 

The Spanish New Mexicanos  were often thought of as being foreign or non American due to their customs, and the predominance of speaking  Spanish.   More and more displaced Anglo-Americans and Europeans came west seeking new opportunities at at the expense of the locals. Ricardo’s aunt, Maria de Jesus Vigil, married a German merchant named William Frederick Gandert thus Ricardo had five German Spanish cousins.

 

The post civil war influx on non native New Mexicans was abetted by Territorial Anglo officials appointed by the U.S. President for the next fifty years. The most infamous group of outsiders was known as “the Santa Fe Ring” which was an informal group of powerful politicians, attorneys, and land speculators in territorial New Mexico from 1865 until 1912. The Ring was composed of newly-arrived Anglo Americans abetted by opportunistic Hispanics from prominent families in New Mexico. Both groups realized owning or controlling the millions of acres of land grants which the Spanish and Mexican governments of New Mexico had granted to individuals and communities, was a means to wealth.

 

The acquisition of grant lands by members of the Santa Fe Ring was facilitated by U.S. courts who had no allegiance to Mexican claims and land practices, which featured allocating most of the land in grants to the common ownership of the first pobladores and their descendants, versus legal private ownership.

 

Two of the most prominent Anglo exploiters in New Mexico Territory were Stephen Elkins and Thomas  Catron, both who became State Senators, however the ring’s name was applied to almost all state politicians in the state capital in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who had near total control of the state during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

One of the most infamous period involving the Santa Fe Ring was in the 1870s, when ownership of huge Spanish and Mexican land grants was being sorted out, especially the Mexican Mora Land Grant, The Maxwell Grant, and the Terra Amarilla Grant .

 

The Mora Land Grant, that was issued in 1835, contained more than 800,000 acres, and was exploited by Catron and Elkin. They gained control of the common property by “legal machinations, thus excluding the residents from use of the land. Disputes about ownership between speculators and residents were frequent and persistent” during the 1880s and 1890’s with Catron and Elkin claiming ownership and demanding the county residents pay them rent.

 

“Unfamiliar with Spanish law protecting and preserving village commons, American judges ruled that the ancient common lands could be partitioned and divided among the numerous grant-claimants. That meant that vast areas of upland pastures and mountain woods, of which villagers had made free use for generations, were now allotted to individuals who could put them up for sale if they chose. Not surprisingly, surrounding lands soon slipped from the grasp of community members and passed to the control of outsiders, often cattlemen from Texas, or into the public domain, where much of it was placed under the National Forest Service.”

 

 Catron and Elkin  would lose their case eventually but as they were Republicans, most of Mora County became decisively Democratic.  

The 1882 Acequia de la Sierra de Agua Negra

Due to unpredicted bouts of drought the Spanish of New Mexico built acequia, irrigation ditches from what water sources there were from the mountains.  “The process created communities and was so important that according to a historian “When founding a town, the early Spanish built the acequia first, then the church.” It “took a village to build” them. So, “it has always been— as the Spanish dicho (saying) goes—water is life.” 

 

Water in the Mora Land Grant was generally from the Rio Mora, however in 1837 pobladores within the Mora Grant complained of the scarcity of water at Santa Gertrudis and San Antonio.  In 1845 the Mora Valley population, prior to the United States invasion of New Mexico in 1846, was approximately 2,500 people. Ricardo Romero’s grandfather had just recently moved from La Joya to San Antonio.

 

The population increased so dramatically in the 1850s, that in 1860 the census reported 4,400 individuals living in the Mora Valley. At this time the Mora Valley’s access to water for farming and livestock was an issue. “The snow melt and rivulets which trickled into the Mora River seldom carried sufficient water to meet the growing demands of the people.”   It was also at this time the first acequia was constructed to provide water for the pobladores

 

A sizeable group of first settled at San Antonio and Santa Gertrudis “began to build their houses, plant their fields, and dig their irrigation ditches. They soon discovered, however, that “the Mora River at the upper end of the valley did not carry sufficient water to meet the needs of the growing population of San Antonio and Santa Gertrudis. The pobladores decided to construct the first diversion from the middle branch of the Río Pueblo at this time. ““Antonio Olguín . . . [who] lived in the Pueblo of Picuris and moved over the mountain to the town of Mora . . . was allowed [by Picuris] to take this water.”

 

Agua Negra was formed in 1856 less than two miles north of San Antonio. “There were too many farmers using the water from the first Acequia de la Sierra diversion “for there to be a water-sharing regime.” “Instead, a new second diversion supplying Agua Negra was planned in the early 1860s and completed around 1865.

Acequia de la Sierra

 

“As the population of the settlements on the Mora Grant increased in the 1850s, 1860s, and 1870s, the first. second and third diversions were constructed, directing water from the northern and southern branches of the Río Pueblo” to the acequias of the communities of El Rito de Agua and Agua Negra.

 

When the construction of the third diversion began in 1879, the population of the Mora Valley was around eight thousand. The majority were farmers, and many did not have enough water to irrigate their fields, a problem that led to the acequia diversion.

 

The acequia was meant to be a community-operated watercourse used for irrigation. It was built to bring water from the middle branch of the Río Pueblo on the Picuris side of the watershed about six miles to the ridge dividing the two watersheds of Picuris and Agua Negra. Water flowed  into Vigil Canyon “where it flows for about two miles before it is diverted into the Holman acequia proper and “reaches the community of Holman where its parciantes (land-owning irrigators) . . . irrigated their pastures, alfalfa fields, and gardens.”

 

The diversion of the 1882 the Acequia de la Sierra de Agua Negra “was a dramatic enterprise. The diversion of 1882 was first planned around 1879 by Father Jean Bautista Guerín, the parish priest of Santa Gertrudis at Mora. He would have been the parish priest for the Ricardo Romero during his youth. Father Guerin was born in 1831 in France and was ordained 23 Dec 1854 in Santa Fe. He was located in San Miguel County in the 1860 and 1870 censuses as a clergyman.  He eventually settled in Mora County where he died 9 June 1885.

 

In 1879 Father Guerin promoted the construction of an acequia [irrigation ditch] to bring water to Agua Negra. Twenty-two “parciantes”, locals men from Agua Negra were sponsors for the acequia which probably would have included many of Ricardo Romero’s relatives as that his father had moved to Agua Negra by 1880.

 

The Agua Negra Acequia was probably difficult to construct and “would not have been built without the priest’s moral and material support.” Father Guerín had sponsored and provisioned the fourteen families and “blessed the workers” who even “took their cows with them to the mountains so they would have milk to drink.”

 

“The irrigators intermittently camped on the mountain for three years while they dug the acequia in an epic effort to move water from the western side of Picuris Peak into the Mora Valley. Their families supported them by bringing them provisions, including weapons to defend themselves against attacks by Picuris Indians from whose watershed and river (the Río del Pueblo) the water was being diverted.” 

 

Father Guerín “had more than the community’s interest at heart, though that was certainly a factor. He is said to have owned a large amount of land in the northwestern part of the grant, some of which was apparently irrigated by the third Acequia de la Sierra. Thus, the priest had a private interest in sponsoring the crew that would bring water to his land. 

 

The 1882 “diversion on the top of the Jicarilla Mountain brought water from the glacial basins that feed the Río Pueblo into the Alamitos Creek, augmenting its flow before it reaches the point” where it was diverted by the Acequia and led to the fields of the Auga Negra “parciantes”.  

 

The Sierra portion of the Acequia de la Sierra diverted water, that would have flowed to the Picuris’ acequias, into the water-starved Agua Negra acequia, making it possible to irrigate additional lands in the mountain villages, “including the lands of Father Guerín.” 

 

The Picuris Pueblo Reservation was on the other side of the mountain and downstream from the Agua Negra diversion, not upstream.  “Their survival by raising crops to feed themselves and their animals was what worried the Picuris farmers.”  It was the third diversion of 1882  that the Picuris Pueblo filed a lawsuit to “protest these transmountain diversions” to stop or reverse it.  They lost their suit however as “the mostly-Hispano and Anglo pobladores on the Mora Land Grant were protesting the acquisition of the common lands by outside speculators” like Stephen Elkins and Thomas  Catron.  

 

“While historians and others rightly praise the courage of those pioneering Mora families, they have somewhat mythologized the entire project, obscuring several historical questions.  To what extent did Mora irrigators have permission from Picuris Pueblo to make the water diversions?”  Nevertheless the acequia allowed the Hispanic and non Hispanic pobladores to prosper in Agua Negra and El Rita de Agua for decades.

Coming of Age in the 1880’s

                On the 19 June 1880 Ricardo Romero was enumerated as a 17 year old laborer living with in his father’s family at Agua Negra. It wouldn’t be a far stretch if he was enlisted at some point to help with the acequia that would provide water to his father’s fields. In 1880 there were enumerated only 400 people and 70 households in Agua Negra “abajo” and 477 in 100 households at Agua Negra Arriba, “El Rito de Agua”.

 

He was still enumerated within his father’s household in the 1885 Territorial Census, however the  Anglo enumerator, Rev. Lachoneus Frampton, was very careless recording information on Antonio Romero‘s family.  The census was taken on June 22 and listed 23 year old Ricardo Romero as a 17 year old daughter of Antonio! Ricardo’s mother was even listed as Ignacia instead of Gregoria.

                 

                On 24 September 1885,  23 year old Ricardo de Jesus Romero and his sister Adelaida Romero “of Rito de la Agua Negra” acted as padrinos sponsors to their niece Maria Maclovia Romero. She was the  daughter of their sister Maria Virginia Romero and her husband Desiderio Romero, a  son of Jesus Maria Romero and Altagracia Maes.

               

It was probably through his sister’s husband, Desiderio Romero, that Ricardo Romero courted his future bride Libradita Romero.  A record of marriages from Santa Gertrudis Church in Mora mentioned the marriage of 25 year old Ricardo Romero of Agua Negra   to 15 year old Librada Romero of Rito Agua Negra on 28 December 1886 at Santa Gertrudis de Mora Catholic Church by Rev. Antonio Fourcheque, the Parish Priest of Santa Gertrudis.  Fourchque was called to replace Guerín who died in 1885.

 

Ricardo was called the son of Antonio Romero and Maria Gregoria Vigil of Agua Negra. Libradita was the daughter of Jesus Maria Romero and Maria Alta Gracia Maes of El Rito de Agua Negra.    Witnesses to the wedding were Jamess Rembert and Manuela Garcia and the Padrinos or sponsors were Miguel Antonio Lucero and Maria Manuela Lucero.  

 

                Maria Librada Romero, according to the 1900 U.S. Census, was born in November 1871 although her birthdate, according to her son Richard “Dick” Jesus Romero, was 21 December 1868 which was listed on her death certificate. The 1870 census enumeration of Jesus Maria and Altagracia Maes does not include Libradita in their household so it fairly evident she was born after 1870.  The 1880 census listed her as an 8 year old, so 1871 is probably closer to her actual birth year.  The 1885 Territorial census listed Libradita  as 12 years old and nearly all of the subsequential census listed her as being born between 1871 and  1873  than 1868 although that date of 1868  is what is  inscribed on her tombstone. The birthdate might be correct but not the year on her death certificate.

 Baptismal records found in Santa Gertrudis Church indicated that their first child was baptized  on  25 January 1888. He was named Jose Margarito Romero born 28 December 1887 “the son of Ricardo Romero and Librada Romero of Agua Negra”.  He was sponsored by Antonio Romero and Teo Lucero padrinos who were probably kin to Librada or simply neighbors.

 

Next came a daughter named Maria Cleofes Romero born 17 August 1889 and baptized  25 September 1889.  She was sponsored of her uncle Desiderio Romero and aunt Virginia Romero, padrinos brother of Librada and sister of Ricardo.  Her name was spelled in a variety of ways in records as Clofes, Clofas, Cleofas, and Cloefas.  It was generally a boys name but sometimes used for girls and meant “vision of glory”

 

Mora County in 1890-1895

                Mora County was prosperous during the 1890’s and an article written also stated some of the lawlessness that also prevailed. “With improved communication and promotion of New Mexico’s bountiful resources, more and more people from the far corners of the nation began arriving to stake out and claim a piece of the territory for their own. Among them, inevitably, came the lawless preying on the pobladores in the mining camps, railroad towns, and cattle ranches. From the end of the Civil War to the end of the century, most men wore a gun belted to the waist, and dance hall keepers installed signs that read, “Don’t shoot the musicians, they are doing the best they can.”

 

“Even in the midst of civil strife and political storms, New Mexico was edging toward a social and cultural transformation.”  New Mexico, despite immigration from outside of New Mexico, “the steady economic growth, and a gradual increase in educational institutions, all of which drew the territory closer to the mainstream of national life, still remained a land apart.”

 

“Much of the reason resided in the continuing dominance of the Hispanic population. Throughout territorial days, and “descendants of the colonial Spanish constituted a majority of New Mexico’s people.”  “New Mexicans were allowed to move along at an unhurried pace, and to follow their Old World customs without interference because other Americans were hardly aware of their existence. Gradually, of course, by a process of accretion, American ways made inroads. Yeas t the framework of Hispanic culture was kept intact and continued to serve as the principal point of reference by which the people viewed their past and measured the future.”

 

Mora Valley

Ricardo Romero was a family man in his thirties when a crime occurred in Mora County that garnered statewide attention and even involved the intervention of several New Mexico Territorial governors. It involved Jose Agapito Abeyta Jr., who was a contemporary of Ricardo Romero and someone he probably knew very well. Agapito Abeyta Jr. was about the same age as Ricardo and both were active in Democratic Politics. In fact Agapito’s son Jose Emelio Abeyta eventually became a brother in law to Libradita Romero after her younger sister Porfiria Romero who was 15 years his senior when she married him.  The 1910 census stated that it was Porfiria’s second married and his first.  This made Ricardo Romero and Emilio Abeyta brothers in law through their wives and their children first cousins, grandchildren of Jesus Maria Romero.  Also his wife Libradita’s sister Matilda Romero, born 1886, had married of Agapito Abeyta Jr.’s son  Pedro Abeyta 

 

Agapito Abeyta Jr was the father of 7 children according to the 1900 census where he was enumerated as the consecutive household after  the father of Elias Ortiz, whom Ricardo’s daughter, Cleofas Romero, later married. 

 

In the meantime, another daughter named Gregorita Romero, named after Ricardo Romero's mother, was born 24 November 1891 and baptized in January 1892. Her padrinos were her uncle Benito Romero, her mother’s brother and his wife Libradita Romero who was Ricardo’s sister. Another son named Antonio Romero was born 13 April1893 at Agua Negra, but his baptismal records have not been located. 

 

Besides having a farm at Agua Negra, the Las Vegas Daily Optic newspaper mentioned on 29 June 1892, that Ricardo Romero’s father Antonio operated a saw mill which Ricardo would later  himself operate. “The sawmill of Don Antonio Romero on the Agua Negra will soon commence sawing. They have an immense lot of logs on hand and will start as soon as the mill is completed.”    Agua Negra was situated below timber lands.

 

The year 1893  was the beginning of a trying time for Ricardo Romero’s neighbors in Mora County with lawlessness seemingly everywhere and political rivalry between Democrats and Republicans. Ricardo Romero, unlike his father seemed to have been very active in politics in the 1890’s. He was a Democrat and attended political Democratic meetings and statehood conventions. He even was nominated for sheriff of Mora County several times however a contentious scandal involving a friend Sheriff Agapito Abeyta, a prominent  member of the Democratic, prevented his election to that office.

The John Doherty and Juan Antonio Rael Murders 1893-1894

 The Abeyta family were prominent citizens of Mora County.  Pablo Albino Abeyta of Cebolla in Mora County had two sons he had named both Agapito, Senior and Junior.  Agapito Sr was born in 1852 and Agapito Jr. was born in 1862 the same year as Ricardo Romero.

 

In November 1894, Agapito Abeyta Sr. was elected state senator representing Mora, Union, and Colfax Counties by a margin of a mere 15 votes out of 4,624 voters.  A Scandal involving his younger brother was  the reason for the close election. His brother Agapito Jr.  had been arrested in complicity of  murder which shocked and divided the county between friends and foes.  

 

“Hon. Agapito Abeyta Sr, who represents the counties of Colfax, Mora and Union in the present legislative council is a native of Rio Arriba county having been born there in 1854. In 1861 his family moved to Mora County and it was in that county, at the Christian Brothers College, that he received his education. For a number of years Mr. Abeyta has been engaged in farming and mercantile business. He is the proprietor of a large saw mill about four miles from the town of Mora and is a most important factor in the community of which he lives. Mr. Abeyta has a happy family circle made complete by a wife and one child. Up to the time of his securing his present  high honors in the legislature, Mr. Abeyta had never held public office. In the deliberation of the body of which he is a member he has shown himself to be most industrious, painstaking, and watchful representative of the people. He is an orator of no little force and ability and his speeches on the council floor always have a plenty of good hard sense to them.”

 

                When 28 years old, Agapito Abeyta Jr. was elected Mora County Sherriff in 1890 on the Democratic ticket, by all accounts, he was a popular man. A newspaper article from April 1892 mentioned that “Agapito Abeyta Jr, sheriff of Mora County, was brought in last night [Las Vegas]  for treatment of a wound in one of his feet. Mr. Abeyta, Mr. Daniels, Ned Griss, Jules Daniels and a few more were out hunting ducks and one of the party tried to take a charge out of his gun but got it out at the wrong end and into Mr. Abeyta’s foot. Ten shots were taken out by the doctor and at present he is resting easily. His doctor tells him he will, with care, come  out all right and not lose his foot, but will be laid up for a few weeks.”  He remained in Las Vegas until May 10 when he was able to return to his home at Mora.

 

 He participated in the 4^th of July parade and celebration in the town of Mora as  noted in a 1892 Las Vegas Daily Optic article.  Certainly the Romero families  would have attended the event. “In the city of Mora, the demonstration [Fourth of July] is said to have been very great, and the enthusiasm immense. The procession was a mile and a half long and numbered about 3000 people. J.H. Faniel was chairman and Agapito Abeyta Jr, marshal of the day. There was a barbeque at which were consumed 1,600 pounds of meat and 1,000 bounds of bread. Music, speeches and fireworks at night completed a glorious observance of the glorious day.”

 

One of the reason for his popularity was, however, was that Abeyta was “delinquent in collecting county taxes” which also caused the county to have “its debt very largely through non collection of taxes.”   Consequently also services for courts and other county  maintenances were underfunded.

 

Within the week, however, on July 9, Agapito with several guards took the outlaw Jose D Gallegos to the Mora County jail  for the killing of  “J.J Schmidt in cold blood north of Las Vegas.

Sheriff John Doherty

An Irish merchant and cattle rancher named John Doherty resided in San Antonio [Cleveland] after having immigrated from Ireland with his brothers James and Joseph. He was born in 1851 and was married to a woman named Maggie Gallagher circa 1873. He fathered 13 children by the time he was killed in 1893.

John Doherty

 

 The 1880 Census listed John Doherty’s household as residing next to 38 years old Thomas Walton in Santa Gertrudis, a town of about 900 people. Thomas Walton had married the wealthy widow of Joseph Rouelle who had operated a hotel in Santa Gertrudis.  In 1888, the “Sisters of the Mora convent” were said to be  “domiciled in the Mora Hotel, conducted by Tom Walton. They are also conducting their school at the same place.”

 

Both John Doherty and Tom Walton were active in community affairs. An article from the Las Vegas Daily Optic, 15 February 1890, mentioned, “Tom Walton, who came down from Mora yesterday says that the people up there are very much in need of a resident physician, there being none there at present. When a case of sickness demands the presence of a doctor, one has to be called from this city, which involves more delay and expense that there need any necessity for. Mr. Walton says that Mora is an excellent location for a good capable doctor, who will attend strictly to business and what is more the people are not so poverty stricken as they are supposed, down this way, to be, and they are abundantly able to pay their doctor bills, not in produce, but in money. These things being true, there ought to be no difficulty in getting a doctor located at Mora.”

 

John Doherty’s association with the law in Mora County predated his election as Sheriff in 1886, as he was recorded as having been deputized by then 41 year old  Mora County Sheriff Alejandro Leopoldo in 1880 to aid him in guiding a posse from Las Vegas, New Mexico, to a farmhouse where two fugitives who had killed the Marshall of Las Vegas were hiding out. “The two men surrendered on the guarantee that they would be protected from mob violence. This promise was not kept, as the two men along with a third who had been previously captured were taken from the jail by about 100 locals and lynched before they could stand trial.

 

In March 1886 according to a probate case of Antonio Maria Pacheco John Doherty was the “AlguacilMayor or Bailiff and Agapito Jr. was the Secretary in the case. Guarantors for the estate were Rumaldo Gonzales and his father in law Francisco Rael among others.  Pacheco left a huge estate  of  $193,968 and among the distributees of the estate were as Agapito Abeyto jr for the sum of $2,350  and James Doherty for  $1,000.  Macario Gallegos who was the collector of Taxes  was owed $4,768.

Macario Gallegos and Alejandro L. Branch

Mora County’s politics was dominated by the Democratic Party which elected all county offices including Sherriff as well as representatives to the territorial legislature. One such Democrat was Macario Gallegos who in 1884 introduce house bill 149 which passed as “an act to preserve information as to genealogies and descent.” 

 

In August 1884, Mora County delegates to the constitution convention on statehood were “A. L. Branch, Macario Gallegos,  Rumoldo Gonzales, and John Doherty.  Macario Gallegos also had replaced A.L. Branch as Sheriff until John Doherty was elected in 1886 on the Democratic ticket.

 

The 1885 Territorial Census enumerated the household of Sheriff Macario Gallegos between John Doherty and Thomas J Walton in the town of Mora.

 

In 1879 Macario Gallegos married Felicitas St. Vrain the daughter of the wealthy Ceran St. Vrain and Luisa Branch. She was born in 1862 in Mora County and her father died in 1870 after suffering a stroke in Mora. His funeral was attended by over 2000 people including officers and troops from Fort Union. He was buried by the Masons with full military honors in his family plot, Saint Vrain Cemetery, Mora, New Mexico.  Her widowed mother Luisa spent the rest of her life living with Felicitas and Macario.  Her uncle was Alejandro Leopoldo Branch known as A.L. Branch.

 

In 1891 “Hon. Alejandro Branch” was owner of  The Mora Ides, a Spanish and English weekly newspaper and Severino M Sanches  was its editor.  As “speaker of the New Mexico legislature the winter of 1893”, he met in 1893  with Governor W. T. Thornton  to discuss the “political situation in the Democratic Kingdom of Mora.”   

 

In February 1896 his ranch house and all contents at Wagon Mound was burned by an arsonist as “iron clutched of the law will have to be applied.”  Later that year in August, Alejandro Branch was killed “while driving over a mountain road. He was thrown from his wagon and sustained injuries from which he could not recover, and death came to his relief. He was an influential citizen of Mora and had held many public offices.

 

Sheriff Agapito Abeyta Jr was well acquainted with Macario Gallegos as that in 1892 he was president of the Mora County Democrats and Gallegos was party secretary. An article from May 1892 stated, “It will be a fierce fight between A. L. Branch and Macario Gallegos for control of the Democratic machinery in Mora County.  However Branch has more experience and is a right strong man among the Mora county Democracy.”   At the time Gallegos was an ex member of the legislature and was presently the assessor of Mora County. He was vying to be U.S. Marshal  for New Mexico.

 

John Doherty who was about ten years older than 27 years old Agapito Abeyta Jr when the Las Vegas Daily Optic mentioned that in May 1888 John Doherty and Agapito Abeyta Jr. “of Mora took in the baseball game” at Las Vegas.  They may have been friendly back then, or at least acquaintances however by 1890 they were political rivals. However by 1890 they were political rivals.

 

Thirty-five years old Doherty was elected sheriff in 1886 and in 1889 “Quite a considerable excitement has been caused in certain localities by the arrest, by Deputy U S Marshal Macario Gallegos, of quite a number of persons who have been living as man and wife although not legally married” according to the  Mora Democrat newspaper. This was in response to the enforcement of the 1882 Edmunds Act which made “cohabitation unlawful.”  The federal law was actually aim at Utah’s polygamist.

 

In early 1890 Macario Gallegos, Agapito Abeyta Jr and Camillo Padilla , “stanch representatives of Mora County democracy” represented Mora County in the Democratic Territorial convention.  Later in November 1890, John Doherty failed to secure the Democrats nomination to stand for re-election. His reputation as a poker player may have interfered with his reputation as a sheriff or internal party politics was at work with Hispanics taking charge of the party. “ Lending some credence to the notion of party politics being at work, John was not the only Democrat to lose out in the party’s primaries.”

 

John Doherty and several of his fellow Democrats then reached out to the New Mexico Republicans to establish a “People’s Party” ticket  so that they could seek election under, a tactic that earned him the nickname of “Judas Doherty” in the more fervently Democratic of the papers. Despite this tactic, he lost out at the ballot box to the man who had secured the Democratic nomination, Agapito Abeyta Jr.

The Assassination of John Doherty

On the evening of 9 December 1893, John Doherty collected his mail and took it into his office. There, he permitted two of his 13 children, who ranged in age from a 17-year-old daughter down to a one-year-old son, to sit on his knees while he read the paper. “It was while he was engaged in this pursuit that his assassin struck.”

 

“Perhaps there was some creak as the killer stepped up, as John is said to have commented on someone stepping onto the porch just before the fateful shot. Having rested the barrel of his gun on the sill of the glassless window that formed the top half of the office door which, one can presume, opened out to the outside of the house, the killer fired a single bullet that went through John’s arm and into his chest. If his arm had not been in the way, the shot would have gone directly into his heart, killing him instantly. As it was, he lived long enough to tell his twelve-year-old son who had immediately grabbed and cocked a pistol, not to shoot out into the darkness after the assassin.”

 

 “Doubtless, the lawman’s training at work for such a shot would have been equally likely to strike a household member running to see what had happened. Responding to those asking him what had happened, his last words were reported as simply, “Crime, crime! Let me die in peace.”

 

John Doherty's Funeral

Sheriff Agapito Abeyta Jr, “who had been out of town at the time of the shooting, brought bloodhounds down to track the killers, but this tactic failed as that  Abeyta had allegedly  “deliberately delaying the use of bloodhounds until rain had erased their scent.”

 

Two goatskin masks were found discarded near the scene, alongside the tracks of two horses, leading people to presume that two men working together had done the deed. It was also discovered that the telephone lines out of Mora had been cut that night, presumably to hamper the organization of pursuit.”

 

The county jailer, Juan B. Romero, was arrested in the immediate aftermath of the killing, “although we don’t know on what grounds. However, he was soon released, and the matter remained unsolved for several months.”

 

As one might imagine, the news of the assassination of such a prominent local figure sent the Mora County people “into a frenzy.”  As news spread, the entire territory was outraged and all newspapers covered the dastardly deed. “Assassination of John Doherty, a leading citizen of Mora county, should promptly and swiftly avenged”  was the general sentiment. Another newspaper called  him “as good and honest a man and citizens ever lived in the borders of New Mexico.

 

President Grover Cleveland had appointed William Taylor Thornton, a Democrat  as the 15^th Governor of New Mexico Territory in 1892. Thornton “had been charged with bringing an end to secret societies like the White Caps of Las Vegas, a gang of outlaws associated with  Vincente Silva of Las Vegas. Also called La Sociedad de Bandidos and Forty Bandits, the White Caps were a mafia-like vicious outlaw gang organization led by Vicente Silva

 

Silva was a profitable businessman in Las Vegas. “Through fence-cutting, arson, and physical assault, the gang sought to drive pobladores from lands that had once been common pasture. Often meeting in Silva’s Imperial Saloon on Moreno Street, the gang also committed various crimes and gained the reputation as one of the meanest and cruelest gangs ever assembled in New Mexico.”

 

“When Colonel W. A. Adams and his two sons were found dead with bullets in their heads and stab wounds in their chests at their sheep ranch home about 30 miles south of Los Cerrillos; it was generally believed that the Pueblo Indians had revenged themselves on the white men. Afterward, of the terrible murders reached Las Vegas, Vicente Silva went about declaring that he would be one of a committee to go and bring the Indians to justice. Several years later, it would be found out that Colonel Adams had discovered who was robbing him and his fellow sheep raisers and was about to expose the robbers as the Silva Gang.”  The White Caps operated from about 1879 to 1893 until gang members turned on Silva and killed him for having killed his wife.

 

The Governor Thornton also made it his personal mission to stamp out politically motivated assassinations. During the previous ten years there had seen eight politically motivated murders in New Mexico, three in 1892 alone.  The governor had personally involved himself in one such investigation, that of the murder of the police chief of Santa Fe, Sylvestre Gallegos. That killing had been a much more straightforward affair, though. Gallegos had been shot down in the street in a “duel of the type so common in Western films but so rare in real life, and his killers were well known. The deaths of Doherty and now Rael were far more obscured.”

 

William Taylor Thornton, offered a $500 reward for information leading to the capture of the killer or killers of former Sheriff John Doherty while John’s brother James Doherty offered a $2000 reward.

The Murder of Juan Antonio Rael

For Two months after the killing of John Doherty, there was no break through on finding the killers o

f John Doherty until Juan Antonio Rael, who was suspected of being involved in the murder  was killed in mid-February 1894.  News of his murder and possible involvement in the Doherty case came to the attention of the governor in March 1894 which broke the case wide open.

 

Juan Antonio Rael was born circa 1860 in Arizona. The 1880 census showed that Juan Antonio was a 20 year old  Indian “servant” in the household of 64 year old Francisco Rael, a Hispanic living at La Cueva in Mora County. Juan Antonio took the surname of old Francisco, but he  was born in Arizona as was his parents, so he may have been a Navajo.  He was sometimes referred to as a “half-bred”.  He is not included in Francisco Rael’s household in the 1870 census of La Cueva, however, so he may have been acquired in the 1870’s.  

 

Juan Antonio would have been known by Agapito Jr as that Francisco Rael’s son in law was Rumaldo Gonzales who is 1886 was a Democratic delegate along with Agapito Abeyta Jr. Rael, Maria Francisca Rael who Juan Rumaldo Gonzalez29 May 1859 in Mora, New Mexico. She was the daughter of Francisco Rael and Maria Candelaria Romero.

 

 The 1885 Territorial Census showed that Juan Antonio was a 23 year old married “laborer” with a 1 year old child daughter Bersabe. He had married in 1882 Cruz “Conchita” Alcon by the time of his death, he had five children, Maria Bersabe Rael 1884-1963  wife of Felipe Gonzales,  Filiberto Rael, 1886-before 1900, Maria Eva Rael 1888–1960 wife of Francisco Benito Montoya, Amado Rael 1890–1979 husband of Albina Alcon and Manuel Rael 1893-1932.

 

Juan Antonio Rael’s widow Cruz Alcon in the 1900 Census of Coyote, Mora, New Mexico stated she was a 34 year old widow but did not give a month or year for her birthdate. She stated she was the mother of five children  with only 3 still although actually there were 4 but living with only Amando and Manuel were living within her household. She gave her occupation as a “laundress”.  By  the1910 census of Coyote, Mora, New Mexico she went back to her maiden name and was listed as “Cruz Alcon”  32 years old when she was closer to 42. She stated she was a domestic servant to a private family  having borne 9 children with only five still living. Her teenage sons Amado and Manuel “Alcon” were sheep herders and her daughter Bersabe was a Laundress.

Estanislado Sandoval’s Version of the Death of Rael

On February 17, according to Estanislado Sandoval, Sheriff Agapito Abeyta Jr had called for a meeting of the band of outlaws at the local jail, where he let them know that he had heard that Juan Rael  had been seen visiting the house of Joseph Doherty, John Doherty’s younger brother. The sheriff said he believed Rael was planning to betray them and needed to decide what to do about it. At this meeting were, Bartolome Cordova, Estanislado Sandoval, brothers Tomas, Juan, and Sostenes Luceros, and Juan B Romero. They were informed by Abeyta that Rael had been visiting Joseph Doherty’s house and he believed Rael was informing what he knew of the killing of John Doherty.

 

Supposedly Abeyta said at the meeting, “ You men are fools if you do not act  first. You need not be afraid to kill Rael as he is nobody but an Indian and people will be glad that he is dead.”   Abeyta then deputized Cordova,  Rael’s friend, in order to lead the Indian into a trap set by the conspirators.

 

It was thus agreed that Bartolome Cordova would determine where Rael would be the next day, and Estanislado Sandoval would then swear out an affidavit that Rael had asked him to assist in the assassination of John Doherty and had confessed to him of the murder of John Doherty.  Estanislado Sandoval  thus swore under oath that Rael, a known “bad man” , who was said to have killed four men, had tried to recruit Sandoval to assist in the murder of Doherty. 

 

Sheriff Abeyta Jr. then called upon lawyer and newspaper editor Edward Wilmerding Pierce, to draw up the affidavit which was then taken to a Justice of the Peace who signed a warrant for Rael’s arrest. “E. W. Pierce, was a Las Vegas lawyer and editor of the local Mora County Democrat newspaper. He had been induced to aid Sheriff Abeyta in their crimes.

 

 Sandoval’s false testimony, was the basic for the warrant issued for Rael’s arrest as an excuse to murder him. Mora County Jailer Juan B. Romero and Sostenes Lucero were also deputized to ensure that Rael would not be taken alive. 

Bartolome Cordova’s Account of the Murder of Rael

When Bartolome was interrogated he signed an affidavit accusing Agapito Abeyta Jr. and Estanlado Cordova of complicity in the murder of John Doherty although he said he did not know who actually killed John Doherty. He claimed however that  Sheriff Agapito Abeyta  Jr. presided at the meeting where it was plotted to kill Rael who was a member of their secret organization. The conspirators had heard  that Rael had been seen with Joe Doherty  the brother of John Doherty and they were afraid  that “Rael might charge the death on some of us.”    

 

Cordova explained how he became involved with the gang by saying Sandoval had “Asked me to become a member  so “that they would protect our lives.”  Cordova was actually a good friend of Juan Antonio and they knew they could use him to lure Rael to his death. At the clandestine Meeting  on February 17th, Cordova alleged that Sheriff Abeyta Jr. “appointed him to get Rael out of his house  and appointed Tomas Lucero to kill him.”

 

Cordova explained that on the next day, Tomas Lucero and he a  went looking for a place to kill Rael and to see  if they could get him out of his house in Coyote.   “ We  went to the road that goes to La Cueva and when we got there this side of Romualdo Gonzales’  house,  we went through a gap where no one would see us.”   They also ordered Sostenes Lucero “to watch for us” and then went  acrossed the river to a gap by Gabril Estrada’s  looking for a place to kill  Rael.

 

Later that morning  Cordova went by himself and at the house of Manuel Guillou, the man “asked me where I was going and I said to Coyote and he said he was going there too so he hitched up his buggy and went there to the town.”   Then Cordova went to the Rael’s house in Coyote where he saw Rael and his wife there.  Rael asked Cordova whether he  had delivered a horse owed him, to  Estanislado Sandoval and Cordova said not yet.

 

Rael also asked  Cordova for a certain woman named Lola  Piede Madril  and he told him he saw her at La Cueva and but told Rael to come to a certain place, the “little Bridge by Benado Alazan  at 8  and he would take  Rael to the house of Lola Piedad Madril “mi comadre”, a term that has many meanings.  

After taking Rael to Madril’s place, Cordova asked Rael to borrow his pistol saying he was going to get some supplies but he actually was meeting up with Sostenes Lucero and Juan B. Romero who were waiting for him. The “deputies” had Cordova go first to the house where he poke to his “mi comadre” and when she opened the door, Lucero and Romero went past Cordova and Madril. They found Rael undressed in bed and informed him they had a warrant and had come for his arrest.  Putting on his clothes, Rael asked where his horse was  and Romero said to “get your saddle and saddle your horse.”  Rael said to his former comrades, “I will not run away” and the four men all went out together to the corral with Rael going ahead. As Rael was leaning over to saddle the horse Sostenes Lucero shot him several times. The Indian ran a few steps saying “oh God” as Lucero kept firing his weapon. When Rael was down on the ground Lucero shot him in the head.

 

The three men then agreed to a cover up by firing a gun at Romero’s coats, then tied Rael’s body up on the horse he was going to saddle and took the corpse back to Mora.  They did not know or care that Lola Piedre Madril had witnessed the killing.

The Murder Plot Unravels

Juan Antoino Rael’s body was brought to the Sheriff office and was hastily buried.  Sheriff Agapito Abeyta’s version of how Rael met his death was that his men first  went to Rael’s house in Coyote, New Mexico with a warrant, but he wasn’t there. Later the jailer Juan B Romero and deputy Sostenes Lucero, “found him in a woman’s house in the town of La Cueva.”

 

According to the deputies, Rael at first went willingly but then tried to escape, somehow getting  hold of a gun and opening fire on them, so they had no choice but to gun him down. The deputies version of  Rael’s his death was accepted as fact by friends of Sheriff Abeyta Jr. However Joe Doherty was suspicious of the death of the “unscrupulous Indian”  as Rael had recently contacted him and had relayed that he intended to turn state witness  for the reward. Doherty believed that Juan Antonio Rael was murdered because he was going to reveal what he knew regarding the assassination of his brotehr John Doherty after Rael felt that the murder was going to be pinned on him.

 

Joe Doherty  contacted other Mora locals  and “decried” the Sherriff’s  version of events, as it was clear to many that Rael, “if guilty, was no more than a hired hand, and his death left his employer off the hook.” The deputy’s version  was also “flat-out contradicted by the woman” Lola Piedad  Madril, in whose house he had been. She claimed he had been  after “lying in bed, with no attempt to bring him in alive.”  In short the suspicious death of Rael, “stunk enough to draw” for Mora residents to bring the matter to  the personal attention of the governor of New Mexico, William Taylor Thornton.

 

Governor Thornton “spurred on by letters from Doherty and other prominent Mora County citizens” came to the county in the first week of  March 1894 in order to lead an “investigation into the matter of the death of Rael as it pertained to the killing of John Doherty.” After questioning prominent residents, the Governor Thornton was dismayed to discover that Rael had spoken before his death of turning state’s evidence, after having read of the reward being offered for information on the murder of Doherty and clemency to any informant.

 

The official investigation of the death of the Rael by the governor unraveled the claim that the Indian was shot having resisted an arrest. Governor Thornton ordered Rael’s body exhumed and the coroner confirmed that, contrary to the story told by the deputies, Rael had been shot six times rather than four, with some of the angle indicating that he had been lying down or in some similar position when he had been shot. The other wounds were evident that “he was shot in the back several times “by those men who Sheriff Agapito Abeyta Jr. had deputized.”

 

An examination of Juan B. Romero’s coat showed that the bullet hole Romero claimed to have been made by Rael , firing upon the deputies, actually had been made by a gun being held against the garment and not from a distance.

 

Given the implications of the deputies having killed Rael to stop him from talking, Governor Thornton decided to take Sheriff Abeyta Jr out of the investigation and relieved him from his duties as sheriff. He enlisted Deputy U.S. Marshal William P. Cunningham, of Santa Fe and Deputy Marshal Hernandez of Las Vegas go and serve warrants on the “deputies” Sostenes Lucero and Juan B. Romero.

 

Marshal Cunningham was also sent to arrest Sandoval who had made out the affidavit that accused Rael of the crime  for which the warrant was made. Bartolome Cordova was arrested for being at the Madril house at the time of Rael’s death, an associate of Rael, who had let the deputies know where he was staying. ordova and Sandoval soon broke down and confessed to their involvement in the murders.

 

As the governor’s  10 day investigation had learned, the arrested were all part of a group of Mora County outlaws had formed a conspiratorial pact to protect themselves from prosecution for their illegal activities which ultimately led to the death of John Doherty and Juan Antonio Rael. It was believed that they were also connected to the  Silva’s Las Vegas White Cap gang. Further investigation and confessions revealed that the objective for  killing John Doherty was actually to prevent him from prosecuting the gang’s thefts and of Sostenes Lucero’s murder of a man named Jones in neighboring Colfax County. 

 

The men with warrants for their arrests were 38 year old Estanislado Sandoval, 26 year old Sostenes Lucero, his twin brothers Juan Lucero and Tomas, 30 year old Bartolome Cordova, and county jailer Juan B. Romero.  Along with the arrest of Sheriff Abeyta was E.W. Pierce who had drawn up Sandoval’s affidavit for the sheriff.

 

Tomas Lucero who had a criminal conviction in 1890 and had been sentenced to one year in the penitentiary for sheep stealing had skipped out and was not arrested immediately. While Marshal Cunningham “was thorough, and almost the entire band was soon arrested to stand trial for the murders they had committed,”  the sole escapee was Tomas Lucero, one of the twins who had actually performed the murder of John Doherty. He was arrested that October 1894  after the marshal who had been quietly tracking him down over the intervening months. Tomas Lucero was captured in Valencia County waiting at a train station.  Joe Doherty who had been deputized assisted him in the capture, “bringing to justice the men who killed his brother.” Joe Doherty was himself elected Sheriff the following year in 1895. He would not stay in Mora long, though, by 1900 the stock raiser moved to Union County and opened a mercantile store “becoming one of the wealthiest men in New Mexico.”

 

After being arrested, Sandoval and Cordova admitted to having been part of the local chapter of the infamous Vicente Silva’s White Caps, along with Rael, the jailer Romero, Sostenes Lucero and his two brothers Juan and Tomas, and several other men. “The head of the local chapter, they claimed, was none other than the current Sheriff of Mora County, Agapito Abeyta Jr. himself.”  While Vicente Silva had been killed earlier in 1893, “it appears that this local chapter had kept together and was engaged in rustling, horse theft, robbery, extortion, and “the occasional murder.”

 

The investigation indicated that the gang feared that former Sheriff John Doherty “had been engaged in gathering evidence against them and could have gathered enough to implicate them in a series of thefts and the murder of a man named Old Man Jones in Colfax County.”  They  were determined to kill him, while Sheriff Abeyta was “conveniently out of town”  but had returned “to misdirect any investigation as he did by securing the exoneration of the jailer Romero.”

The Arrest of Sheriff Agapito Abeyta Jr.

The citizens of New Mexico on 15 March 1894 were able to read a lengthy news article from the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper with the headline “Got The Gang. Ex-Sheriff Abeyta, Lawyer E.W. Pierce and Others in Jail for the Doherty Murder. An Interview with Gov. Thornton on Mora County-Dastardly Crimes Ferreted Out- A Remark able Story”.

 

“Governor Thornton returned to the city [Santa Fe] lasts night from Mora, where he has been for ten days past looking after a nest of criminals who have long infested that county, where a deplorable state of affairs reached their climax in the assassination of ex-sheriff John Doherty on w2since.

 

“In an interview today the governor said: “After having a proclamation of offering $500 reward for the arrest of each of the parties implicated  in the killing of Ex-Sheriff Doherty and granting pardon to the first man confessing the crime and revealing the plot, I caused copies of said proclamation to be sent to the Indian, Rael, and to others, suspected of having a hand in the crime.”

 

“Subsequently Rael was killed by a sheriff posse, under the plea that he resisted arrest while being served with a warrant charging him with complicity in the Doherty affair. About the time of Rael’s death, I heard that he had intimated a desire to turn state’s evidence and had consulted  with parties in Mora with reference to his pardon in case he did so. This information, in connection with the fact that Rael had been shot in the back, led me to believe that he had been murdered by his confederates, and such information as I received from Mora by private letters strengthened this belief.”

 

“Accordingly, I concluded to visit Mora and have the body of the deceased Indian, Rael, exhumed and examined. This examination revealed the fact that there were six bullet wounds in the body, two more than had been reported by the sheriff’s posse, and also showed that two bullets entered the right temple, two inches above the eye, both ranging downward, one lodging back of the eye and the other at the socket of the left jaw  bone, this proving  that Rael was shot while lying down.”

 

“An examination was also made of the clothing of Juan B. Romero, the deputy sheriff who claimed to have been fired upon by Rael. There were no signs of powder burn outside either the over or the undercoat but the inside lining of the under coat was burned and there were other indications that the bullet which passed through the two garments had been fired from a weapon  held very close and the bullet passed through the lining first this making it quite apparent that Rael had not fired the shot.”

 

“Upon securing this information I determined to have some of the suspected parties arrested. As it was evident that Sheriff Agapito Abeyta was in some manner associated with the suspects, I procured warrants for the arrest of the parties who were found amenable under the Edmunds Act, and had Deputy U.S. Marshal W.P. Cunningham, of Santa Fe and Deputy Marshal Hernandez of Las Vegas go and serve the warrants.”   The Edmund Act was passed by the federal government to stem polygamy in Utah so not sure how it was applied here.

 

“Bartolome Cordova and Estanislado Sandoval were the two men taken into custody. Cordova is supposed to have enticed Rael to the place where he was murdered  and Sandoval is said to have been associated with Rael in the assassination of Doherty and also made an affidavit which brought about Rael’s arrest and thereby caused his death at the hands of the sheriff’s posse. A third party  arrested was Sostenes Lucero who fired the shots that killed Rael.”

 

 “The two former men made a full confession, Sandoval admitting his connection to a certain extent with the assassination of John Doherty, and connecting with the crime,  the names of Sostenes Lucero, Juan and Tomas Lucero, and two or three others.  He stated that the object of the killing Doherty was to prevent him from prosecuting them  for thefts and also to prevent him from testifying  against Sostenes Lucero under the charge of having murdered old man Jones in Colfax County. Sandoval said the S. Lucero had asked him to join the band in planning the murder of Doherty and said they were to be paid for it, but he did not reveal the name of the party who was to do the paying.”

 

“After Doherty’s death, S. Lucero said he had been requested to enlist the services of Bartolome Cordova  in their cause of crime and the he had induced Cordova to join the band. This was a secret organization, its members taking each an oath not to reveal the secrets of the organization.”

 

“Cordova and Sandoval agree in stating that on Saturday,  February 17, they went to Mora where they saw Sheriff Abeyta who invited them to a meeting in the county jail. They saw at this meeting  Sheriff Abeyta, his deputy and jailer, Juan B. Romero, Tomas, Juan and Sostenes Lucero, themselves and one or two others, eight men in all  being present and they alleged that that the sheriff  there said to them in substance this:”

 

“Rael has been seen visiting Joseph Doherty’s house in upper Mora and I believe  he is going to turn state evidence and tell of the killing of John Doherty. Now you know (said Sheriff Abeyta addressing Sandoval and his associated) you men are accused of this killing and you are fools if you do not act first. You need not be afraid  to kill Rael as he is nobody but an Indian, and people will be glad that he is dead.”

 

“They then, according to this confession, continued the governor, devised at that meeting in the county jail their plan for the murder of Rael. Cordova being the Indian’s personal friend, was to go to Rael’s house on Sunday, and tell him that Sandoval would meet him at a certain house  near La Cueva on Sunday night and deliver to him a horse he owed him. It was further agreed that Sandoval was to make affidavit that Rael had confessed to him  the murder of Doherty and J B Romero, the jailer and Sostenes Lucero were to be deputized  by Sheriff Abeyta to go and serve the warrant on Rael and were to kill him and come back and report that he was shot while resisting arrest. It was agreed that this would put a quietus on the Doherty murder affair and there would be no more trouble for anyone.”

 

“Accordingly  E. W. Pierce  editor of the Mora County  Democrat , late a member of the Las Vegas bar and the legal advisor of Sheriff Abeyta, was called upon and he prepared the necessary affidavit, which was signed by Sandoval and next morning sworn before a justice of the peace.”

 

“Cordova called at Coyote on Sunday morning and arranged with Rael to meet Sandoval at the house near La Cueva that he going with him.  Cordova then rode part way back to Mora  and sent word to town by one of his confederates that Rael would be on hand at the appointed time and place. He then joined the Indian and went with him to La Cueva  when he borrowed the Indian’ pistol to go up to the store  and get some whisky. He went out then and met deputy sheriffs Romero and S. Lucero; went back and knocked at the door and asked to be let in, when  the deputy sheriffs made the arrest.

 

They had Rael put on his clothes and picked up his saddle to go to the corral and saddle his horse. After entering the corral, as Rael was stooping  over to lay  down his saddle, Lucero shot at him in the back. Rael ran fifteen feet and fell, Lucero following and firing . After he fell, Lucero walked up and shot him twice in the temple.

 

Then they sat down and agreed upon the story to tell in town, in which they were to represent that the Indian had taken a pistol from his overcoat tied on his saddle and had first fired at J B Romero and of fear this would not be believed  they decided to fire a shot  through  Romero’s clothes. Romero then took his coats in his hand  and Cordova,  with the Indian’s pistol, fired the bullet through the two coats, holding it so close that it set the inner coat on fire.

 

 At this juncture in the interview the governor was handed a dispatch  reading as follows; Gov. W.T. Thornton, Mora NM March 15- Six men indicted for the murder of Doherty-Seven for the murder of Rael. Six are in jail. Will be home tonight. Signed W.P. Cunningham.

 

 “That’s alright” said the governor as he laid aside the telegram and continued: E. Wilmerding Pierce, who stated to parties in Mora four hours before Rael’s  death that the Indian would be killed that night. “The newly appointed sheriff Vincent Mares is well known here in Santa Fe and all over New Mexico. He is a good man and will do his duty..”

 

The governor concluded that John Doherty was killed as that the men he was collecting evidence against the group.

 

In an explanation of Sheriff’s Cunningham’s brief telegram  to the governor the New Mexican  newspaper wrote “this afternoon received the following from Las Vegas: The men indicted in  Mora for the killing of Doherty are: Estanlado Sandoval, Tomas Lucero, Sostenes Lucero, Bartolome Cordova and Juan B. Romero.  Those indicted for the killing of Rael are Agapito Abeyta, late sheriff, Tomas Lucero, E.W. Pierce, Juan Lucero, Sostenes Lucero, Bartolme Cordova and Juan B. Romero. All, are in jail save Tomas Lucero who has not been captured.”

 

Sherrif Abeyta and lawyer E.W. Pierce after their arrests were incarcerated in the Mora jail  with a $20,000 bail. Sheriff Mares  remarked, “Both men are quiet but are extremely angry of course over their incarceration.  Sheriff Mares also declared that  there was “nothing in the report  that a body of 600 men were preparing to attack the jail and liberate  Abeyta and Pierce. He stated that  “people have gone to work on their ranches” after a  “great deal of excitement for the first two nights”  but had quiet down. He reported that Tomas  Lucero was still at large.

 

On 19 March 1894 the shock of the arrest of a prominent Democrat was assuaged by the Las Vegas Daily Optic which wrote, “There is no danger of the Democrats losing Mora County as long as such good men as Rafael Romero, A. L. Branch, Macario Gallegos, Juan Navarro and Thos. Walton stand up and work in behalf of law and order. These citizens deserve honorable mention because of the vigor and fearlessness with which they have aided the law officers in running down the gang responsible for the recent Mora county outrages.”  The paper added that Macario  Gallegos was a warhorse for the Democrats. This appeared to be too optimistic as the arrests and trials turned Mora County Republican for several years. In October 1894,  Marcario Gallegos withdrew from the Democratic ticket in the Mora County Democrat convention “in the interest of harmony” as surprising   the county’s Democratic ticket was  headed by Agapito Abeyta  Jr for council  and Vicente Mares for sheriff.  

 

In addition to Agapito Abeyta Jr being arrested and relieved from being sheriff,  an audit of the sheriff’s account’s showed a shortage of funds which indicated embezzlement.  It was orinially reported that the total shortage of Agapito Abeyta “the removed sheriff of Mora County was $6488.49.  However A.L. Branch and Manuel Borrego went over the books and it was reported on 30 March 1894,  “as near as he can calculate ex-sheriff Agapito Abeyta’s shortage will amount to much less than has been reported about $3500 Mr. Branch thinks.  

 

Agapito was “confined in a lonely, separate cell in the Mora jail. It is understood that Abeyta will soon give the required $20,000 bail bond and be released.   The bond must have been reduced to $10,000 as the Las Vegas Daily Optic mentioned him going back and forth between Las Vegas and Mora fairly often of the next two  years.

 

On 26 October 1894 The newspapers printed “Pleas of guilty  Two of the Mora County Gang Make a Clean Breast of it- The Trial Progressing. In the district court yesterday Tomas Lucero and Bartolome Cordova, two of the ring leaders in the murder of Antonio Rael, the man who fired the shot that sent an assassin’s bullet through the heart if ex-Sheriff Doherty, entered pleas of murder in the second d degree . They did this upon the advice of friends and in order to save themselves from hanging. They have confessed the whole affair and have divulged  to the officers may important facts  touching the operations of the murderous gang. The trial of Juan B. Romero, the ex-jailer and Sostenes Lucero for complicity inn this crime and the Doherty killing commenced  today and both the prosecution and defense are making it a hot contest. Victior Lujan, a party implicated in the Doherty case by the  confession of Lucero has been apprehended by Sheriff Cunningham  and Mares and is now in jail together with other members of the gang.”

 

A seismic shift in Mora County politics was the results of the sensational arrest of Agapito Abeyta Jr. In November 1894 elections,  34 years old Republican Jose Rafael Aguilar of Wagon Mound defeated Romualdo Gonzales  who was  the Democratic nominee  to replace the 50 year old Vicente Mares for Mora County sheriff.  Over the next 4 years the county went from a strong Democratic county to a Republican one, with the Las Vegas Daily Optic in 1900 referring to Mora County as formerly Democratic”

The Fate of Lawyer Edward Wilmerding Pierce

“E. W.” Pierce was not a native New Mexican but was born July 1861 in San Francisco, California. In October 1886,  Edward Wilmerding Pierce “native California, aged 25 resident of Turlock, Stanislaus County and Cornelia Stannard Raymond native of San Francisco” were married.  

 

He was still located residing in Stanislaus California in 1888 but by 1891 he began is practicing law in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  However in  September 1893,  his wife Mrs. Cornelia Stannard Pierce, filed  for divorce against “Edward Wilmerding  the attorney at law” alleging adultery. She referred to herself as his widow on her passport in 1916 so it is not certain the divorce was finalized.

 

A month later in October 1893,  Pierce “a Las Vegas well known in the this city has purchased the Mora Democrat from Macario Gallegos,  A.L. Branch and Agapito Abeyta,”   all prominent Democrats. This must have been the way Pierce and Sheriff Abeyta came to know each other.  Sheriff Abeyta used Pierce’s legal acumen to further his political and allegedly criminal ambitions.

 

Pierce did not actually become the editor of the Mora Democrat “the chief Democratic organ of that Democratic County” until 21 February 1894 after the death of both John Doherty and Antonio Rael Pierce.  He had “revived the Mora Democrat and publishes it one half in English and one half in Spanish.”   However in March 1894 he along with Sheriff Abeyta were arrested for complicity in the death of Juan Antonio Rael. While Sheriff Abeyta was housed in a separate cell, Pierce was “the occupant of an iron cage with the other prisoners but they are not allowed to converse with each other.” Like Abeyta, Pierce was eventually able to find sureties for bail. His bondsmen were Bendito Duran, Casimiro Valdez, Refugio Martinez and Jose Dolores Duran, all of Mora.

 

In the meantime, he was in more trouble when in November 1894 the New Mexico bar association asked that Pierce be disbarred and he was on 10 April 1895 in Las Vegas.  Sometime before his disbarment it was reported that “E. W. Pierce, late of Las Vegas  and the Mora Jail,  wrote the report of the legislative committee appointed to visit the agricultural college.”

 

However once he was free on bail, and having lost his ability to practice law, Pierce “skipped out”. The Daily Optic reported  “the disbarred attorney  boarded the early train for Pueblo, in which Colorado city he will probably be nabbed for embezzling.”  Evidently he changed his destination though and could not be located for trial.  It was reported in May 1895, E.W. Pierce , “the absconding attorney was being seen in Chicago with another -not a gentleman either.”  This probably meant a female companion.   

 

In 1896, the Las Vegas Daily Optic wrote “E. W. Pierce, the absconding attorney under indictment for complicity in the Mora murders” was given ninety days by the Las Vegas court to appear for trial or his bond of $1600 would be forfeited,  which it was.  He was never seen in New Mexico again.

 

The follow year in December 1897,  it was reported “Jose Dolores Duran of Mora county is in the city [Las Vegas] for the purpose of paying his share of the bond of the absconding attorney, E. W. Pierce. The bond was originally $1,500 but a sunsequent compromise placed it at $500. The bondsmen are Casimro Valdez, Benedicto Duran, Refugion Martinez and Jose Dolores Duran. It seems tha officers of Mora county insisted upon attaching 1,000 head of sheep owned bt  Mr. Duran for the entire amount  and not going to the trouble of serving execution on the other bondsmen. This injustice to Don Jose, which chief Justice Smith will likely remedy says the Optic.”

 

The whereabouts of Pierce after fleeing New Mexico is confusing as his story picks up in the 1900 Census as Him living in Portland, Oregon where he gave his age as 39 born in July 1861 and his occupation was a manager in  “insurance”. He stated he was a married man having married in 1893 however he was listed living in a hotel at 290 ½ Morrison Street among 44 other mainly single men.  From later sources it was revealed that he was married to a woman named “Dollie.”

 

By April 1901 E.W. Pierce was  in Payette, Canyon County, Idaho dealing with oil leases and was applying to practice law in Idaho. Later in May he was acting as an attorney for a 28 year old German woman named Mrs. Margarett Eifle who was divorcing her 31 year old German husband Carl C. Eifle whom she had just married in 1900.  She  wanted the $1500 she had brought to the marriage as part of the divorce settlement.  Her husband had mortgaged his farm to pay the settlement than changed his mind and demanded the money back and when Pierce refused, Mr. Eifle charged Pierce with embezzlement.

 

 In July 1901 he was arrest. “E.W. Pierce , the man arrested for embezzlement and let loose by Judge Little on his own recognizance, did not show up today when his trial was set, and Sheriff Thorp is trying to find him.  He went to court eventual and at the preliminary hearing the testimony showed that “Mr. and Mrs. Eisse [sic]” negotiated a loan through Pierce of $800, $300  which was paid over to the couple  with the remaining $500 awaiting on settlement of divorce proceedings.  Margaret Eifle had applied for a divorce on grounds of cruelty in Ada County but the proceedings were transferred to Canyon County.   A financial agreement was made that the husband would pay his wife form a mortgage on a farm in Payette. Pierce claimed to have been trustee for  funds and that in due time he would have paid the money over if the husband would noy have filed charges.  Both the men and woman seemed to have grown to distrust Pierce as  the couple were “German and unable to speak English.”

 

The Idaho Stateman reporter wrote “Embezzlement Proceedings Against  E.W. Pierce of Caldwell Do not Show Very Serious Case More Like Misunderstanding.”   However he was indicted  and charged with embezzlement. In August  E. W. Pierce “a Payette real estate agent” was  “held in the Canyon county jail; on the charge of embezzlement  in default of $1000 bond.”

 

Pierce remained behind bars until he went to trial in December 1901. There he claimed to have studied law for 4 years in California  and the court reporter found him quite persuasive. However the court found guilty on15 December 1901. The court convicted  Pierce on embezzlement stating that the husband “had the right to the control and custody of the woman’s property. A  week later he was sentenced to 7 years in the Idaho state penitentiary” on appeal  which in January 1902 was denied.

 

When the news reached New Mexico the  Las Vegas Optic in March 1902 reported on the case but had much of the details wrong. “E.W. Pierce who will be remembered here as being implicated in a murder case in Mora county and who had a pretty wife has been sentenced to a term of seven years in the penitentiary of Montana for defrauding an old woman out of considerable property.”

 

A year later on 3  June 1903, The Las Vegas Daily Optic followed up with an article, “Lawyer Goes to Jail E. W. Pierce Former Member of Las Vegas Bar , A Suppliant Before Idaho Board of Pardon.  Gentleman Claims in Espousing Cause of Wronged Wife He was Convicted of Embezzling Money Belonging to Her Husband.  As will be seen by a perusal of the subjoined item from an Idaho Paper, E. W. Pierce, formerly a prominent attorney in this city, has been getting into difficulty and pretty serious difficulty since he said goodbye to his Las Vegas friends. If the facts are as stated and attested  by prominent citizens of Idaho, Pierce seems to have enough to go up against a very bad law or a very ignorant judge, or both. Irrespective of the law or the judge, if the intent of the attorney was, as set forth in the following notice  to the public, it isn’t easy to see why he should be kept in jail.”

 

The Albuquerque Tribune added on  6 June 1903   “E.W. Pierce, who at one time opened a law office in Las Vegas and Mora is serving a term of 7 years in the Idaho penitnetiary on the charge of embezzlement. He will soon appy for a pardon and has sent to New Mexioc a statement of his side of the case, in which he claims he held the money in question from a husband as he was acting as a attorney for the wife.”

 

While incarcerated in November 1903 his wife “Mrs. Dollie Pierce” filed a “divorce action against E.W. Pierce,  brought in Canyon County.  Pierce is serving a term in the penitentiary for that county for embezzlement. Mrs. Pierce alleges his conviction as the basis for his action.” The divorce was granted in December 1903. Nothing more is known about this woman.

 

 After spending four and a half years in prison, Pierce was paroled on 20 October 1905. In January  1906 he was able to have enough capital to published, the 84 page Bosie magazine called, “The Critic” said to have been “a handsome monthly magazine devoted  to Idaho, the land of opportunity.”  He didn’t keep the magazine for long as in May 1906  Pierce sold his interest in the Critic magazine of Boise and moved to Portland, Oregon.

 

Pierce remarried on 24 July 1906 in Portland, Oregon to Mrs. Elizabeth Cowles Howell. She said it was her second marriage while he said it was his first and that his occupation was “publisher”.   Pierce remained in Portland for the rest of his short life. In January 1908, the Idaho Stateman  wrote “E.W. Pierce has returned  to his home at Portland after spending some time in Boise attending to business matters.”

 

Nearly 4 years after Pierce had been released from prison, a small obituary in Portland’s Oregon Daily Journal of Portland stated “October 8, Edward Wilmerding Pierce died after an illness of several weeks of pleural pneumonia.”   He would have been only 48 years old.  The years in prison perhaps shortened his health.  He only spent around five years of his life in New Mexico when he would have known all the key Democratic players in both San Miguel and Mora Counties.

1896-1899  Mora County, New Mexico

The Romero family  continued to be a prosperous and prominent Hispanic family in “Cleveland” and “Holman”, formerly San Antoino and Agua Negra. The name change from Spanish to English was indicative of the changes made by the Americanization of New Mexico.

 

Don Antonio de Jeus Romero evidently refrained from politics unlike his son Ricardo who was active in the Democratic Party.  Nevertheless, both father and son would have been acutely aware of the scandal involving Sheriff Agapito Abeyta but how they felt about it, is unknown, except that Ricardo would later joined Abeyta on several Democratic political jaunts.

 

Mora County was described in an article dated  6 March 1896 published in the Las Vegas Las Vegas Daily Optic.  “The Agua Negra Valley- It is Rich and Only Needs Capital and People to Develop Its Resources.”  The byline listed it as news from “Holman, N.M.”  March 1^st indicating the use if the name Holman for the community of Agua Negra.  The article wrote of farmers who were beginning to cleaned ditches and plows being taken  to the “blacksmith shop to be put in order” and the “more industrious famers hauling manure to their fields while other are preparing the ground to plant more fruit trees.”  The article was optimistic stating “Times seem to be getting better and more encouraging than last year. A large crop of oats and wheat was harvested last year.”

 

“The valley from the town of Mora to the foothills of El Rito [Chacon] is acknowledged as one of the chief agricultural valleys in the Territory. Every bit of land is under irrigation although in dry weather  water for irrigation is not sufficient   but reservoirs could be easily done if the people would get together to do it. Most everything can be raised, cereals, fruits and vegetables of all kinds. Several years ago there wasn’t a single fruit tree in the neighborhood (Holman) and now several farmers have small orchards  bearing apples, pears, cherries, plums and all kinds of small fruit.”

 

“Modern machinery is being brought in every year to cultivate and harvest our crops with less work and cost. I remember when the plowing  was done with oxen and wooden plows, the grain cut altogether with sickle and threshed with horses and goats. Now we have steel plows,  reapers, binders, threshing machines etc. We need more capital, more enterprising American men to come in and teach us the more improved methods of farming, building reservoirs etc.”  Notice that the use of “American Men”  as an indicator of growing influence of Anglos over the original Hispanic population.  The article went on to lament the undeveloped coal mines and the exploitation of the gold deposits saying, “Very little prospecting,  by say anyone who understands it,” is done. Again notice the referencing the dominance of Anglo culture.

Arrest of Agapito Abeyta Jr and Jose Victor Lujan

On 29  April 1896, Agapito Abeyta Jr. was arrested along with Jose Victor Lujan for the murder of John Doherty  and he was held on a $20,000 bond.  “Sensational Arrest Ex-Sheriff  Agapito Abeyta Jr and J. V Lujan arrested for Doherty Assassination in Mora”  from “detective work that had been going on for two years.”   Abeyta was arrested at Mora and Lujan at Manuelita’s in  San Miguel County  by Deputy Sheriffs Joe Doherty  and Juan Navarro.    Tomas Lucero who was held as a witness “now in the penitentiary” was the main informant and was himself  “under a $20,000 bond for the murder of the Indian Rael.” 

 

Several of the Rael conspirators had already been tried and had been sent to prison however Tomas Lucero claimed while in prison that Sheriff Agapito Abeyta Jr paid him to kill John Doherty and Tom Walton, the Mora hotel proprietor. Tomas Lucero claimed he  was reluctant so paid “Jose Victor Lujan to do the deed and it was Lujan who killed the former sheriff. Lucero was able to identify the gun and horse used in the murder.”

 

On 2 May,  “the prosecution in the Abeyta examination was rather badly surprised when Tomas Lucero, one of the twins,  took the stand and swore that his entire affidavit made some time ago in which he placed the instigation of the murder of John Doherty at the door of Agapito Abeyta  was false  and made it under intimidation.”   

 

However when “asked for protection from the court”  Lucero again said that “Abeita had paid him to kill both Doherty and Tom Walton and after taking the pay, he was hounded by Abeyta  continually for not doing the job. He said that he paid Victor Lujan to do the deed  just as Abeyta paid him.    He told them at one time that Doherty and Walton were going to Springer to attend court and that they had decided to waylay and kill them both. But the scheme fell through.”

 

 Lucero continued saying “Abeyta grew restless” and “ he bought them a Winchester and a six-shooter  and told them to do the deed as soon as possible.  A few days before the murder.  He claimed “Abeyta said he was going to Union County and that would be   a good time  to Kill Doherty  and was the time the deed was done with Victor Lujan  firing the shot that killed John Doherty. He also identified  the gun with which the shooting was done and the brand marking on the horse rode by Lujan when he killed Doherty. In this he corroborates testimony already given.”

 

By 9 May 1896 Agapito  Abeyta Jr.’s bail was reduced to $10,000 and his securities were Carlos Gabaldon $2,000, Eugenio Romero $2,000, Jose S. Esquibel $1,000, Carlotta V de Lopez $1,000, Juan Silva $500, Donaciano Gonzales $400, Francisco Jimeniez $500,  Dionicio Martinez $500, Rosario Abeyta $500, Manuel Padilla $500, Antonio Sena $500, Adelaido Gonzales $500, Patricio Gonzales $500, Susano Garcia $260 and Pedro Rivera $200.

 

In June 1896 Democratic delegates from Mora who were meeting at Las Vegas were  Agapito Abeyta Jr., Romualdo Gonzales, and  Marcario  Gallegos  and 7 others. However also on 27 June 1896, the Mora County Grand Jury  had returned indictments against Agapito Abeyta Jr in both cases of the deaths of John Doherty and Juan Antonio Rael and he was now being held without bail.  Sheriff Aguilar stated to the Las Vegas Daily Optic that Abeyta “feeling that Mora county jail would scarcely be a safe place for him” applied and secured permission to be confined in the  Las Vegas jail.

 

“At his own request the prisoner was brought over to the Las Vegas jail pending an application for a writ of Habeas Corpus  by his attorney  A. O. Larrazolo.”  The article noted that Abeyta “could not be tried at present time as that a competent jury could not be obtained and court’s funds were insufficient.”

 

Abeyta hired Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo who had only recently moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico Territory, in 1895. He had practiced law in that town and became involved in Democratic politics, “focusing on civil rights for the Mexicans and Hispanos who then comprised two thirds of New Mexico's population.”   In 1919 Larrazolo  would become  the fourth governor of the state of New Mexico and the first native-born Mexican to be governor. Later as a United States senator from New Mexico, in 1928 Larrazolo was the first Mexican-American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

 

While Ex-Sheriff Agapito Abeyta had been indicted by a Mora County grand jury  for the murder of Antonio Rael  and for the assassination of John Doherty, this had been difficult for the county as only tax payers could serve as jurists, and  out of 1800 county tax payers,  only 211 had paid their taxes  and of them 85 were disqualified as jurists.  Agapito Abeyta Jr.  having bene indicted for his participation in the murders of Doherty and Rael  divided the county as “this case has aroused a great deal of interest and the feeling for or against the accused on the part of his friends or foes has been very intense.”

 

By 30 June 1896 an application for a writ of Habeas corpus had not been made by Abeyta’s  attorney Larrazolo, as he remained an “inmate of Hotel de Romero” a play on words as the Hilario Romero, was the sheriff of San Miguel County.

 

Life continued, despite the scandal,  as that in July 1896 the Las Vegas Daily Optic  mentioned Ricardo Romero’s father Antonio as participating in a horse race.  “A horse race will come off at Cleveland, [San Antonio] down the valley on the 6th of next month. Don Antonio Romero’s  horse “Penco” and a horse belonging to Juan Navarro of Mora will run 350 year for $150 a side. It promises to be an exciting race as horses are two if the best around here.”  The fact that Antonio Romero was addressed as “don” showed his prominence in the community of San Antonio now known as  Cleveland, which name had been changed in 1892 when a post office was established and the town was renamed after President Grover Cleveland.

 

Finally in late July,  an application to Chief Judge Thomas Smith of Las Vegas, for a writ of Habeas corpus was filed for Agapito Abeyta and but the motion was denied on August 11.  While he was in jail, his son Maximiliano was born 31 August 1897 leaving his wife to deal with a new born as well as her husband’s incarceration.

 

O.A. Larrazola appealed the denial of bail in the “case of Agapito  Abeyta Jr and Jose Victor Lujan indicted for the murder of John Doherty in Mora County’, to the New Mexico Supreme Court in Santa Fe, however the application for bail was  resisted by the state’s Solicitor-General. Bail must have been granted nevertheless as that in late September on the 29^th, Ricardo Romero and Romualdo Gonzales, along with Agapito Abeyta, were among the 11 Democratic delegates from Mora County entitled to seats in the Constitutional convention that fall.  There’s no indication on how Ricardo Romero felt about Agapito Abeytia Jr’s indictment but it must have been a heated discussion in the Hispanic community.

 

Just days before Ricardo Romero left for the convention, his son Jose Estevan “Steve” Romero was born on 22 September 1896,  although he was not baptized until 2 December 1896. His Padrinos were “Conceptio Areano” and Francesca Romero. As to why there was a two months delay in his christening is unknown. Perhaps due to Ricardo’s active political life. Steve Romero’s padrinos sponsors were his aunt and uncle Maria Francisca Romero and Conception Arellano.

 

There would be a five year gap between Ricardo’s daughter Gregorita and her brother Estevan which would have been unusual in a Catholic family which may indicated miscarriages or even Ricardo’s absence from his family.

 

When Ricardo Romero was 34 years old, he was nominated by the Democrats to run for the office of  Sheriff for Mora County. The Las Vegas Daily Optic  wrote in October 1896, “everybody busy harvesting.  Grain  not turning out as well as expected.  With only half a crop of wheat and oats and no corn. Politics are very quiet here. Don Ricardo Romero is mentioned as candidate for sheriff by the Democrats.”  Again the old Spanish appellation of “don” indicated how the  Romeros were highly regarded. 

 

On the 27 October 1896, the Las Vegas Daily Optic  reporting on  news from “Holman”  wrote,  “snow was falling, damaging farmers not through stacking and threshing. Ricardo Romero, a well and favorably known young man from this place [Holman] is running for sheriff on the Union ticket. Mr. Romero is an honest, hardworking man and will undoubted be elected over his opponent by a big majority.”   The Union ticket indicated that he switched from the Democratic Party as that he may have had a fallen out of favor due to the ramification of the actions of former Sheriff Abeyta on Mora County voters.

 

Ricardo Romero lost his election in November 1896 to  48 year old  Eusebio Chavez, who was  from Wagon Mound, with just 27 votes. Chavez received 1,159 votes over Ricardo’s 1,032.  The County was still divided between the residents of Mora valley who were mostly Democrats and those in eastern Wagon Mount who were mainly Republican. The scandal involving the murder of John Doherty by conspirators with Democratic allegiances was said to had decidedly turn the County from being Democratic  to Republican.

An Associate Named Blas Sanchez

Blas Sanchez was born circa 1868 in San Miguel County however the 1880 census showed his family as living at Santa Gertrudis in Mora County, so certain the family would have known Don Antonio de Romero’s family. By 1885 the Sanchez family had relocated south back to San Miguel County. 

 

Blas Sanchez was married by 1889, first to Lennora Martinez the daughter Juan Martinez of Mora County and had settled at Rociado in San Miguel County, located 27 miles northwest of Las Vegas near the Mora County line.  He attended normal college [teachering college] and in 1891 it was  reported that “At the teacher's examination last Monday, the beautiful and brilliant young lady, daughter of Don Hilario Romero, [Sheriff of San Miguel County] and the young Blas Sanchez de Rociada, obtained a first class certificate. The young Sanchez left the applicants in awe with the perfect interpretation he made of the Superintendent's speech.”

 

                Sanchez was then hired as an assistant Probate Clerk in Las Vegas but in 1896  he was involved in some legal difficulties and was arrested. According to the Spanish newspaper  La Voz de Pueblo,  Antonio de Jesus Romero, his son Ricardo Romero, Antonio’s son in law Concepcion Arellano and Blas’ father Juan Sanchez  were Blas’s bondmen for a $1000. Blas Sanchez “posted the thousand peso bail required by the court” and was “released until the district court term is reached.” He had to appear in a San Miguel court  where it was  reported “Up until this morning, there had been paid out of the San Miguel County court fund  $285.77” and “By paying the cost the case of the Territory  vs. Blas Sanchez, charged with forgery, case was dismissed.”  

 

Evidently the Romeros were the primary bondsmen for Sanchez  but what their relationship was with each other is unknown,  other than friendship and later business.  The Las Vegas Daily Optic  made a comment on 14 May 1897 regarding Ricardo Romero employing  Blas Sanchez of which the newspaper referred to as “the forger of county certificates by the wholesale” who was “now a resident of Mora county, where he is employed by Don Ricardo Romero, one of his bondsmen in the sum of $1,000.  

 

By 29 April 1898  the Daily Optic reported “Ricardo Romero and Blas Sanchez came in from El Rito, in Mora county, where they are running a saw mill.”   The paper regularly reported on people visiting Las Vegas from out of town but this blurb showed that Sanchez was working at Ricardo Romero’s sawmill but before the year was out Blas Sanchez had joined the service at the outbreak of the Spanish American War. He served in Company B of the First Territorial United States Volunteer Infantry from Colfax and Miguel Counties.  He had joined up with other volunteers from Mora County including Elias Ortiz, Ricardo Romero’s future son in-law.

 

After returning to New Mexico,  Blas Sanchez was listed as living in El Rito Agua Negra again   as a farmer with his family. His wife stated that the couple had 8 children however only 6 were living. By 1904 he was listed as a deputy sheriff in Mora County and he moved  to Wagon Mound in 1905. In 1909 “Blas Sanchez of Wagon Mound has been complimented by Governor George Curry with an appointment to be a member of the territorial board of education, thereby filling the only remaining vacancy in the body.

 

When New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912, Blas Sanchez was a Republican member of the first State House of Representatives.  In 1913 he introduced a bill  “to provide for teaching the Spanish language in school districts where the directors direct the same to be done. It is proposed that Spanish ne taught in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades.”  Blas Sanchez died in 1944 in Santa Fe long after Ricardo Romero moved his family to Wyoming.

The 1897 Trial of Agapito Abeyta Jr.

In June 1897 the venue for the trial of Agapito Abeyta Jr  was moved from Mora  County to Tierra Amarilla the county seat of  Rio Arriba  County however the actually trial did not begin until early October.

 

The case was notorious as well as sensational. The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper reported that  the Abeyta trial was a “matter of great interest here. Other newspapers reported people coming to Tierra Amarilla not just as witnesses but also as spectators to witness Thomas Catron for the prosecution, who was anathema to the Hispanic population, as he was claiming ownership of much of Mora County and the defense attorney for the former sheriff  of Mora.

 

 Friends and Foes of the Abeyta were traveling to Tierra Amarilla to testify and some simply as spectators.  John Doherty’s brother Joe was reported on 4 October as “has gone over to Santa Fe thence going to the Tierra Amarilla court”. Also it was mentioned “Macario Gallegos, Tom Walton and Milnor Rudulph boarded last evening train for Tierra Amarilla, across the range where they go to tesify in the Abeyta murder case tried over there to avoid the possibility of prejudice or pride among impartial jurors.”

 

The Daily Optic wrote that on October 6, “The bullet that killed ex-sheriff John Doherty at Mora, also the minute notes of the postmortem examination, have been forwarded to the Tierra Amarilla court from Las Vegas. District Attorney Long, at home from Wagon Mound, where he conducted an investigation in the Mora murder, resulting in binding the three accused men over to the grand jury in heavy bonds. Don Rafael Romero, the court interpreter, passed through Rio Arriba county last evening, he having in tow some Colorado parties who will prove to be important witnesses in the Abeyta murder trial at Tierra Amarilla.   

 

The trial proceedings began on October 7  with Judge Laughlin  who presided over the “trial case of the territory of New Mexico vs. Agapito Abeyta Jr for the murder of Juan Antonio Rael at LaCuva, Mora County February 18, 1894.”   The jury selection was said to have been difficult with the regular panel of jurists was exhausted with only the selection of four jurists, forcing a special venire of 100 names was called. The unexpected need for a larger pool of jurors for the capital case took several days until October 9.  Members of the 12 man all Hispanic jury were Juan Rivers, Matias Romero, Faustin Maes, Amador Martin, Rafael M Vigil, Tomas Montoya, Francisco Gallegos, Canuto Valdez, Melion Medina,  Vicente Valdez, Jesu N. Pacheco, and Ramon Archuleta. 

 

The opposing attorneys were “J. H. Crist, district attorney, Hons. T.B Catron and Charles A Spiese” representing the territory while for “the defendant appears Messrs L.O Larrazola, Alex and Benj M Read.”  The Santa Fe New Mexican Newspaper wrote “The prospect are that a fight of much sharpness will ensue upon the completion of the jury. Mr. Larrazola especially manifests a disposition to insist of his client’s rights to the minutest technicality. The case promises to be a cause célèbres. The Santa Fe New Mexican also mentioned the copious amount of rain and mud in the town for those coming for the trial.

 

There was strange rumor that reported that Victor Lujan and his wife who were traveling to Tierra Amarilla to testify at the trial had been killed on the Rio Pueblo in San Miguel County however the Daily Optic “failed to run down the rumor” and it was proved to be false as Lujan  has made it to Tierra Amarilla.

 

The trial  commenced Saturday morning October 9 Saturday and “Mr. Larrazola asked the court to instruct the jury to find the defendant not guilty  on the ground that the territory had not brought the charge of murder to him. This motion  the court over ruled.”  

 

Evidence  of the Territory didn’t begin until began Monday morning the 11^th, and “it has continued and  uninterrupted until October 15”  which was a Friday  Tomas Lucero, Juan Lucero Estanislado Sandoval, Bartolo Cordova “co-conspirators  charged together with Agapito Abeyta Jr   with the murder of Rael have given very damaging testimony  against the defendant.”

 

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that the prosecution case “moved slowly because  of the great length of cross examination of witnesses that have so far testified, that is Estanislado Sandoval, and the Cuates [Spanish for fraternal twins] Tomas Lucero and Juan de Dios Lucero.” They were referred to as “excellent witnesses”  and diving detailed information that Abeyta was  “determined to make away with Rael according to the contention of the prosecution because he knew too much about the murder of John Doherty. No more composed witness than Tomas Lucero, over took the witness stand. His description of the means taken to destroy Rael, the strategy  with which his ambush in the woods was selected  and the cool design  of his whole purpose was as graphic and thrilling as a scene out of Hugo [Victor Hugo the novelist]  and a sense of awe came upon the spectators which was only lifted when he concluded his story.  From present appearances this case will require ten days or two weeks to try.

 

The trial consumed so much time that on Monday October 18  The clerk of the First Judicial District wrote a letter from Tierra Amarilla “clamoring for more funds with which to carry on the Abeyta murder trial” as the defense hadn’t presented its case yet.

 

The Santa Fe New Mexican  reported the prosecution had closed its case Monday night October 18. “It is a very strong one from all points of view. The evidence of Tomas Lucero, Estanislado Sandoval and Bartolo Cordova, alleged accomplices and tools of the defendant in the murder of Rael, it will be difficult to counteract, especially in view of the fact it is supported by circumstantial evidence of a very imposing character.

 

 “The defense then outlined its case to the effect that Mr. Abeytia was not a party to any conspiracy  having for its object the murder of Rael and adduced a line of testimony, the object which was to show that witnesses for the prosecution were utterly unworthy of belief. During the presentation of this proof with respect to Tomas Lucero, Mr. Catron for prosecution , ejected sotto voce [softly under his breath] : “We don’t contend he is a saint.”

 

“The theory of the defense seems to be that the alleged disreputability of the witnesses for the prosecution  should incline the jury to have a reasonable doubt of the truth of the stories which they told. Mr. Larrazola in conjunction with his associates B. M. and Alex Read, is making a manly fight for his client’s life and is met with a vigorous a resistance form the attorneys of the territory. The case will go before jury Thursday night, [October 21] if so soon. It is understood and this is on the side that the grand jury will report some 15 indictments tomorrow,” meaning the court had much more business to conduct.

 

“Conditions are not favorable to the prosecution in this case. Messrs.  Crist, Catron and Spiess are putting up a strong fight for the Territory. Lawyers Q.A. Larrazola, B.M Read and Alex. Read are battling hard and ably for the accused.”

 

The Santa Fe New Mexican reported however that “Public sentiment here is very  strongly inclined towards the defendant due to his family connections which are numerous and wealthy, as well as to the long and persistent effort of the defendant  and his Mora and San Miguel sympathizers, through the Spanish press of that section and by personal interviews  creating a race issue. Their cry has been and is ‘the persecution of a Mexican for the killing of an American”.

 

Agapito Abeyta’s trial lasted 13 days and on October 22, “the jury being out for 50 minutes” acquitted him as not guilty for the murder of Juan Antonio Rael, an Indian.   At the time of the killing party lines were practically obliterated on Mora County  but factional feelings ran very high.  Abeyta and Doherty were of the opposing faction.

 

The 1897 trial in which Abeyta was acquitted was the first one he had for any of the murders while sheriff. While he had served several months incarcerated in jail, he was spared a capital conviction of hanging or imprisonment.

 

The others associated with the death of Juan Antonio Rael were not as fortunate. The twin brothers Juan and Tomas Lucero, who at first denied the story of a conspiracy with Abeyta, were later convicted. Tomas Lucero, Estanislado Sandoval and Bartolo Cordova, upon whose evidence the indictments in the death of Rael were secured, had been given life sentences,  which were suspended when they turned state evidence.  Juan Lucero however was never captured and was “still at  large”.

 

Juan B. Romero and Sostenes Lucero were tried in the Mora county court,  convicted of murder, and also sent to prison. Their case was carried to the supreme court and remanded for another trial  resulting  verdict of guilty and given life sentences. 

 

Agapito Abeyta Jr freed in Rio Arriba County, returned home to Mora County and took his place back among the Hispanic population. In March 1898  the Las Vegas Daily Optic referred to him as “the always pleasant citizen of Mora.”   He continued to be active in Democratic politics along with Ricardo Romero and was a successful businessman operating saw mills.  The 1900 Census listed him and his family living at Mora where his occupation was given as “Saw Mill”. Interestingly he was enumerated the next house hold from Rafael Ortiz the father of Elias Ortiz so they absolutely knew each other well.   Agapito Abeyta Jr.’s  arrests did not seem to affect how he was regarded in Mora where he died in 1947.

 

As for Ricardo Romero he was involved in various enterprises. In the Las Vegas Daily Optic for 2 July 1898,  it mentioned that Manuel Trujillo and Ricardo Romero were opening a “saloon at Cleveland”  and Palemon Ortiz had opened a store in Chacon [El Rito de Agua Negra] .  The article also mentioned the first crop of alfalfa “is now being cut” as “having very warm weather.” 

 

Its nearly impossible to determine who Manuel Trujillo was, considering the popularity of the name. However in August, the  paper mentioned that Palemon Ortiz was  the “county Clerk” and Ricardo Romero was “county collector” of Mora County and they  “drove down from Mora last evening” to Las Vegas.  Again the paper mentioned that “the wheat and oat fields are commencing to ripen and a good crop is almost assured. Two or three new reapers and binders are on the field ready to cut the commence crops.”

 

Then it mentioned this that,  “Manuel Trujillo of this place [Holman] who went suddenly insane about four months ago died at the Mora County jail where he was confined. The unfortunate man could not be taken to the Insane Asylum for lack of room in that worthy institution. Mr Trujillo was a good citizen and well-liked by all who knew him.”  Whether this man was the same person or just related to the Manuel Trujillo can not be determined.  Palemon Ortiz, although a merchant, also opened a saloon in Mora which was burned down in 1900.   

 

Ricardo Romero was part of a Democratic delegation, along with Agapito Abeyta Jr and Macario Gallegos, who went to a New Mexico statehood convention in 1898 however there may have developed a riff in the party as Gallegos declined  all offers to accept a nomination for any office. Eventually he did run for Probate Clerk and Ricardo Romero was the Democratic candidate for sheriff  however he lost again in November 1898  by only 6 vote. Rafael Romero Y Lopez the Republican candidate received 1,111 votes  to Ricardo’s 1,105. He would not run for sheriff again.  Lopez won by 6 votes.

 

As the Nineteenth Century came to a close, at the age of 28, Libradita Romero was pregnant during her husband’s campaign and another son, Jose Patricio Romero was born 21 January 1899 at Agua Negra.

The Twentieth Century  1900-1919

In 1900 Ricardo Romero continued to farm on land that had been in his family  since the 1840's at Agua Negra or now Holman in Mora County. In the new century he and his wife would continue to have more children,  surrounded by relatives and neighbors in a predominately Hispanic community. 

 

Ricardo Romero was only 37 years old when the new century began. As well as farming, he operated a saw mill at Agua Negra. A 1900 Las Vegas newspaper praised the area as having the “best quality of saw timber are to be found at the headwaters of the Agua Negra and the Guadalupita in Mora County”. The two towns are about 20 miles from each other.

 

He was still active Mora County politics. In April 1900, 6 days after his 38^th birthday, Ricardo Romero  along with Macario Gallegos, Manuel Borrego  and Agapito Abeyta were delegates from Mora traveling by train to Albuquerque for a territorial wide convention. The delegation was headed by delegation y Macario Gallegos and Agapito Abeyta Jr. The Las Vegas Daily Optic made the observation that they represented “when that county was democratic. “

The 1900 U.S. Census of Mora County, New Mexico

The first census to list Ricardo Romero as a married man is the 1900 U.S. Census taken on 13 June.  The 1890 Census was destroyed by fire but between Baptismal Records and censuses records the family of Ricardo and Librada Romero can be fairly well reconstructed.  The 14 years between his marriage and the 1900 Census he and Libradita had  six children but with only five still living.

The census taker listed the family as living in Agua Negra rather the official name of the Post Office which was Holman.  There was very little distinction between Agua Negra in Precinct 9 and El Rito de Agua Negra The community of Chacón was originally El Rito de Agua Negra or Agua Negro

Arriba, but was changed when the post office was first established there in 1892 and

named after the first postmaster, Diego Chacón. J in Precinct 16 although El Rito was closer to the foothills mountains while Agua Negra was closer to the Mora River. The enumerator, Miguel Martinez, made a mistake at household 75 in Agua Negra and tried to correct his mistake by renumber the households in the order that he visited them. So Ricardo Romero is listed as both 107 and 108. The last family enumerated in Agua Precinct Nine was Agapita Martinez at household 114 and 115. His family is continued on the next page in Precinct 16 of El Rito de Agua Negra.

 

 In  the 1900 Census. Agua Negra had 114 households containing 549 people with El Rito beginning with the 115th household and continuing to the 203 or 255 household there containing 140 households or 704 people. Together the communities of Agua Negra and El Rito had 1,253 people according to the census taker. 

 

Household 107 enumerated Ricardo Romero, who was listed as aged 38, born in April 1862 in New Mexico.  Both his parents were born in New Mexico and he was a farmer by occupation on a farm he owned free and clear. Not listed was the sawmill he also operated. He could read, write, probably Spanish, but could speak English. He stated he was married for 12 years instead of the actual 14. Libradita Romero age 28, said she was born November 1871 in New Mexico as were both her parents.  She said she was the mother of six children with only five still alive. Her first born Jose Margarito having died. She could read and write but could not speak English. The children listed in their house hold were Cleofas Romero daughter aged 11 born August 1888 and “attends school”, Gregorita Romero daughter aged 7 born November 1892 “attends school”, son Antonio Romero aged 6 born April 1894 “attends school”, son Estevan Romero aged 3 born November 1896, and son Patricio Romero aged 2 February 1898.

 

The census showed that Ricardo Romero’s older children were attending school. If his children went to school in Agua Negra, they were probably taught by an Anglo school teacher and thus were learning to speak English as well as Spanish.  The Presbyterian Church has established themselves in Agua Negra and in 1900, a “Miss Knipe and Miss Burton opened a “Presbyterian  day school in Agua Negra”.  The school at El Rito was in charge of “Miss Alta B. Handley”.  The two scools were part of a missionary program of the Presbyterian church. The Las Vegas Daily Optic reported in 1900 “A new school will be given to the Mora field, viz. at Agua Negra, Miss Bertha C Knipe of New York has been given the appointment there . She will be accompanied in the work by Mrs. Burton.”

 

Ricardo and Libradita’s son Jose Modesto Romero was born 22 October 1901 in Agua Negra and was baptized  on 9 November 1901 in Mora at the Santa Gertrudis Church. His padrinos sponsors were Andres Trujillo and Leanor Trujillo of Agua Negra. The 1900 census listed the couple as living in El Rito de Agua Negra in household 120 next door to Ricardo Romero’s brother in law Benito Romero. Modesto was the first of the five children born in the Twentieth Century.

 

In July  1903 the Spanish Newspaper “Voz de Pueblo” reported, “Stabbing in Agua Negra. We have news from Mora to the effect that Ricardo Romero is dangerously ill from wounds received at midnight on July 25th at a dance at El Rito de la Agua Negra. Franco Romero, Ricardo's brother, was fighting with Alonzo Vasquez who Ricardo had already separated. At this point they went outside the dance hall, and Vasquez then, addressing Ricardo, said, "Now it's time for you to deal with me," attacking him with a pocketknife. Someone hugged Ricardo and Vasquez took advantage of the opportunity to stab him in the back, another in the wrist and some other cuts in other parts of his body. In the preliminary investigation it was discovered that Juan Fresquez had helped Vasquez in the robbery and both were held in custody to protect the action of the grand jury.” Evidently Ricardo never completely recovered from his injuries.

 

The Las Vegas Daily Optic reporting on visitors to the town wrote on 4 November 1903 that stating at the Hotel New Optics were “Ricardo Romero and Agapito Abeya Jr, from Holman.”

 

In January 1904, Ricardo Romero’s father   Antonio Jesus Romero and Antonio Lobato was mentioned as being in Las Vegas  “from Mora to make an effort to make a settlement in the matter of the business of Agapito Abeyta for whom they’re sureties.”  The articles did not mention why they were bondsmen for Abeyta.

 

The in February a terrible accident occurred at Ricardo’s sawmill. On  5 March 1904 the “La Voz del Pueblo” reported, “Last Thursday, eight days ago, 25 February  a terrible and disastrous explosion occurred in Don Ricardo Romero's wood sawing machine in Agua Negra, Mora County, which resulted in the death of one of the workers and the injury of others. It is the case that while the machine was in operation, the workers in charge of taking care of the engine inadvertently said that the water in the boiler should be lowered a few points below where it should be kept so that there would be no explosion. They were alarmed when they found it in this condition and did the worst thing they should have done, which was to pour cold water into the boiler. This caused the machine to explode, producing a detonation that was heard several miles away and causing the death of one of the workers named Nicomedez Bustos and the serious injury of the others.”

 

Evidently Ricardo Romero’s fortunes began to decline after this accident and additionally Mora County experienced a severe drought that year that damaged crops and livestock.

 

A daughter named Alta Gracia Romero was born 17 May 1904 at Agua Negra and baptized  25 September 1904 at Santa Gertrudis. She was sponsored by her grandparents Antonio de Jesus Romero and Maria Gregoria Vigil, padrinos.

 

The Las Vegas Daily Optic mentioned the sale of horses to Antonio Romero by stockman Clark Moore in a blurb dated 2 December 1904 “There very nearly being a rumpus in Clark Moore’s household this morning over the sale of those spotted ponies by Mr. Morre to Antonio Romero of Cleveland, Mora County-well,  Mr. Moore also disliked to part with the pintos himself.  Ricardo Romero’s brother Francisco and Jose Jose “drove in from Cleveland, Mora County last evenin 21 December 1904

 

Ricardo Romero’s son Patricio Romero who was born 1898 died prior to 1907 and when they had another son born in 1907 they named Patricio also certainly in remembrance of their lost child. The birthdate or Christening record for the second Patricio Romero oddly can not be located. Even his death certificate did not not give a date just a approximate year of 1906.

 

On 3 October 1909, a daughter named Matilda Romero was born 17 June 1909  at  Agua Negra [Holman] and was sponsored by her aunt Perfivia Romero and her husband Emilio Abeyta, padrinos, the son of Agapito Abeyta Jr.  

 

Ricardo Romero’s fortunes and health probably declined by 1910 as he was no longer listed in newspapers as involved in politics and community activities worth noting. Also the area of Agua Negra Valley was in decline from several years of drought and the moving away of families to Wagon Mound, and to Colorado and Wyoming.

1910 U.S. Census of Mora County, new Mexico

The family of Ricardo Romero was listed as residing in Agua Negra Precinct 9 of Mora County when they were enumerated on  27 April 1910 as household 116 next to Ricardo’s sister Virginia Romero’s family at 115. Their father and mother Antonio and Gregoria Romero were enumerated in household 105. Antonio’s married children Francisco Romero and Adelaide Gallegos were enumerated nearby at households 107 and 108.  While Ricardo Romero and his father were listed as residing in Agua Negra, his father- in- law Jesus Maria Romero was located in Precinct 16 El Rito de Agua Negra as household 187.

 

                All of Ricardo Romero’s close neighbors were enumerated as working in “lumber mills” except him. Ricardo Romero was listed as age 46 when he was actually 48, and had been married 21 years (1889). The enumerated stated he only spoke Spanish which was not true entirely and that he could read and write. His occupation was given as a farmer, land he owned mortgage free.  His wife Libradita Romero was listed as age 37 and mother of ten children with 8 children still alive. The sons Margarito and Patrico having died. The children listed within the household were “Clofes” Romero aged 18,  Gregorita Romero aged 17, Antonio Romero aged 15, Estevan Romero aged 13, Modesto Romero  aged 9, Altagracia Romero, aged 5, Patricio Romero, aged 3  and Matilda Romero aged 9 months.  After the 1910 census was taken Ricardo and Librada had two more children.  Both sons Antonio and Estevan were listed as farm laborers  and attending school as were Modesto and Altagracia.

 

Another tragedy happened to the Romero family as reported by La Voz de Pueblo newspaper on 3 December 1910. “On Monday [ 28 November] in Holman, Mora County, Don Antonio Romero, a resident of that place, had his house burned down and in addition to his house, he lost all his provisions, pasture for his animals and the agricultural tools he had. He himself was at risk of losing his life, something that would have happened if his neighbors had not come in their car so in time.”

 

The following year  at the age of 39 Libradita Romero gave birth to Juanita Romero who was born 25 June 1911 at Agua Negra. She was christened 10 August 1911 with her maternal grandparents Jesus Romero and Maria Alta Gracia Maes acting as padrinos sponsors. Juanita was also known as  "Jennie".

               

Perhaps the last hurrah in politics was in October 1911 when 49 year old Ricardo Romero in October 1911 at attended the Democratic Territorial convention in Santa Fe along with Macario Gallegos and Manuel Borrego along with 8 other delegates from Mora County.    

 

In 1910 Congress passed the Enabling Act, signed by President William Howard Taft. It provided for the calling of a constitutional convention in New Mexico. The conservative document that body drafted was ratified by voters early the following year, and on January 6, 1912, New Mexico became the forty-seventh state in the Union.

 

Libradita Romero was 42 years old when her youngest child Ricardo de Jesus Romero nicknamed "Dick", was born 24 April 1914 at El Rito de Agua Negra and was baptized  29 June 1914 the son of Ricardo Romero and Libradita Romero and sponsored by padrinos Andres Gandert and Maria Arellano.  Andres Gandert was a cousin of Libradita Romero from her Vigil side of the family and at the time Sheriff of Mora County. In 1914 he was also chairman of the commissioners of Mora County who helped determine the county boundary line with San Miguel County.

 

 Drought conditions in the later 1910’s continued to harm farmers and ranchers. Populations of small communities like Holman and Cleveland began to lose population as large Anglo farm managers like the Wilson Company, which had 1800 acres in wheat, were putting small farmers out of business.

 

In 1915 Ricardo Romero’s daughter Gregoria Romero met a man name Leopoldo Abel Lucero and had his child born 18 Sep 1915 in Wagon Mound, New Mexico. Her son Leopoldo Jr.  was Ricardo and Libradita’s first grandchild.  Leopoldo Abel Lucero was the son of Marimon Lucero and Francisca Maria Saiz of the Albuquerque area. Leopoldo’s draft registration did not record the date but probably 1917 when stated he was married with a wife and child. Gregoria and Leopoldo must have separated as he enlisted on 29 May 1918 into the army and was discharged 12  January 1919. He must have returned to Alburquerque where he married Eloisa Candelaria in that year as they had a 3 month old daughter when the census was taken on 10 January 1920.  Gregoria and her son were at that time living with her father probably in Wyoming.

 

In February 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany preparing to enter World War I on the side of France and Great Britain. The Selective Service Act of 1917 authorized the federal government to raise a national army through conscription for service in World War I.  The Selective Service Act required  all males aged 21 to 30, born  from 1887 to 1896  to register to potentially be selected for military service. At the request of the War Department, later Congress amended the law in August 1918 to expand the age range to include all men 18 to 45, born from  1873 to 1900.  The Act was canceled with the end of the war on November 11, 1918.

 

In the meanwhile the draft registration act affected Ricardo Romero’s two sons Antonio and Estevan Steve.  Antonio Romero was registered immediately on 29 May 1917 in Precinct 9 which was Agua Negra in Mora County.  The registrar was John Gandert, his cousin.  His age was given 24 with his the home address being “Holman”.  He gave his birthday as 13 April 1893 and was born in Holman  as a natural born citizen. His occupation was given as “self employed farmer at Holman” with no dependents as he was single. His race was given as Caucasian and didn’t claim any exemption from the draft and signed his own name.  He was described as “medium in height and  build with brown eyes and black hair.”

 

The following year the Laz Voz de Pueblo wrote on 16 February 1918,” During the last few days we have seen Don Ricardo Romero, one of the commissioners of the county of Mora, in the square.”  No further details were explained.

 

Antonio Romero married 18 May 1918 in Santa Gertrudis Church in Mora County although he was living at Agua Negra. He married Juanita Isabel Paes of San Antonio [Cleveland] the daughter of Samuel Paes and Genoveva Manzanares.   Within a few weeks his brother Estevan was called to register for the draft as World War I continued.  Antonio Romero was listed on a drafted report but whether he was ever called into service is not clear. Ricardo and Libradita’s second grandchild, Timoteo Patricio Romero was born 17 March 1919 at Holman.

 

 Estevan Romero registered  on 5 June 1918 for the draft.  The registrar was Patricio Sanchez who served on Mora County’s New Mexico Council of Defense. His age was .  given as 21  and home address was simply “Mora, New Mexico”. His birthday was 26 May 1897 and he said he born at Homan and was a native of the United States. His father’s birthplace was listed as Holman and he stated he was employed by his father  in Mora. He gave as his nearest relative his father  Ricardo Romero of Mora and he was able to sign  his name. He was described as short and slender with brown eyes and black hair with no physical diabilties.

 

Cleofas Romero was married to Elias Ortiz before September 1918 when he was registered for the draft while living at Holman. He was the son of Rafael Ortiz and Teofila Montes Vigil. At the time he stated he was employed by the Stratton Sheep Company of Rawlins, Wyoming. Elias Otiz stated he did not known his birthdate but was about 45 years old. Cleofas Romero was nearly 29 years old and their only child Rafael Ortiz was born in November 1919 when she was 30.

Leaving New Mexico for Wyoming

                The war to end all wars was over and National Prohibition restricted the sell of alcohol in 1919. Thousands of Americans were home from overseas, out of the service, and  looking for work.  Ricardo and Libradita Romero’s family was still living in Mora County in March 1919 when their grandchild Timoteo Patrico Romero was born at Cleveland, but not for long, as by February 1920 the Romeros had left all they had in Agua Negra behind and relocated to the rail road town of Rawlins Wyoming some 600 miles away.   It is not known exactly when or why the family left their ancestral homeland of over 300 years. Only Ricardo knew why he was up rooting his family from all the friends and family he had in Mora County. His departure left behind his parents Antonio and Gregoria and Libradita’s parents Jesus Romero and Altagracia Maes. Additionally he was leaving behind  his sisters Adelaide Gallegos, Virginia Romero, Francisquita Arellano, and his younger brother Frank Romero and all of their families.  Libradita had to say a teary good bye to her sister Porfiria Abeyta  and her brothers Margarito Romero, Manuel Romero, Ricardo Jr. Romero and Elias Romero also.    None of the extended families of Ricardo and Libradita were to journey with them to distant Rawlins which was hardly the land of opportunity.  However, for whatever reason, economics, social, or something else, only known to Ricardo, the family left and never returned, except for two of his older married children Antonio and Gregoria.

 

Thus, it is not known why Ricardo Romero would root up his family and moved from Mora County his childhood home, unless there was some economic hardships there. Land in Mora was  probably by this time, over grazed and over worked, and was needed to support more and more people as land was being taken over by cattle ranches and sheep herding.  He would have undoubtedly known of people moving away from Mora County to Colorado or Wyoming for better opportunities but it still must have been a difficult decision.  His son in law Elias Ortiz stated that he worked for the Stratton Sheep Company of Rawlins during WWI  and perhaps he had some influence in Ricardo’s decision.

 

As to when the family moved it is also unclear. They were enumerated in Rawlins at the first of February 1920 but certainly they arrived long before winter. Finances had to be settled, property sold, and train tickets bought and employment and lodging had to be secured in this new location without help from any extended family.  They most likely would have left in the fall after crops were harvested and household goods and furnishing sold and disposed of.  However Libradita’s oldest daughter Cleofas Otiz was pregnant at the age of 30 with her first and only child, Ray Otiz who was born in November 1919. It would have been odd for the family to have left Cleofas without family at this time.  However, Elias and Cleofas stayed behind at Holman after the family left and didn’t move to Rawlins until some time in the 1920’s.   Ricardo’s son Antonio had his first child born in March 1919 and he he did move to Rawlins with his father.

Rawlins, Carbon, Wyoming

Rawlins, is the County Seat of Carbon County and is located in the south central part of the state, founded as a railroad town and water stop for the Union Pacific. It is a small town on the Red Desert Platueau, bordered to the south by the Sierra Madre Mountains and the Medicine Bow Mountains. To the North are the Seminoe Mountains, the Haystack Mountains, the Shirley Mountains, and the Rattle Snake Mountains.   The elevation of Rawlins is 6755 feet above sea level, compared to Holman’s 7,562 feet.  However the climate is more semi-arid and desert like, compared to Mora. Rawlins played a vital role in the development of the state's sheep and cattle industries and additionally was the location of the notorious Wyoming Frontier Prison.

 

When Ricardo Romero’s family was being enumerated in February 1920, an article was published regarding how badly over crowded the Wyoming state penitentiary was. “The current issue states that Wyoming now has 365 convicts of whom 318 are in the Rawlins prison, 22 are on paroles and  25 are out on honor. The present building having been designed to accommodate only 200 convicts.”

 

People may also have been attracted to Rawlins from New Mexico due to the higher wages paid there. An article from 11 December 1920 stated, “Wyoming Herders Get Wage of $90 a Month.   Sheep herders are provided minimum wages ranging from $90 to $100 a month in a new wage adopted by the Carbon Wool Grower association. The former amount represents the maximum for newly employed and the latter for experienced help. Forty dollars a month for the same position two year also was considered high.” 

 

What even drove Ricardo Romero to move to Rawlins, here in Wyoming was where he believed he could make wages enough to support his large family and where his sons, as they started their own families, could make a living.  Many other New Mexicans and Coloradoan Hispanic families were relocating also to Wyoming at this time to work in railroad towns such as Rawlins and Green River and the oil fields, so the Romeros were within a growing Hispanic Spanish speaking population. No matter where these Hispanic families originated they were all mostly designated by the term “Mexican” as opposed to white Americans.

 

In Rawlins Wyoming the Romero Family would become nominal members of the St. Joseph Catholic Church and would live mostly in the town’s southside near the Railroad tracks, among other Spanish-speaking families.

The 1920 U.S. Census of Rawlins Carbon County Wyoming

The 1920 census for the Romero family is misleading, perhaps because of language issues between the family and the enumerator who was 18 year old Sadie Keefe, a court house stenographer tasked with the job of taking the census for precinct 2.  Her 20 year old sister Mildred Keefe, who also was a stenographer, was the enumerator for district one.  She did not list the day of the month that she visited households in January and February however at household 178 she went from January to February  and Ricardo was enumerated at household 184 so it can be surmised that he was enumerated in the first week of February.

 

 Ricardo Romero resided in precinct 2 at house listed as 912 Spruce Street between 9th and 10th Street. The household included 14 people all member of his family.  The Romeros were the only family in all of Precinct 2 who were enumerated as New Mexicans and who spoke Spanish.  Only Ricardo, Libradita, and their married son were listed also as speaking English the 11 others in the household were listed as not speaking English. Most of the other Spanish speaking households where mainly listed in Precinct one and were mostly listed as being from “Mexico” when they might as well have been from New Mexico.

 

                Whether it was Ricardo or someone else who answered Sadie Keefe’s questions, their ages were given as almost a decade younger than they actually were.  Perhaps needing the work and doubting that the railroad would have given such an arduous job of shoveling coal to a man of his age, he made himself younger.  It also reveals the hard times it must have been in Holman, New Mexico to give up farming and ranching.  It’s a possibility that he may have lost his farm.

 

Enumerated  as household 184 in Precinct 2,  Ricardo Romero was listed as the head of his household  so the move to Wyoming was his decision and not of his married children.  In fact his eldest daughter Cleofas and her husband Elias Ortiz did not initial move from New Mexico.  She had just had a baby in November 1919.  Ricardo was listed as aged 50 years when he would have been closer to 58 which he would have been in April.  He stated that he could speak English and read and write. He was renting the home his family had moved to and was working for wages at the coal shuts for the Union Pacific Railroad.  His job entailed loading coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives.

 

 “Librato” Romero was said to be 40 years old when she was closer to 48 with “no occupation” and didn’t speak English and but could read and write. Next was enumerated “Steven” Romero aged 23 who was an unmarried male with no occupation. He was listed as not being able to read or write  but could speak English. It may have been him that provided Sadie Keefe with the information who must have been confused actually at this point as she listed the remainder people in the household as not being able to read or write nor speak English, when World War I draft records clearly showed that Steve and Antonio could write their signature and early census records showed Ricardo Romero’s children had attended school.

 

Ricardo’s oldest son, Antonio, was enumerated as a 24 year old single male when he was actually a married man. His occupation was given as a laborer for the Union Pacific. Antonio’s wife Isabel Paiz was enumerated as Ricardo’s daughter nor his daughter in law as 20 year old “Elizabeth Romero”.  Their baby was listed as Ricardo’s 10 month old son instead of grandson and was named “Patrick” instead of Timoteo.

 

Ricardo Romero’s daughter Gregorita’s enumeration was totally mixed up with her name with that of her former husband, Leopoldo Lucero.  Twenty-six year old “Gregorito Lucero” was listed as a a “son-in-law”  while her son Leopoldo Lucero, born 18 September 1915 was enumerated as “Leopolda Lucero” a daughter aged 5.  Sadie Keefe must have been flummoxed by the language barrier.   The father of Gregorita’s son, Leopolda Abel Lucero, was in 1920 living near Albuquerque with a wife and daughter.  Whether Gregorita and Leopoldo ever actually married is unknown.  By 1921 Gregorita had returned to Holman were she married a local farmer named Jose Macario Sandoval and had another son born in January 1921.

 

The rest of the family were recorded as son Patrick age 13, daughter Grace age 14, daughter Jennie age 9, daughter Matilda aged 10, son Richard son aged 6 and lastly almost as an afterthought  son Modesto age 19  as a single male with no occupation.

 

                This census is interesting for several reason, one of which it reveals the beginning of the anglicizing of the family by changing Spanish names to sound more American.  Esteban becomes Steven, Patricio becomes Patrick, Alta Gracia becomes Grace, Juanita becomes Jennie, and Ricardo becomes Richard. More likely is that the census taker had a little grasp of Spanish and Ricardo had a little grasp of English which lead to this confusing Census.  What is truly amazing is that in this household of 13 people, Ricardo was the main support, working as a coal shute operator.  This indicate that he came with to Rawlins with some finances.  His son Antonio having a wife and son to support probably helped where he could. There were 3 young men,  Steven, Leopoldo and Modesto in the household who could not find work and were unemployed. By 1920 World War I was over and probably the Union Pacific Railroad began to layoff the wartime surplus help.

The Roaring Twenties

                The 1920’s was  the time of America’s alcohol “Prohibition” where much of the news was about law enforcements against bootlegging alcohol. There were no legal saloons, taverns or bars which did not prevent the consumption of alcohol.

 

Ricardo Romero managed to open a grocery store in Rawlins which supported his family during the 1920’s when the younger the children of Ricardo Romero married and left home.   

 

                Gregorita Romero Lucero and her son Leopoldo Lucero returned to Holman, New Mexico shortly after the 1920 census was taken. She married  Jose Macario Sandoval, a local farmer on 27 April 1920.  He was the son of  Jose Cayetano Sandoval and María Dolorita Lovato.  Macario was one of 3 election judges for Holman’s Precinct 9 in October 1920. Ricardo Romero’s four Sandoval grandchildren were Ernest Eutemio Sandoval 1921–2012, Viola Libradita Sandoval 1922–2008, and Macario Juan Sandoval Jr 1924–1987 and Feliberto Moises Sandoval 1928–1928 and never returned to Rawlins.  “Leo” Lucero was raised with his Sandoval half siblings.

 

Ricardo Romero had two grandsons born in 1921.  Eutemio Ernesto Sandoval was born in January  at Holman, New Mexico while Rumoldo Romero was born in February in Rawlins.  A granddaughter Viola Libradita Sandoval was born in 1922 at Holman  while granddaughter Ida Romero was born in 1923 at Rawlins.

 

Two grandsons were born in 1924, Macario Sandoval was born in October at Holman while Joe Romero was born in December at Rawlins.

 

Two more grandchildren were born in  March 1925, Art Romero at Rawlins, and Helen Esquibel at Parco.   Five more grandchildren would be born before the decade was over. Roy Romero was born 1926 and Delia Romero in 1927 at Rawlins. Three grandschildren were born in 1928 however two of them died the same year, Feliberto Sandoval in Holman and Patricia Romero in Rawlins.  Alice Montoya was also born that year in Rawlins.  Granddaughter                 Ruby Montoya was born according to a cenus record in March 1929 in Rawlins.

 

Two of Ricardo Romero’s children, Steve Romero and Grace Romero  married circa in 1922 and 1923,  however the actual date in unknown. Steve Romero married Josefa "Josie" Trujillo the daughter of Jose Daniel Trujillo and Ruperta De Herrera. She was born 25 April 1906 in Cleveland, Mora County, New Mexico, and would have been about 16 years old when she married probably in 1922 as their first child Ida Romero was born 6 June 1923. They were to have two more children Arthur “Art” Romero  born 3 May 1925 at Rawlins and Delia Romero born 27 Apr 1927 also at Rawlins, before divorcing by 1930 although they would later reconcile.

 

Modesto, Steve, Josie Trujillo, Grace Romero

Grace Romero married Thomas Aquino Esquibel the son of Francisco Esquibel and Maria Lucia Sanchez. He was born 21 December 1891 in San Pablo, Costilla, Colorado and had married on 31 Oct 1912 at San Luis, Costilla, Colorado, Manuela de Atocha "Manuelita" “La Mela” Espinoza   and in the 1920 census he was living at San Pedro with his 1^st wife and 3 children. They divorced and she remarried in San Pedro, Colorado  in 1926 after Tomas had married Grace. Grace had just the one daughter, Helen E Esquibel, born 1925 at Parco, Carbon, Wyoming.

 

On 5 February 1924 Modesto Romero, at the age of 21, married Maria “Mary” Moncallo  who was 19.  She was the daughter Gumario "Marzo" Moncallo who died in 12 December 1906 when she was an infant and her mother Paz de Herrera had remarried in 1908 to Ramon Manzanares who would have raised her into adolescence.  Ramon died about 1918 and her mother than married Manuel Orselio Martinez who listed “Maria A Moncayo age 13”  as his stepdaughter living in Cleveland in the 1920  census oon January 31^st. Her mother had a family with Orselio Martinez, Mary’s half brother Peter Martinez born in 1920, and half-sisters Estella “Stella” Martinez born 2 September 1921 at Mora, Mora, New Mexico and Mary Paz Martinez born 24 September 1922.  Mary Moncallo followed her mother and step father to Rawlins probably in 1923 where Orselio found work at Parco until killed in an oil drill explosion in 1927.  Parco was later renamed Sinclair.   Paz remarried for the fourth time to Maximo Lavato  who moved to Chicago for work by 1930 at the beginning of the Great Depression. Paz son’s Peter Martinez died in Chicago in March 1930. Max Lavato was just 5 years older that Paz’ daughter Mary Moncallo.  

               

                Modesto Romero and Mary Moncallo  were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church and their first  born named Joseph Modesto “Joe” Romero was born 2 December 1924. Modesto  and Mary would provide Ricardo and Libradita with 8 grandchildren although two died as infants.

 

Matilda “Tillie” Romero married “Ricardo” Richard Branch on 9 September 1924. He was listed in the 1920 census as 15 years living in Mora County, New Mexico the son of Louis Alejandro Luis Acosta Branch [1871–1918] and Francisquita Martinez [1870–1948]. This marriage did not last as that five years later Tillie married Richard Maes on 16 November 1929 as  witnessed by Matilda's sister and brother-in-law, Clofas Ortiz and Elias Ortiz, and by her brother Dick Romero.   Richard was the son of Jose Toribio Maes and Maria Manuela Medina of Mora County, New Mexico.

 

Juanita  Romero, known as “Jennie”, at the age 17, married on 14 March 1927 shows Mike Montoya age 21.  The witnesses to their marriage were Modesto and Mary Romero.  Mike Montoya and Jennie Romero had two daughters Alice and Ruby before they divorced.

Death of Patricio Romero

On 8 August 1928,   Patricio Romero age 20 was shot and killed by a man named Juan Senato at Laramie, Wyoming, in quarrel over the affections of a woman. Reported in the Caspar Star Tribune the article stated, “Murder Charge Faces Mexican Quarrel Over Woman Ends in Shooting. Laramie, Wo., Aug.9. –(AP) A charge of first degree murder will be preferred, probably today, against Juan Senato, arrested last night after he had shot and killed Patricio Romero in a quarrel over the affections of a woman, W.W. Tipton, county attorney announced. Coroner W.C. McCann was preparing to hold an inquest this afternoon, after a post mortem on Romero’s body by Dr. J P Markley and Dr. Harold Inch. Captured by Chief of Police John Sigman and Patrolman Frank McCue, as he cowered in a haystack northwest of Laramie. Senato made no attempt to deny that he had killed Romero but insisted that he had shot him in self-defense after Romero had him by the throat and was reaching for his hip pocket as if to draw a weapon. Romero had no weapon except an eight-inch wrench, examination of the body disclosed. Senato said they had quarreled over Vera Gomez who had deserted Senato four days ago and gone to Rawlins where Romero lived. The woman was arrested last night and is being held as a witness. Romero’s father lives in Rawlins, where he owns a grocery store. The man slain was 20 years of age.”

 

There is little more about the killing except that Senato was arraigned and plead not guilty to the murder of Romero on 11 September. The Casper Star carried no further information on whether Senato was found guilty or not guilty nor what was his fate. 

 

Information on Patrico Romero’s death certificate was supplied by his brother Modesto Romero  and not his parents who were probably too grieved. Modesto gave his home address as 112 East Center Street in Rawlins but didn’t know his brother’s birthdate and simply wrote “about 1907” and 22 years old. The newspaper said he was 20 years old.  Modesto gave Patrico’s occupation as a “boilermaker helper” at Rawlins. The cause of death was written as “hemorrhage due to bullet entering the heart and ascending aorta – Murder”  supplied by a Laramie doctor.   Stryker Mortuary provided the funeral and the death certificate said he was buried in Rawlins but there’s no record of Patricio in the Rawlins Cemetery, perhaps buried in a pauper grave.

 

Interestingly the reporter for the Casper Star mentioned that in 1928 Ricardo Romero operated a grocery store in Rawlins.

The 1930’s and the Great Depression

When the 1930 U.S. Census was taken, America was at the beginning of an economic collapse known as the Great Depression which began under Republican President Herbert Hoover. Only when Franklin D Roosevelt was elected in 1932 were policies put in places like the National Recovery Act and the Civilian Conservation Corp to help the millions out of work.  The Romero family would have been affected by the hardships of the time as many of the marriages of Riccardo Romero’s children fell apart, while others left Rawlins for economic reasons.

 

A man named James Noel was tasked with enumerating the majority of people in the southside of Rawlins, nearly 1,500 people between April 2 and April 17.   A man named M.E Pickett, the Supervisor’s clerk for Rawlins enumerated all the other 450 people in Ward 1 many who did not have addresses as they worked as sheep herders, for the railroad, or were unemployed. Only about 145 people out of the 450 were not men listed as “lodgers” meaning those without permanent addresses.

 

Ricardo Romero was enumerated on 12 April 1930  as living in Rawlins Ward 1 District 1 which was considered as the south part of the city. His address was given as  202 Water Street where he lived with just his wife and youngest son “Dick” who was listed as 17 years old, unemployed.  Ricardo owned his own home that was valued at $1500 but did not own a radio. He was listed as a 55 year old “Mexican” when he was actually 68 years old. He stated he was married when he was 25 years old and his wife at 20  was married at 20 when she actually 14.  His occupation was listed as a “Grocery Merchant”.

 

Ricardo’s son in law Elias Ortiz and daughter Cleofas were enumerated by James Noel on 11 April 1930 as living in Ward 1 District 1 in Rawlins at 302 West State Street along with their 10 year old son Ralph whose  parents were listed in their 50’s and as “Mexicans”.  Elias owned his house valued at $500 and was listed a common laborer.   Sometime later a M.E. Pickett enumerated the family again with quite a different scenario.

 

“Clofes” and “Manuel Ortez” along with their son “Ralph” was enumerated as residing on Sixth  Street next to her sister “Grace Maes” and her husband Richard. Both brother in laws worked in a sheep shearing pen and both sisters worked as a “Mangle” for “Laundry”.  Mangle jobs “would have been to complete the work of the washerwomen by ensuring a smooth, even finish for clothes, sheets and other household linen after washing.” They may have worked for or with A.R. Sparks who was enumerated just before them with the occupation of “ Cleaner” for a city laundry. 

 

M. E. Pickett did not list the number of dwelling houses in order by visitation  or even the number of families in order of visitation for any of these people. Only that the street address for them was on Sixth Street without a house number.  We don’t even known if they were all living in the same household as that Sparks and the Maes were renting while the Ortiz owned a home valued at $2000. “Richard and Matilda Maes” were renters for $15 listed next to the Ortiz next door. Sparks was renting at $40 a month and while he was listed as “white” the Maes and Ortiz families were enumerated as Mexicans.

 

Ten sheepherders ranging in ages from 26 to 64 were listed as “Lodgers” and worked on the “range” for  W.W.  Dalley’s and  “gets mail in P.O. ”

 

Gregorita and her husband Jose Macario Sandoval were living back in Holman, Mora, New Mexico in 1930. In their household were three Sandoval children Eutimio E Sandoval 9, Libradita Sandoval 7, Juan M Sandoval 5,  and Leo Lucero age 14.

 

 Antonio Romero listed as “Tom” was residing in Laramie, Wyoming working a laborer for the Railroad.  In his household was his wife “Isabel Romero”  and their three sons “Thimothy Romero” age 11, “Rumalda Romero” age 8, and Roy Romero age 3.

 

Steve Romero and Josie had divorced by 1930 and he was probably the “30 year old man” who worked as a sheepherder for the Stratton Sheep Company and lodged with 95 others sheepherders as enumerated by E.M Pickett. The men were all listed as “Received mail in Rawlins Wyo.” Josephine Romero  had moved back Mora, working as a servant for to a “private family”. She stated she was divorced with two children, Ida Romero and Arturo Romero.  Her daughter Delia was not enumerated in her household, perhaps simply left off  by the census taker as she was not dead.

 

                Modesto Romero was living in Rawlins and residing at  212 East Center Street in 1930 with his wife “Mary M.” and a son “Joe M.”   They were enumerated as “Mexicans” in the race category. He was the 332nd household enumerated by James Noel  in Ward 1 on 12 April just ten households away from his parents who were at the 322nd household in Ward 1. One of the questioned asked in the census was whether the household had a radio and Modesto did unlike others in his family. He owned a house that was valued at $1500, worked as  a “cellar packer” for the rail road. His duties took him all over the locomotive engine, principally underneath it, “checking the journals and grease boxes.”

 

                Ricardo’s daughter Grace was living with her husband Thomas Esquibel at Parco near Sinclair, east of Rawlins where she was listed as laundress employed by the city.   Thomas worked as a fireman for the refinery. Within their household was their 5 year old daughter Helen Esquibel.

 

                The youngest daughter, Jennie, was listed along with her husband Mike Montoya and her two children as living next door to her parents. Mike Montoya worked as a sheep foreman and owned their house at 210 Water Street valued at $500 Their daughters Alice and Ruby were listed as the 1 year old and 1month old.

 

As the Depression deepened in the 1930’s work was harder to find, especially for those considered “minorities”.  At least two of Ricardo and Librada Romero's children returned to Mora County, New Mexico, Gregorita Sandoval in 1920  and Antonio Romero in 1933. 

 

Antonio Romero was in Laramie, Wyoming for a time where a  son attended grade school for 4 years. The 1931  Laramie city directory of listed him and his wife as “Tony Romero and Isabel P” and   was working as a packer for the Union Pacific. They lived at 618 South Cedar Street. However by 1933 he returned to Holman where his only daughter Sylvia was born in 1933. He died 6 May 1935 at the age of 42  and was buried at San Isidro Cemetery in Homan, leaving a widow and four children Timoteo Patricio Romero, Santiago Rumalda Romero, Roy Romero and a daughter Sylvia Romero.

 

Tillie Maes divorced Richard Maes and married a man named Alfred Gonzales at Craig,  Moffet Colorado 19 October 1935 and  then moved back to Rawlins.

 

Dick Romero married circa 1938 Geraldine Maria Herrea the daughter of Fidel Elijo Herrera and Francisca "Frances" Crespin Alarid.

 

Ricardo and Libradita had six grandchildren born during the Great Depression, Rose Romero in 1931 at Rawlins, Sylvia Romero in 1933 at Laramie, Bill Romero in 1935 at Rawlins, Charlie Romero in 1937 at Rawlins and Patricia Romero in January 1939 at Rawlins and Pat Romero in April 1939 also at Rawlins.

The 1940 War Years

The 1940 census enumerated Ricardo and Libradita Romero on 12 April in Ward 1 renting at 206 McKinney Street probably from “Dick” Romero who owned a house at 209  valued at $1500. Ricardo was listed as 78 years old and attended school 8 years. He had no occupation listed and for the year 1939 had no income. He must have given up his grocery store sometime after the 1930 census had been taken.  Also he and Libradita said they lived at the same location in 1935.  His son “Dick Romero worked at the Parco Refinery having worked 52 weeks in 1939 and made $1680 which was only about $32 a week. He had a wife Geradine and a 6 month old daughter Patricia.

 

Cleofas and Elias Ortiz were listed in the 1940 census of Rawlins living at 302 State Street  and owned his house valued at $1000 where he said he lived in 1935. He stated he was seeking work  and had been out of work for 52 weeks. His occupation was a  sheep herder.

 

Gregorita Sandoval was the only one of Ricardo Romero’s children living outside of Wyoming in 1940. The census enumerated her in Holman where she also lived in 1935 with  her husband Macario Sandoval and their three children, She was the only one of Ricardo Romero’s children who still lived on a farm

 

Ricardo Romero’s grandchildren by Antonio Romero were also living at Holman with their mother Isabel Romero listed as a widow.

 

Steve Romero’s family lived at 213 Center street in a small home he owned value at $500 in 1940.  He was enumerated as Estevan Romero and was employed as an assistant mechanic for a steam engine. 

 

On 13 April 1940 Modesto Romero’s family was enumerated at 449 Daley Street in Rawlins. He owned his home valued at $2000 worked as a section hand for a steam engine railroad .

 

Grace Esquibel was living at Parco with her husband Tomas and daughter Helen.

 

 At 211 Center Street lived Jennie Romero  and her then 40 year old husband Fidel Maes when enumerated 12 April 1940 in Rawlins. He owned a house valued at $1000 and was working as a laborer for the Works_Progress_Administration.

 

Tillie was listed in 1940 as married to 31 year old  Alfredo Gonzales who was a ranch “camp mover” She was a 29 year old “ironer” for a laundry. Alfredo owned a home at 102 Center street valued at $2500.

World War II 1941-1945

The United States entered  World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.  America went into rationing of food and gasoline. None of Ricardo and Libradita Romero’s children were drafted into the armed service but several of his grandchildren were, Gregoria’s sons Leo Lucero  and  Ernesto Sandoval, Cleofas son Ray Ortiz, Modesto’s son Joseph Romero, and Steve’s son Art Romero.  From 1941 to 1945 America went into war production and since his son Dick Romero worked in oil refinery at Sinclair that is probably the reason he was not drafted out of Ricardo Romero’s children.

 

Ricardo Romero’s oldest grandson, Leo Lucero, enlisted in the Army Air Force on 13 May 1942 at Mora, New Mexico and became a Staff Sargeant . His training was at Fort Bliss, Texas, Sheppard Field, Texas, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Gowen Field Boise, Idaho. Ricardo’s grandson,  Leo’s half brother  Eutimo Ernesto Sandoval” was in his second year at the University of New Mexico when he volunteered 26 January 1942 on his 21st  birthday at Albuquerque. He became a Navy Aviator and was a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He had his training in in Naval Air stations at Long Beach California, Dallas Texas, Corpus Christi Texas. He was flight instructor at Los Alamitos California Naval Station, Hutchenson, Kansas, and Ottumwa, Iowa. 

 

Ricardo Romero’s grandson Ralph “Ray” Ortiz  was drafted into the army in 1942 at the age of 22 in Rawlins. Ray Ortiz was sent over to Great Britain where he participated in the D-Day Invasion at Normandy, France on 6 June 1944. He served as the acting mess sergeant supervising and controlling the activities of mess personnel in garrison or field kitchen installations before he returned home in 1945.

 

Ricardo’s grandson, 18 year old  Joseph Romero on 24 June 1943 joined the navy in Colorado.  His cousin Arthur Romero, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Rawlins, also in 1943, and attended several Northwest Naval Air Corps schools before going overseas.

 

The war in Europe ended in May 1945, while Japan surrendered after Atomic bombs were dropped on two of their cities and life returned to simi-normal.

 

Six grandchildren of Ricardo and Libradita were born during the 1940’s. Nancy Romero  was born in 1942 at Rawlins, Alice Romero in 1943 at Clifton, Colorado, Bob Yockey and  Richard Romero in 1945 both at Rawlins, Elvira Rodriguez in 1946 at Rawlins, and Gerald Romero born in 1947 at Rawlins.   The only grandchild Ricardo and Libradita dis not live to see was Madeline Rodriguez born in 1952.

Deaths of Ricardo and Libradita Romero

Ricardo de Jesus Romero died in 11 Aug 1948 at the age of 86 in Rawlins, Carbon, Wyoming, from “Myocardial degeneration” meaning that his heart just gave out. Ricardo was only in the Rawlin’s Memorial Hospital for 1 day when he died. He had lived approximately half his life in Agua Negra and half his life in Rawlins. His son Dick Romero was the informant on Ricardo’s death certificate and oddly listed his father’s mother as “ Melicho Maes” and not as Gregorita Vigil.  Libradita was still alive and she would have known who her mother in law was but evidently Dick didn’t ask and perhaps too young to remember his grandmother.

 

Ricardo’s address was given as 209 McKinley which was his son Dick’s home address so he and Libradita was living with him at the time.  Dick Romero stated of the death certificate that his father had lived in Rawlins 33 years which would have been since 1915 which was not accurate unless Ricardo had come up on his own prior to the move in 1919. His race was listed as “Spanish”. 

 

His funeral was done at the McKelvey Funeral Home while a mass service was performed at  the St Joseph Catholic Church. He was buried in the St. Joseph Catholic section of the Rawlins cemetery.

 

Ricardo’s widow Maria Librada Romero died within a year of Ricardo’s death. She died  on 22 June 1949 after continuing to live with her son Dick Romero who was also the informant for his mother’s death certificate. Libradita  died at her sons home of a stroke from hypertension.  A mass was said for her and she was buried next to her husband of

 

The information Dick Romero provided was  only as good as his memory. He said his mother’s father name was Jesus “Maes” instead of Jesus Romero and that his grandmother name was unknown.  It seems evident that the Rawlins Romero had little contact with their Mora County relatives  as that Libradita’s mother was a Maes not her father.  Libradita Romero was the mother of 12 children, all born in Mora County, New Mexico. Two of her sons died in childhood and were buried in Agua Negra and one son Pat Romero was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming.  She was a child bride of 14 when she married Ricardo Romero which was culturally common in the 19^th century.  She was a Romero by birth but as that her own mother was a Maes she may have used that surname, a Spanish custom to distinguish her family from that of her husbands family.

 

Having 12 children, Libradita spent much of her married life pregnant, a total of 9 years, while keeping house. Her husband was gone often, involved in politics and community affairs which provided her a certain status. It must have been difficult to leave her own family behind when she followed Ricardo to Wyoming but as were most women of that period she was totally depended on her husband’s decisions.

 

She must have been a remarkable woman but as typical of women of that time, anonymous except for being a wife and mother and a devoted Catholic.  Libradita was married to Ricardo for 62 years.

 

When Ricardo and Libradita died in 1948 and 1949, only the children Cleofas Ortiz, Steve Romero, Tillie Yockey, Jennie Rodriguez and Dick Romero were living in Rawlins. Joe Romero and Modesto Romero were in Ogden Utah and Grace Esquibel was residing in Sinclair about 10 miles east of Rawlins. Only their daughter Gregoria Sandoval was still living in Holman, New Mexico the ancestral home.

 

 Ricardo and Libradita  had 31 known grandchildren all who were born, except two, during their life time.  Cleofas Ortiz had Ray Ortiz 1919. Gregorita Sandoval had Leo Lucero 1915, Eutemio Sandoval 1921, Viola Sandoval 1922, Macario Sandoval 1924, and Filiberto Sandoval 1928. Tom Romero had Pat Romero 1919, Rumoldo Romero 1921, Roy Romero 1926, and Sylvia Romero 1933. Steve Romero had Ida Romero 1923, Art Romero 1925, and Delia Romero 1927.  Modesto Romero had Joe Romero 1924, Patricia 1928, Rose Romero 1931, Bill Romero 1935, Charlie Romero 1937, Pat Romero 1939, and Alice Romero 1943.  Grace Esquibel had Helen Esquibel 1925. Tillie Yockey had  Bob Yockey 1945. Jennie Rodriguez had Alice Montoya 1928, Ruby Montoya 1930, Elvira Rodriquez 1946, and Madeline Rodriguez 1952. Dick Romero had Patricia Romero 1939, Nancy Romero 1942, Richard R. Romero 1945, and Gerald A. Romero 1947 and Mary  K Romero 1955.

St. Joseph's Catholic Section, Rawlins Cemetery, Carbon County, Wyoming

Many of Ricardo Romero descendants stayed in Carbon County, Wyoming, where they married, had children, and eventually died and were also buried  in the Rawlins Cemetery.  Most are buried in the part  known as the St. Joseph Catholic section. It is here that Ricardo and Librada are laid to rest some 560 miles from where they were born and spent their youth. 

 

The St. Joseph's Catholic Church had developed the largest special section in Rawlins Cemetery to serve as burial grounds for Catholics.  Since the 1990's, St. Joseph began sharing its burial records with the City and can be accessed there. The archway on one of the entrances to Rawlins Cemetery mentions "St Joseph's Cemetery" and is only for the St Joseph's section of the entire cemetery, but that "Rawlins Cemetery" is the official name of the entire cemetery and the City of Rawlins municipal government's Public Works Division are in charge of the grounds, installation of markers and interments.

Romeros Buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, Rawlins

Ricardo Romero 1862-1948 Died 11 Aug 1948 Plot OSJ-1 B-18-5

Libradita Romero  1868-1949  died 25 Jun 1949 Plot OSJ-1 B-18-6

 Cleofas Ortiz [daughter] 1889-1979 Died 27 Mar 1979  Plot OSJ-1 B-18-8 Elias Ortiz of Co. F 1 Term Volunteer Infantry Spanish-American War [son in law] 1875-1945 died 14 Aug 1945  Plot OSJ-1 B-18-7 Rafael “Ray” Ortiz [grandson] 24 Nov 1919 -27 Jun 2018 Plot OSJ-1B-18-7B

 Estevan J “Steve” Romero [son] 22 Sep 1896 -20 Jul 1989 Plot OSJ-D-G-2 Josephine “Josie” Trujillo Romero [daughter in law] 25 Apr 1906 -31 Mar 1967 Plot OSJ-1 B-12-2

Ida F Romero Heleman [granddaughter] 1923 -1964 Died 7 May 1964 Plot OSJ-1 B-102-8 Delia Romero Valencia [granddaughter] 27 Apr 1927-1 Nov 2020 (aged 93) Burial Rawlins Cemetery Memorial ID 227734190 ·

 

Mary Romero nee Moncallo [daughter in law] 1905-1971 died 14 Jul 1971 Plot OS J-C-14-5 (wife of Modesto Romero)

 

Matilda R “Tillie” Romero Yockey [daughter] 1909-1983 died 13 May 1983 Plot OSJ-D-G-3 Darwin Lewis Yockey  [son in law] 21 Oct 1912-12 Oct 1951 Plot Site 6 Lot 10 Block 10 Theres a gravemarker also in Loveland Colorado for him Robert Caldron “Bob” Yockey [grandson] 26 Apr 1945-19 Mar 2017 Plot 2-C-19-7 Alfred Gonzales [former son in law] 1910-1973- died 8 Feb 1973 Plot OSJ-C-38-7

Curiously  that there is also an entry for “Juanita Romero Montoya” born 26 Jun 1911Holman, Mora County, New Mexico, USA Death 1988 (aged 76–77) Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. Jennie’s first husband was Mike Montoya by whom she had two daughters.

Children of Ricardo Romero and Libradita Romero

Cleofas Romero Ortiz

When Ricardo Romero went north, his oldest daughter Cleofas remained in El Rito de Agua as she had married Elias Ortiz by September 1918 when he was registered for the draft while living at Holman. He was the son of Rafael Ortiz and Teofila Montes Vigil. The earliest record for him was in the 1880 census of Mora County when his age was given as 5 years [1875]. His home was at Santa Gertrudis de Mora residing with his father Rafael Ortiz and mother “Teofila Ortiz.” He was the youngest son of 8 children and although his father was listed as a “laborer” included in the household was a 14 year boy who was listed as a servant.  His mother maiden name was Maria Teofila Asencion Montes Vigil probably a very distant relative of Cleofas Romero.  The 1885 New Mexico Territory census stated he was 10 years old so the year 1875 is most likely the correct year of his birth.

 

The Spanish American War was fought in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the U.S. acquisitions of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and its domination of Cuba.  Some Americans were skeptical that New Mexicans were “loyal and worthy American citizens.” This at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, President William McKinley sent a telegram to Governor Miguel A. Otero, Jr. asking him to assist in “recruiting stalwart young men who were good shots and good riders.”  Otero, the first Hispanic governor of the territory, knew “Many newspapers in the East were dubious about our loyalty we having such a large Mexican population.”

 

“Hoping to lay suspicions to rest, Governor Otero issued a call to every town and ranch in the territory for volunteers and offered his own services, if needed. The response from both Hispanics and Anglos was so generous that afterward Theodore Roosevelt would claim that half the officers and men of his famous Rough Riders Regiment came from New Mexico.

 

Elias Ortiz enlisted on 28 June 1898 and served in Company F of the First Regiment of Territory Volunteers which included volunteers from Arizona, Oklahoma, Indian Territory and New Mexico. He was honorably discharged 11 February 1899. It is doubtful that he saw any action overseas as the Spanish American War officially ended on December 10, 1898 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.  At this time the regiment was still at Albany, Georgia, where it would remain until the regiment was mustered out between February 11 and 15, 1899. At the time of mustering out, the regiment consisted of 46 officers and 1,118 enlisted men.

 

Elias Ortiz may have been prompted to join the army as that his father Rafael Ortiz may have been the man enumerated in 1890 of Union Soldiers in Mora County. He had served as a captain in Company H of the 2nd New Mexico Infantry from June 1861 until June 1862 for a year.

 

Returning to New Mexico Elias  was enumerated with his widowed father in the town of Mora as a farmer aged 24 stating his birth was given as in July 1875.  His father had died, when in 1910 Elias was listed a single 29 year old man [1881] working hauling logs for a saw mill. He was living with his younger sister Aurelia Ortiz who was also single. They had a 60 year old man living with them listed as a “servant.” Elias Ortiz could speak English and read and write.

 

Registering for the draft in September 1918 he had already married Cleofas Romero. He gave his  age as “about 45?” with the registrar writing “Exact age not known, was born in Mora New Mexico.” Elias Ortiz gave as his nearest relative “Cleofas Ortiz of Holman”. He also said his occupation was a “camp mover” for the Stratton Sheep Company of Rawlins, Wyoming .  The Stratton Sheep Company owned a huge amount of acreage southwests of Rawlins by the Sierra Madre mountains. It needed camp movers and shearers for the wool they sold to eastern mills.  Wyoming sheep companies were recruiting workers from Mora County, New Mexico.

 

Cleofas would have been around 29 years old in 1918 and about 30 or 31 when her son Rafael “Ralph and Ray” Ortiz was born probably at Holman. The baby was born before 17 January 1920 when the 1920 census listed her, her husband, and a son, at El Rito. Elias Ortiz was enumerated as 48 years old [1872] and a farm laborer by occupation working for wages.   This would indicated that he didn’t own his own farm. He did own his home free and clear of any mortgage. He claimed that both he and Cleofas could read and write and speak English. 

 

Cleofas’ age was off by 10 years as she was listed as  a 20 year old with a new born baby, Rafael, who must not have been a month old because he was enumerated as zero months old. She would have been a housewife as for occupation it was written none. It is not certain when the couple relocated to Rawlins but were there by 1929.

 

Cleofas and Elias Ortiz were listed in the 1940 census of Rawlins living at 302 State Street  and owned his house valued at $1000 where he said he lived in 1935. He stated he was seeking work  and had been out of work for 52 weeks. His occupation was a  sheep herder.

 

 While his parents had no occupation, “Ray” Ortiz 19 had worked 56 hours as a Bell Boy at the Ferris Hotel during the last week in March 1940. He had worked 30 weeks there in 1939 making $450 for the year.   The draft registration for July 1941 listed his address as 302 State Street but he gave his employers at the historic Ferris hotel,  as those who would always know where his is before he was drafted into the military in 1942 at the age of 22.

 

Ray Ortiz, while home probably on leave when he fathered Anita Ortiz by an unknown mother. In 1947 when he applied for a marriage license in Colorado he stated that he had been divorced but who the woman was in not known. Anita was born 1 October 1943 in Rawlings and was raised by Cleofas. When Anita married her wedding certificate listed Ray as her father but Cleofas as her mother  as she was the one who raised her until Ray married in 1950.

 

Ray Ortiz was sent over to Great Britain where he participated on 6 June 1944 in the D-Day landing at Normandy, France. He served as the acting mess sergeant supervising and controlling the activities of mess personnel in garrison or field kitchen installations before he returned home in 1945. His father Elias had died 10 August 1945 and it is doubtful that he would have been mustered out in time for him to come back to Rawlins for the funeral.

 

On 10 August 1945, Elias Ortiz was hit by a railroad train and his left leg was torn off at the hip. The accident caused him to die from shock and  “pulmonary edema”. The informant on the death certificate was his brother in law Richard J Romero who resided at 209 McKinney Street. Cleofas Ortiz remained a widow for the rest of her life.

 

Her son Ray Ortiz had a very brief marriage to a woman named Barbarita Valdez whom he married 10 April 1947 in Colorado Springs. He gave his address as 404 8^th Street and that both he and Barbarita were residence of Rawlins. They also said they had been married and divorced before. They must have separated not long after they married as Ray filed for divorce in September 1950 and the divorce information for his wife did not include even her last name. The marriage date also was incorrect and Ray filed on grounds of Intolerable indignities and it was granted as an absolute divorce.  And soon as it was granted on 9 October 1950 he married on  the same day Mollie Madrid on October 9, 1950.

 

His obituary read, Rafael “Ray” Ortiz, 98, of Rawlins passed away June 27, 2018 at his residence. He was born November 24, 1919, in Chacon, NM to parents, Cleofas (Romero) and Elias Ortiz. He moved to Parco (Sinclair), WY in the 1920s. He graduated from Rawlins High School and spent his time working at the historic Ferris hotel before serving in the U.S. Army during World War Il. Ray was drafted into the military in 1942 at the age of 22. Before being called to serve in the Korean conflict, he married Mollie Madrid on October 9, 1950. Following his service in Korea, Ray returned to Rawlins where he spent the rest of his life. He “was most well-known as the ice cream man of Rawlins”. He worked at Kinnaman’s auto supply before beginning to develop his own entrepreneurial ideas in the 1960s. Ray managed the Snack Shack; had an ice-cream/snow cone truck; owned Ray’s Ice Cream which served as an arcade, ice cream parlor, and restaurant; and sold Christmas trees, bounce houses, and imports from Mexico.

 

In addition to his personal business ventures, Ray was one of the founding members of the Latin American club, of which he served as the first and thirteenth president, which sought to promote and recognize Hispanic culture in Rawlins. He was also the first vice-president of the Lion’s Club and a lifetime member of the V.F.W. He was also a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

 

He was preceded in death by his wife Mollie and his parents Cleofas and Elias.” He was survived by his children Anita and her husband John Gonzales, Lorraine DeHerrera from Rawlins, Ray and his wife Susie Ortiz from Spring Creek, Nevada, daughter Veronica and her husband Ty Allen from Cape Canaveral, Florida.  Ray and Mollie also had a baby daughter who died 5 days old in 1954

Gregorita Romero Sandoval

Maria Gregorita Romero was born 24 November 1892 at  Agua Negra [Holman], Mora County, New Mexico. At the age of 23 she had a son named Leopoldo “Leo” Lucero, born 18 September 1915 in Wagon Mound, Mora, New Mexico. This boy would have been Ricardo and Libradita’s first grandchild. Gregoria and her son were living with her father in Rawlins when enumerated in the 1920 census. 

 

Wagon Mound NM

The father of Gregorita’s son was  Leopolda Abel Lucero who was living near Albuquerque remarried with a wife and daughter in 1920.   Lucero  was born in 1890 near Albuquerque and was drafted as a private into the Army  in 1918 from there.   He was the son of Marimon Lucero and Francisca Maria Saiz of the Albuquerque area. He enlisted on 29 May 1918 into the army and was discharged 12 January 1919. He must have returned to Alburquerque where he married Eloisa Candelaria in that year as they had a 3 month old daughter when the census was taken on 10 January 1920.

 

Gregorita returned to Holman, New Mexico shortly after the 1920 census was taken were she married  a local farmer in 27 April 1920 named Jose Macario Sandoval.  He was the son of  Jose Cayetano Sandoval and María Dolorita Lovato.  Macario was one of 3 election judges for Precinct 9 which was Holman in October 1920.

 

Ricardo Romero’s four Sandoval grandchildren were Ernest Eutemio Sandoval 1921–2012, Viola Libradita Sandoval 1922–2008, and Macario Juan Sandoval Jr 1924–1987 and Feliberto Moises Sandoval who died 1928–1928. Her son  “Leo” Lucero was raised with his Sandoval half siblings. Gregoria Sandoval never returned to Rawlins.

 

Gregorita Sandoval was the only one of Ricardo Romero’s children living outside of Wyoming after 1920. The 1930 census enumerated “Gregorita”  Sandoval as a 37 year old married homemaker resing at Holman  with her farmer husband Macario Sandoval and her children, Eutimio E Sandoval aged 9, “Laberdita” Sandoval aged 7, “Juan M Sandoval” aged 5 and Leo Lucero aged 14

 

 The 1940 census enumerated her still in Holman where she had also lived in 1935 with  her husband Macario Sandoval and their three children, Ernesto E Sandoval aged 19, Viola L Sandoval aged 17, and Maurio J Sandoval age15. She was the only one of Ricardo Romero’s children who still lived on a farm owned by her husband valued at $300. Macario occupation was a foreman on a farm but had been out of work for several years and had no income to report in 1939.  Leo Lucero was married in 1940 and was a school teacher in Cleveland.

 

“Gregorita Sandoral was listed in the 1950 census as a married housewife living on a farm off of State Road 121 in Holman with her farmer husband Macario Sandoval and her 25 year old son “Mario” who was enumerated as  a “farm helper” and born in Wyoming while all other censuses staed he was born in New Mexico.  He was deaf and so probably lived in the farm helping his father who died 6 January 1955 and was buried in Holman’s Presbyterian Cemetery.  Gregoria remained a widow until her death 8 September 1970 in  Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico. She was living with her son Macario and his wife.  She is buried in Sunset Memorial Park in Albuquerque.

Grandson son Leo Lucero

Her son Leo Lucero was recently married to Julia Garcia born 24 February 1922 at Holman. They were married 5 April 1940  and he was living in Holman as a public school teacher and had made $720 in 1939. Leo Lucero was registered for the draft on 16 October 1940 as a resident of Holman and employed by the Mora County Board of education and teaching in Cleveland.  He gave his birth date as 18 September 1916 and place of birth as Holman.   A few months later his wife Julia Garcia gave birth to a son they named Richard Leopoldo Lucerno born on 28 December 1940.

 

After American went to war Leo Lucero joined the armed service. His mother and wife completed a document for the War Records Library of the Museum of New Mexico , Historical Society of New Mexico in Santa Fe.  It was a Biographical Questionnaire for New Mexicans in the Armed Forces that was sent in December 1944..  The information they provided was  that “Leopoldo Lucero” permanent address was Holman and that he was born “18 September 1915” at Wagon Mound in Mora County. Mother was “Gregorita R Sandoval nee Romero” and his father was “Abe Lucero” who they wrote was deceased but was actually remarried and living in Albuquerque.  They added Jose  Macario Sandoval was his stepfather. He was a  “Spanish American”  with 8 grades of school at Holman with 4 years at Menual High School in Albuquerque, and one and a half years  or the Las Vegas Normal University at Las Vegas which was a teachers college.  His wife was Julia Garcia  and had a son Richard Leopoldo Lucero 28 December 1940. His civil occupation was a school teacher and hos religion was Presbyterian. He enlisted in the Army Air Force on 13 May 1942 at Mora and was a Staff Sargeant . His training was at Fort Bliss, Texas, Sheppard Field, Texas, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Gowen Field Boise, Idaho.

 

Leo Lucero and Julia had four additional children Beatrice D. Lucero, Onesimo Abe Lucero, Eddie R Lucero, and  Lawrence A Lucero between 1943 and 1949. Beatrice and Onesimo were born in Boise while their father was stationed there however Beatrice died as an infant. The youngest sons were born at Colorado Springs.

Grandson Eutemio Ernesto Sandoval

Gregorita Sandoval also sent in Biographical information on  “Eutimo Ernesto Sandoval” compiled by her and his wife Lupita Rose Martinez. His permanent address was Holman where he was born 26 January 1921. He attended 8 grades of school at Holman before attending 1 year of high school at Allison in Santa Fe and 3 years at Mendual in Albuquerque. Eutimo Ernesto Sandoval” He was in his second year at the University of New Mexico when he volunteered 26 January 1942 on his 21^st  birthday at Albuquerque. He became a Navy Aviator and became a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He had his training in in Naval Air stations at Long Beach California, Dallas Texas, Corpus Christi Texas. He was flight instructor at Los Alamitos California Naval Station, Hutchenson, Kansas, and Ottumwa, Iowa.  Ernest Sandoval married 2 Lupita Rose Martinez3 January  1943 in Albuquerque Bernalillo, New Mexico, USA Ernest and Lupita had three children between 1944 and 1950

Granddaughter Viola Libradita Sandoval

Viola Libradita Sandoval married  Joseph Abenicio Romero son of Jose Felix Romero and Sofia Atencio of Mora. In his WWII draft registration from October 1940 be was working in Johnstown in Weld County, Colorado. He enlistment 26 Jan 1942 in the army the same day as Viola’s brother did although he enlisted in Colorado. He was a sergeant in the 9^th Company  and participated in the D-Day landing in Normandy France.  He was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina for demobilization and was inactivated on 6 October 1945.  It is not certain when or how he met Viola Sandoval but they were married at least by 1944 as their first child Rebecca was born in 1945 in Colorado.

               

Viola joined “Joe” Romero in Hoyt, Morgan County, Colorado adjoining Weld County in Norther Colorado where he was listed as a farmer.  They had 3 children between 1945 and 1948 and another four before they divorced or separated as he died in Colorado Springs and she did in Albuquerque. Their obituaries never mentioned spouses.  In the 1950 census of Rawlins the Joe Romero and Viola Sandoval were residing with her cousin Steve Romero where Joe Romero was employed working as maintain on Railroad Tracks. None of their children were residing with the at the time and had to have been with relatives.

Grandson Jose Macario Sandoval Jr

 Gregorita’s youngest son Jose Macario “Mac” Sandoval Jr was “deaf and dumb” according to his  December 1942 draft registration. He was mentioned as being at the school of the deaf at Santa Fe. The draft registrar wrote he should not be ordered up for “soldiering”.  In the 1950 census he was still living with his parents as a farm helper,  however by 1960 he married Juanita Evelyn Silvas who was also deaf and they had three children.  He is buried in the Sunset Memorial cemetery in Albuquerue along with his mother.

Estevan “Steve” Romero

Steve Romero’s family lived at 213 Center street in a small home he owned value at $500 in 1940.  He was enumerated as Estevan Romero and was employed as an assistant mechanic for a steam engine.  He had worked 52 weeks in 1939 and had made $1464 for the year.  He had worked 48 hours in the last week of March 1940.  He and Josie must have reconciled as they were enumerated together with their three children, Ida, Arthur, and Delilia. The family was living next door to his sister Jennie Maes and near his brother Dick Romero and also his parents .

               

On April 25 1942 at the age of 46 he was registered for the draft. With his address as 213 Center Street still. His employer was the Union Pacific Railroad out of Omaha, Nebraska. He gave as the person who would always know where he was, his son in law, Howard Leonard Vogel,  who was living at the same address.

Granddaughter Ida Frances Romero & Howard Lenard Vogel

 Howard Vogel was Steve Romero’s son in law as that his daughter Ida Frances Romero married him 5 August 1941 in Oklahoma and their first child was born  Roberta Vogel was born 18 December in  Woodward, Oklahoma, 11  days after Pearl Harbor.   His death certificate stated he was a resident of Rawlins for 6 years so they must have returned to Rawlins before the end of the year. By February 13 1942, when Howard was registered for the draft he gave to Rawlins as his address. He was 20 years old freckled face youth born in Muskogee, Oklahoma and unemployed residing with his father in law Steve Romero.   Howard and Ida Vogel’s daughter Dianna Lee Vogel was born circa 1944 in Utah.

 

Howard L Vogel enlisted in the navy in March 1944 at Cheyenne and was trained at the Naval Training Center at Farragut, Idaho. He served on Landing Ship Tank 715 (LST 715) which was  a ship designed to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto a low-slope beach with no docks or piers. The shallow draft and bow doors and ramps enabled amphibious assaults on almost any beach. During World War II, LST-715 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima-February and March 1945 Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto-May and June 1945. Following the war, LST-715 performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid-September 1945.

 

After the war ended he was mustered out in February 1946 at San Pedro and sent to the US Naval Separation Center at Bremerton, Washinton where he was discharged 10 March 1946 . California.

 

In Rawlins he went to work for the Interstate Motor Lines company as a dock work at 121 East Front Street. On 11 August 1947 while at work Howard Vogel was killed in a truck accident. The immediate cause of death was being crushed between two trucks crushed while attempting to couple two trucks together causing internal hemorrhaging. He was found dead at the age of 24.   His widow had his body shipped to Muskogee to be buried.

 

 “The body of Howard Vogel, former Muskogean who was killed in a truck accident at Rawlins, Wyoming  Monday afternoon will arrive here [Muskogee] this after Noon [August 14]. The Lescher Funeral Home will announce arrangements. Vogel had been working for a construction company in Wyoming. He attended school in Muskogee and lived here unto 12 year ago when went to Wyoming where he married. He is survived by the widow Ida and two daughters Roberta Jo 6 and Dianna Lee 4 all of the home and his parents  Robert  L Vogel and Mrs. Henryetta Waid of Muskogee.”

 

“Military funeral services for Howard Vogel 25, former Muskogean who was killed in a truck accident at Rawlins, Wyoming last Monday  will be held Saturday afternoon at 2 O’clock at the Lescher Chapel. Rev. L C Sunkler, pastor of the Boulevard Christian Church will officiate. Members of the American Legion will act as pallbearers at the graveside in the Memorial Park Cemetery.   

 

After the death of Howard Ida remarried Emmett Hardy 3 July 1948 in  Salt Lake, Utah.  They later divorced and she married Paul J Herod 3 March1952 in Denver Colorado. He was 6 years younger than her and they were  too were divorced in 1958.

 

Steve Romero’s granddaughter Roberta Vogel married Abe de Herrera  in 1959 with the witnesses being Gilbert and Glenda Arellano. Ida’s husband was Glenda Arellano’s nephew. Gilbert and Glenda’s daughter Joyce Arellano would later marry John Romero the grandson of Modesto Romero.

 

Ida Romero’s final husband was Carroll Russell Heleman whom she married in 31January 1964 by a justice of the Peace while she was working as a waitress in Rawlins. They were only married less than 4 months when Ida died on 27 May 1964  and is buried at Rawlins

Grandson Arthur “Art” Romero

Arthur Romero was born 3 May 1925 in Rawlins, Wyoming, however, in the 1930 census his parents were separated and he was living with his mother Josie in Mora County, New Mexico.  By 1940 his parents had reconciled and Art was back in Rawlins as a teenager.  At the age of 18 he joined the armed service in 1943. The draft was still in effect after World War ended and Art at the age of 20 was registered on 11 March 1946. He was unemployed living with his folks at 215 Center Street.  

Art Romero married Connie Espinoza on 21 August 1948 and had three sons Arthur Romero, Frank Romero, and Augustine Romero before moving to Washington State.  They were godparents for Modesto’s grandson Michael Romero in 1956.

 

Arthur and Connie Romero celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary on 21 August 1998 at St Michael’s Catholic Church in Washington State “with a renewal of wedding vows and blessing. A family gathering will follow.”

 

“Arthur “Art” Romero and Connie Espinoza were married Aug. 21, 1948 at St. Joseph’s Church, Rawlins, Wyo.  Mr. Romero, originally from Rawlings, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and attended several Northwest Naval Air Corps schools before going overseas. He earned a master’s degree in business administration and became a certified public accountant. He worked in several state departments severing as associate dean of Administration at Gray’s Harbor College ad retired from the financial department of the city of Seattle.

 

“Mrs. Romero , originally from San Francisco, Colorado is a homemaker . She began working for the Office of Secretary of State in 1973 and was later promoted to the department of Licensing Professional Engineers. She worked at the Department of Social and Health Services with Vital statistics for 16 years retiring in 1993. The couple have three sons” Arthur S. Romero, Francis A. Romero and Augustine J Romero, all of Olympia. They have one grandchild and one great grandchild.”

 

Arthur Romero died 12 August 2017 (aged 92) in Olympia, Thurston County, Washington, and is buried at Mills and Mills Memorial Park Tumwater, Thurston County, Washington.

Granddaughter Delia Romero Valencia and Atilano

Delia Romero was born 27 April 1927 in Rawlins and married Atilano Valencia in 21 Aug 1948 there. Atilano was living in Albuquerque in October 1945 when he was required to register for the draft but the registrar noted he was already a “discharged veteran” age 19. His birthday was given as 8 June 1926.  He had enlisted in the Navy 13 July 1942, having lied about his age.

 

Atilano A Valencio  enlisted in the Navy  and was sent to the induction center in Santa Fe, 12 June 11942. and had radio training, and was discharged 10 Jan 1944. He was with the liberation of the Philippines.

 

In 1950 Atilano and Delia had moved to  Las Vegas, New Mexico where the census stated she was a clerk in a retail grocery store. The census taker made a notation that most of the people who lived near her were college students.   Atilano must have working on a degree in education.

 

He and his wife moved to Needle California in 1958 where he was a high school electronics and commercial teacher. Later by 1966 he was a teacher at Mills High School in San Mateo California.   He moved back to Albuquerque by 1966 where he was “Dr.  Atilano Valencia director of Related Programs for Mexican Americans, Southwest Cooperative Education Laboratory Albuquerque  in 1969. He was a noted speaker at many education conferences. By 1977 he was a professor at the New Mexico State Education and was a speaker on Bilingual Education. In 1985 he and Delia had moved to Fresno California where he taught at Fresno State University. He died 7 October 2001 in  Fresno, Fresno, California. , USA

 

 “Delia Romero Valencia, 93, shuffled off this mortal coil on November 1, 2020 in the hospice unit at Victoria Care Home of Fresno, California. Death was welcome; it granted surcease of pain from a herniated tumor in her stomach as well as the lingering loneliness, isolation and indignities inflicted by Alzheimer's disease. She suffered most of her life from glaucoma and macular degeneration and was legally blind. She was a very kind, sweet and religious lady who wore her rosary around her neck at all times.”

 

“Delia was born April 27, 1927 to the late Esteban and Josefa Romero in Rawlins, Wyoming. After graduating from Rawlins High School she attended New Mexico State University, where she received a Bachelor of Education degree and taught secondary education for 25 years before retiring.”

 

“She met Dr. Atilano Valencia in Rawlins, where they would marry in a double ring ceremony on August 21, 1948. They made homes at various locations in the United States, spending most of their time in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Dr. Valencia was a Professor of Education at New Mexico State University. He was also active in teaching bilingual/bicultural education programs and their implementation to school teachers and administrators.”

 

“After retirement they moved to Fresno, California, where Atilano died October 27, 2001. Delia was also predeceased by her mother Josefa Martinez Romero in 1967, her father Esteban Romero in 1989, her sister Ida in 1964, her brother Arturo in 2017 and a nephew Arthur Romero in 2014.”

 

“Delia is survived by her adopted son Anthony, grandsons Anthony Jr. and Jeremy Valencia, granddaughter Stephanie Valencia, three great grandchildren (Cambria, Jaden and David), four nieces (Roberta DeHerrera, Dianna Frye, Mary Ann Haynes and Deborah Martinez) and three nephews (Francis and Augustine Romero and Paul Herod).”

 

“A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, June 4, 2021 at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Rawlins, Wyoming. Burial will follow at the Rawlins Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated in memory of Delia Valencia to the National Glaucoma Research, American Macular Degeneration Foundation or Alzheimer's Association - Help Fight Alzheimer's.”

Joe Modesto Romero

On 13 April 1940 Modesto Romero’s family as enumerated at 449 Daley Street in Rawlins. He owned his home valued at $2000 where he lived in 1935. He worked as a section hand for a steam engine railroad and worked 32 weeks in 1939 making $640 for the year.  He was out of work for 16 weeks.  He had in his family his wife Mary, and children Joseph age 15, Rosie M age 9 ,  William M age 5 Charlie aged 3 and Patrick age 1. After the census was taken they had a daughter Alice bon in December 1943. Joe Modesto Romero and his family were living in Ogden Utah when his father and mother died however by 1950 they returned to Rawlins.  See Part Six

Grace Romero Esquibel

Grace Romero married a divorced man named Thomas Esquibel who had  family in San Luis Valley in Colorado. He came to Wyoming to work in the oil fields at Parco which was a company town built for oil man Frank Kistler to house workers at the Producers and Refiners Oil Company (PARCO) refinery in 1924.  Grace moved to Parco with Thomas and had a daughter named Helen born in 1925 at Parco. 

 

                The 1930 census enumerated Grace Esquibel as a 26 year old “Mexican” living at 504 A on 7th Street in Parco. She stated she was 21 years old when she married Thomas  Esquibel and she worked as a “laundress” for the City Laundry.  She was living with her 36 year old husband and daughter 5 year old Helen Esquibel.

 

Thomas Esquibel was able to provide for his family during the Great Depression and the 1940 census showed that Grace was still residing at Parco, however in 1942 the town was renamed “Sinclair” when the town and refinery were managed by the Sinclair Refining Company.   

 

Thomas and Grace owned a house which  valued at $1200 and Thomas was employed as a “stillman helper” for “Petroleum reefing”.  He said had worked 52 weeks in 1939 and made $1800. Grace was also employed for 52 weeks and made $40 more than her husband. He had worked 36 hours the last week in March while Grace worked 51 hours.  Within their house hold was their 14 year old daughter Helen.

 

The draft registration for older men born after 1877 and before 1898 listed Thomas Aquino Esquibel  in April 1942 as residing at 410 North 7^th at Parco. His household had no telephone and he gave hs age as 50 born 21 December 1891 at San Palbo, Colorado  He gave  Lucia Esquibel of San Pablo as the person who would always know his address and he said his employer was the Sinclair Refining Company.

Granddaughter Helen Esquibel Cassidy

Helen attended Rawlin High School and after graduating in 1942, “fiercely independent at the age of 17, she boarded a train and moved to Denver Colorado to live and work.”   However soon “ To help the WWII war effort, she moved to Seattle where  she worked as a riveter  (like Rosie!)  in an airplane factory.” It was then she met Howard Cassidy, “a tall handsome former Golden Glover boxer who was in the navy.

 

Howard William Cassidy was a native California born in Redwood City in 1922. He inlisted in the Navy on 14 December 1942 in San Francisco.  He served as a fireman first class on the destroyer Russell during the “invasion of Okinawa the latest in a series of continuous blows against the Japs for the past 42 months.”  The destroyer “offered protection against Jap suicide planes.”   The Russell’s “first action came in an air attack against Gilbert Islands  The destroyer fought at Tulagi, in the Solomons, the Aleutians, the Marshalls and the Philippines. Never hit itself, the ship has picked up 492 survivors of the Yorktown and 539 from the Hornet.”

 

Helen married Howard Cassidy  5 November 1945 in Seattle and he was discharged from the navy Howard Cassidy  21 March 1946.  “Howard was a Redwood City native so after the war they moved back to Howard’s hometown, during which time Heln worked at a Tite company while Howard worked as a sales Representative for a liquor distributor”

 

The 1950 U.S. Census for Carbon County showed that on 17 April, Tom and Grace were still residing at Sinclair. Tom was listed as 58 years old working as a “treater” for an oil refinery.  He was working 40 hours a week. Grace was listed as a 47 year old without any occupation. 

 

Helen Cassidy was enumerated  living in San Mateo, California with her husband Howard W Cassidy. They lived at 81 Wavery  and he was working as a delivery driver for “Soft Hunk Company.”  Helen was operationg an IBM machine for a title company.

 

Thomas Esquibel died 18 September 1954 at the age of 63 in Rawlins and is buried in the Rawlins Cemetery without a marker.  After the death of her husband, Grace left Wyoming and moved to California to be near her daughter. The 1955 Redwood City Directory listed Grace as Grace Esquibel (widow Thomas A)  finisher  Redwood City Laundry and cleaners house 327 Pacific Ave.  Howard Cassidy was also in the directory as  a salesman for Alpha Distributors. Grace was not living with her daughter however as the Cassidy’s lived at 746 7^th Avenue.

 

Helen Cassidy was involved “helping the Girl Scouts and the United Crusade  at Menlo Park” according to a blurb dated February 1955.  Grace Esquibel was in California in time for the birth of her only granddaughter Colleen Cassidy.  A newspaper announcement wrote “To the wife of Howard W. Casidy of 746 Seventh Ave  Redwood City a daughter 6 lbs 6 oz.” was born. The paper was dated 22 November 1955 .

 

In 1960 they moved to Los Altos. One of Helen’s passions was bowling. “For 26 years she managed the Fiesta Lanes in Palo Alto during which time she won many team and individual bowling championships as well as being a bowling instructor. She once bowled in a near perfect game of 299.” A newspaper account from 1965  stated, “Helen Cassidy rolled one of the highest games for women this season fires 276 game”.  Another article some 20 years later when California initated a lottery she was interviews at the Fiesta Lanes bowling Alley. “Clerk Helen Cassidy said she was looking forward to selling tickets. “I think it’s the only thing I’ve been excited about in the past 20 years I have been here so many years and all it’s been is bowling, bowling, bowling”,  Said Cassidy who has worked at the Fiesta for 22 years (1963).  This will be different and fun. I’m a gambler at heart.”

 

Alta Grace Esquibel, for her social security number, gave the date of her birth as 17 May 1905 in New Mexico. She gave as her mother’s maiden name as “Maes” and her father as Romero. It appears that the younger children of Libradita did not know their mother’s maiden name.  However it was Spanish custom that children often took their mother’s name as well as their father. Libradita father was a Romero but her mother was a Maes and Libradita may have gone as Libradita Maes. Grace remained in California since at least 1955 for the second half of her life until she died in Santa Clara County 9 December 1991. There’s no record of a grave site for her so she may have been cremated.

 

Helen’s husband Howard William Cassidy died 6 January 2009 in Los Altos, Santa Clara, California,  and was cremated and interred in an urn in the Alta Mesa Memorial Park at Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California. His marker was provided by the V.A.

 

Ricardo Romero’s granddaughter Helen survived her husband by 13 years dying in 2022. There is an urn next to her husband at the Alta Mesa Memorial Park where she was probably placed.

 

Her obituary was placed in the Palo Alto Daily Post on 19 August 2022 as a resident of Los Altos. “Helen Cassidy, longtime resident of Los Altos, has passed away peacefully at the age of 96. Those who were lucky enough to know her will remember her sweet demeanor often coupled with an acerbic wit. She was known for strolling the streets of downtown Los Altos pushing a pram with her beloved Shih Tzu, stopping to converse with shopkeepers and the many friends she had developed in her 62 years there. Helen was born in 1925 in Parco, Wyoming , a small town close to Sinclair, known  for its oil.

 

Her obit additionally noted besides bowling, “Her other hobbies included collecting dolls, music and dancing, stitchery, and latch hook rugs. She had a great love of animals and in addition to her beloved pets, she was a generous sponsoring numerous Animal Rescue organizations.”

 

“Hele was preceded in her death by her husband  and is survived by her daughter Colleen, who lovingly cared for her during the last two years of her life. She will be dearly missed. Anyone who wished to honor Helen’s memory can donate to Muttsville Senior Dog rescue  PO Box 410207 S.F. CA 94141.

Matilda “Tillie” Romero Yockey

Tillie Romero was married four times. Her husbands were Richard "Ricardo" Octaviano Branch” 1904-1966, Ricardo Hilario Maes 1903–1968, Alfredo "Alfred" Gonzales 1909–1973, and Darwin Yockey 1912–1951. She only had one child by her husbands and that was Robert Caldron Yockey 1945-2017.

 

                She married Richard Branch 9 September 1924 at the age of 15 in Rawlins. They divorced and she then at the age of 20 married Richard Maes 16 November 1929 in Rawlins. They too were divorced and at the age of 26 she  married Alfred Gonzales 18 Oct 1935 in Craig, Colorado. Tillie was listed in 1940 as married to 31 year old  Alfredo Gonzales who was a ranch “camp mover”. She was a 29 year old “ironer” for a laundry. Alfredo owned a home at 102 Center street valued at $2500. They had no children listed in their household. They were living in Ward One but the enumerated did not list the date they were enumerated.

 Tllie filed for divorce from Gonzales in March 1949 which was granted 6 May. A month before her mother died, Tillie Romero was married for a fourth time to Darwin Lewis Yockey  on 13 May 1949, a month shy of being 40. The marriage certificate gave as her full name Matilda Gonzales with her maiden name being Matilda Romero . She gave her birth date as 17 June 1912  and said she was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She said she was divorced and that her father Ricardo Romero was deceased but her mother “Frances Maes” was living.

 

 Darwin Yockey was born 21 October 1912 in Omac Oregon son of Charles Yockey and May Neville . He was a single man and truck driver. No family members acted as witnesses. He died 12 Oct 1951 in Rawlins  by suicide but was buried in Loveland Colorado. She and Darwin had a son born in 1945 named Robert “Bob” Caldrom Yockey  who died 2017 and is buried in Rawlins.

 

Darwin Yockey was born 21 October 1912 at Wamic, Wasco County, Oregon, but was raised in Loveland, Colorado. He joined the army in 10 February  1942  while living in Loveland  and served with the 939th Field Artillery Battalion  during World War II, which saw its heaviest action in the Rome-Arno campaign in addition to serving in the Rhineland and Central Europe.

 

 Tillie’s 1949 divorced papers from Alfred Gonzales stated that she had an “adopted” child which probably referred to her son who born 12 April 1945. This boy was named “Robert Caldron Yockey” and is listed else where as the son of Darwin Yockey.  Tillie would have still been married to Alfred Gonzales at the time this grandson was born and Darwin Yockey himself was not discharged officially from the army until 30 October 1945.   

 

The 1950 census of Rawlins enumerated Darwin and Matilda Yockey along with Robert Yonkey on April 10. They were living at a house at 102 Center Street and Darwin gave his occupation as a dock hand and truck driver for a Beverage company. Eighteen months later Darwin L Yockey committed suicide on 12 October 1951 at his home at 102 East Center street, 9 days shy of his 39 th birthday.  He had shot himself with a rife and was found dead at noon by Tillie.   His body was shipped to Colorado and he was buried in Lakeside Cemetery at Loveland, Larimer County, Colorado, USA Plot Site 6 Lot 10 Block 10. In February 1952 Tillie applied for a V.A. grave marker.

 

                Tillie never remarried and remained in Rawlins rearing her son. She died 13 May 1983 at the age of 73 in Rawlins.

Grandson  Robert Caldron Yockey

A news paper article from 15 January 1962 mentioned Robert Yockey. “Youthful Hunters Found Rawlins AP A searchers tried anxiously to find them, three Rawlins youths fired a pot-bellied stone in an abandoned cabin and sent a weekend outing. Pete Pau 18, Robert Yockey 16, and Ted Ellsworth 17, were on a rabbit hunt Saturday when their jeep became stuck in a ditch 35 miles southwest of Rawlins . They were basking in a warm cabin when researchers of the Carbon County Resue Unit and sheriff’s rescue team members found them.

 

                It is not known whether he married or had children although he died in 19 March 2017 without an obituary that has been located. Between “Residence Years1993-2002” he was living at 812 W Maple St in Rawlins with a “Spouse Teddy Yockey”

 

Teddy Ann  Nichols Yockey was the daughter of Luther P. Nichols and Patricia Atkins. She first married Ray Whitson in Rawlins and later married Robert Yockey. She was a former county official from Carbon County where she was a deputy county clerk for 18 years starting in 1983.  In May 1988 she had been promoted to interim county clerk and after losing a bid for County Clerk in 1999 she went to work for the Wyoming State penitentiary. It is not known whether Robert and Teddy Ann had separated by then but when she was associated with a murderer named Myron Fallsdown, the newspapers all referred to her as Teddy Yockey.

 

While working at the penitentiary but not as a guard at the age of 49 she  “struck up” an intimate relationship with a 24 year old Crow Indian inmate named the Myron Fallsdown. When he was released in January she drove him to her home, where they  picked up two handguns  and she drove him to Harding where his brother in law was staying just north of the Crow Reservation in Montana. He asked to borrow her truck but instead stranded her in Hardin while picking up his brother in law.   The pair drove the 50 miles to Billings where after meeting two girls, Fallsdown shot one of the girls and kidnapped and raped the other.  The guns used were the ones that Teddy Yockey had provided to Fallsdown who was a felon.   The two men were captured convicted and sentenced to prison while Yockey was charged with a federal crime of providing the guns to a felon.   She was fined and sentenced to two years in prison.

Juanita “Jennie” Romero Rodriguez

Jennie  Romero was  married three times, first to Mike Montoya, then Felix Maes,a nd lastly Antoino “Tony” Manuel Rodriguez. She was 15 years old when she married Mike J Montoya on 14 March 1927 in Rawlins.  She had two daughters with Mike Montoya who was listed as a sheep foreman in the 1930 census of Rawlins. They were enumerated the household prior to her father Ricardo Romero. Mike Romero was living in Rawlins as a sheep herder from New Mexico according to the 1920 Census living as lodger with other single men.

 

It's not clear when Mike Montoya and Jennie separated and divorced but it maybe that because of the Great Depression, he may have taken off and returned to New Mexico. As that she had two daughters to consider she married again Fidel Maes. He was a divorced man who moved to Rawlins from Costilla in northern Taos County.  He had two sons by a former wife. 

 

At 211 Center Street lived Jennie Romero  and her then 40 year old husband Fidel Maes when enumerated 12 April 1940 in Rawlins. He owned a house valued at $1000 and was working as a laborer for the Works_Progress_Administration, known as the WPA which was one of President Roosevelt’s New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers to carry out public works projects during the Great Depression. In 1939 he was 20 weeks without work and the weeks he did work he only made $406.  In his household were his stepdaughters Alice and Ruby Montoya. They had been living at the same address since 1935. Fidel and Jennie had no children however Fidel’s son Jose Presentacion Maes 1925–2010 came to Rawlins from Taos, New Mexico to work at Sinclair for a while.

 

In 1942 Fidel Maes registered for the draft  and stated he was residing at 211 West Center Street Rawlins born 18 Jan 1897  at Costilla, ne Mexico. His employer was the city of Rawlins and he gave “Mrs Jennie Maes as the person who would always know his address.  Living in the household was 18 year Presentacion Maes when he was registered for the draft.

 

World War II  was winding down when Jenny Maes and Fidel Maes divorce was final in 6 June 1945.

 

Antonio “Tony” Rodriguez was a widower in 1940 residing with his father Gabroel Rodriguez also a widower in San Luis, Colorado. He was listed as a farm laborer with a 10 year old granddaughter of Cabriel named Genoneva and Tony’s  20 year old brother was employed by the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corp. He had married his first wife Clorinda Madrid on 11 May 1936 at San Luis, Costilla, Colorado, and had a son named Dennis Gabriel Rodriguez born 8 May 1938 in San Pablo, Colorado but he was not included in Gabriel’s household but was listed in his grandfather Tobias Madrid’s household as his grandson. 

               

 In 1942 when he signed up for the draft he was located in Victorville, California

 

He gave his na,e as Tony Mnauel Rodrigues he stated his place of residence was San Pablo Costillo, Colorado  and he was brn October 21 1903 and was 38. He gave his father as  “Grabial of San Luis as someone who would always know where he was employed by the Santa Fe Railway  carpe of Home Supply Company Car no 3 of San Bernadino, California. Tony was a small man only 5 foot 3 inches tall.

Tony and Jennie were married 13 July 1945 by the Justice of the Peace in Rawlins. Tony gave his age as 40 and a widower and Jennie stated she was 34 and divorced. Tony’s occuapationw as a “Presser”  and his parents were Gabriel Rodriguez and Dora Rivera. Jennie gave her parents as Ricardo Romo  and Libradito Romero.

 

Jennie must have kept the house at 211 West Center Street after her divorce from Fidel Maes as she and Tony Rodriguez are enumerated at that address in the 1950 census. He was listed as having no occupation unable to work. They had a 4 year old daughter Elvira Rodriguez.  His 12 year old son Dennis is unaccounted for in the census and may still be residing in Colorado with his maternal grandparents. Name  Dennis Gabriel Rodriguez did join the navy in 1955 from Rawlins and was discharged in 1957. He married Elvira Casey Tofoya in 1960 in Rawlins.

 

Jennie’s daughters were married by 1950 having left Rawlins perhaps when their mother remarriedThey have not been located in the 1950 census. Alice Montoya would have 22 years old and Ruby Montoya age 20.  All that is known of these granddaughters of Ricardo and Libradita Romero is that  by 1978 they were married as Alice Metheny and Ruby Tennett  residing in Anaheim, California.  Their half sister Madeline was married to a man named Rocco, perhaps John Rocco and Elvira was unmarried as of 1978. Both granddaughters lived in Rawlins. 

 

Tony Rodriguez died at the age of 74 in Rawlins on 7 March 1978. An obituary was printed, “Rodriquez Mass Celebrated 9 March 1978  Rawlins-The funeral mass for Tony M Rodriguez, 74, was celebrated at 9 am. Tuesday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Rodriguez died Saturday at his home in Rawlings following a long illness. He was born Oct. 21, 1903 San Luis Colo. Rodriguez had been employed for many years by the Union Pacific Railroad in Rawlins. He retired in 1968. On Oct 21, 1942 [ an error] he married Jennie Romero at Rawlins. Besides his wife he is survived by four daughter, Madeline Rocca and Elvira Rodriguez both of Rawlins, Alice Metheny and Ruby Tennett [stepdaughters]  both of Anaheim, California and one son Dennis Rodriguez of Colorado Springs Colo. He is also survived by two sisters, two brothers, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Burial was in St. Joseph Cemetery The Shriner Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.”

 

Jennie remained a widow for the next 10 years dying on 22 November 1988 in Rawlins.

Ricardo de Jesus “Dick” Romero

                Dick Romero was the youngest of Ricardo and Libradita brood and while born in New Mexico 24 Apr 1914, he was reared in Rawlins. He lived the longest of all their children with his parents and also had them live with his own family after he was married as they became too infirmed to live alone. 

 

He was enumerated in the 1930 census under the name “Dick” and while he was listed as 17 he was closer to 15. No occupation was given for him but certainly he would have worked in his father’s grocery store.  In 1929, he was of the Freshman class of Rawlins High School where he was active in sports and athletic clubs. In 1931 he was president of the “R” Club which was a letterman club for athletes. He also played the trumpet in the high school orchestra.

Alarid, Crespin, & de Herrera Families

Dick Romero married circa 1938 Geraldine “Gerri” de Herrera the daughter of Fidel de Herrera and Francisca "Frances" Crespin.  Fidel de Herrera  and Francisca Crespin families were enumerated in Las Vegas, San Miguel County, New Mexico in 1910. Fidel’s father was a sheep herder and Geraldine’s father was listed as doing odd jobs.  Geraldine’s mother said she had 11 children with only three alive in 1910. Fidel’s mother said she had 10 children with also three still alive.  There is no record of Fidel and Francisca marrying although their daughter Geraldine  was born 16 August 1916 in Las Vegas, San Miguel County New Mexico.

 

 In 1917 Fidel registered for the draft stating  that he only had a father and mother dependent on him and that he was single. He said he had already served 2 years in the New Mexico National Guard and that he was born in Mora 16 December 1895. He enlisted in the service as a Private Co 1 Camp Pike June Replacement Draft Detachment Artillery  and was shipped overseas on 20 June 1918 from New York City on the ship The Scandinavian. When he returned from the war he married Eufelia (Ofelia) Pacheco in Las Vegas circa and proceeded to have a family with her. He died in 1949 and was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery at Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

 

Geraldine de Herrera was raised by her mother, Francisca Crispin, but she cannot be located the 1920 and in the 1930 Censuses she is called “Ruth”. Her mother Francisca was in Cheyenne Wyoming by 1923 where she met Elutrio “Luis” Alarid.  He was listed in the World War I draft registry as born 26 May 1898 and he gave his permanent address as Santa Fe working for the American Refining and Smeltering of Leadville, Colorado. He was born in San Luis, Colorado however from other records.   The 1920 census still listed him as living in Santa Fe County, New Mexico working in a Smelter. 

 

A newspaper from Fort Collins dated 29 May 1923 mentioned “A marriage license has been issued at the county court to “Elutrio” Alarid age 23, and “Miss Frances Cresbin” aged 21 both of Cheyenne.” They were married by a justice of the peace on 28 May 1923  at Fort Collins.  The city directory of Casper, Wyoming listed the couple as residing there.

 

In 1924 Luis and Frances were living in Caspar Wyoming and Alarid was a laborer but they were gone by 1925. By 1930 they had moved to Gallup New Mexico,  living with his 60 year old mother who was enumerated as the head of the household. On 15 April 1930 “Louis” Alarid stated he was 28 years old and was a day laborer doing “any kind of work.” Frances was listed as aged 27 and did “general housework.” The only other person enumerated in the household was 15 year old “Ruth”.  This had to have been Geraldine even though Matiana Alarid listed Louis , Frances, and “Ruth” as her son and daughters. Louis and Frances were even listed as being single. All members of the household were reportedly born in Colorado.

 

Luis Alarid and Frances Crispin had but one known child Elvira Bertha Alarid whom they had adopted. She was born at Creston 13 miles west of Wamsutter in Wyoming according to some sources. Her obituary stated she was born 7 March 1931 the “adopted” daughter of “Luis and Frances Alarid” and born in Rawlins.

 

Geraldine in the 1940 census was living in Rawlins but without Luis. She was enumerated on 12 April and had said she had resided in the same place in 1935. Luis Alarid must have found work with the Union Pacific Railway  and returned to Wyoming. She was listed as living at 311 probably State Street  at home she owned valued at $650.  She was enuemerated as Francis Craspin  with a daughter Bertha Alarid.  By this her daughter Geraldine de Herrera had married Dick Romero and had a daughter Patricia. Eleuterio Luis cannot be located and probably was missed in the census count

 

Frances and Luis had separated by February 1942 when he gave his place of residence as Green River Wyoming employed by the Union Pacific. As someone who would always know his address he gave “Mrs. Frances Alarid of Rawlins”  however.  He enlisted in the army airforce in August 1942 and was sent to Salt Lake City, Utah where he was a private first class in the 88^th Group of Company H of the Bombardment Squadron. He was honorable discharged  31 March 1943.  Luis Alarid must have liked Salt Lake as he returned there to live and died there in 1953. His death certificate stated he was divorced.

 

Frances Crispin can not be located in the 1950 census however according to Bertha Alarid’s marriage certificate  Frances was still alive in April 1951. Bertha married Korean War Veteran Celso R. Guerrero 6 April 1951 in Douglas, Wyoming, while the both of them said they were from Casper. A daughter Frances Ann Guerrero was born 17 June 1951 in Caspar. Celso and Bertha were divorced after a few months and Bertha married Julio Mares 15 December 1951 in Denver.  Celso remarried in May 1952 and in 1954 Celso was stabbed by his current wife in Casper for still carrying a picture in his wallet of his former wife.  Celso dropped charged against his wife because she stabbed him in a fit of passion.

 

Francies Crispin was still living in 1952 according to marriage license of her daughter  Bertha but no more information is available.

Dick and Gerri Romero Marriage

Dick and Gerri Romero’s   first child, Patricia, was born 1 January 1939 in Rawlins and was enumerated with her parents in the 1940 Census taken 12 April. Dick Romer his young family were enumerated living next to his parents who were probably being supported by him as the census stated his father and mother had no occupation or income. Dick and Gerri resided at 209 McKinley street while his parents were at 206. The location of their home was between Center Street and Water street.  Dick owned the house worth $1500 that was built in 1930. His parents were paying rent at $15 a month. Probably Dick acquired the home from his parents, with him providing for them, as both Dick and his parents said they were living at the same address in 1935.  He was listed as working at the Parco Refinery and had made $1680 in 1939.

 

In October 1941 Richard Jesus Romero was registered as part of World War II draft for Young Men.  He gave his address as 202 Water Street  which was the address of his parents home in the 1930 census. He stated he was born 24 April 1914 in Mora New Mexico. He gave his wife, Geraldine Romero, who listed at the same address, as the person who would always know his address.  His employer was name “St. Clair”  [Sinclair] Refining Company  at Parco.   He was tall at 5 foot 9 inches and was said to have a scar on his nose and “Blue coke embedded”.

 

Dick’s work at Sinclair Refinery was essential for the War effort which kept him from being drafted and he continued living at Rawlins and supporting his parents as well as his own growing family. A daughter named Nancy was born in 1942 and a son Richard in 1945.

 

When Ricardo Romero and Libradita were too infirmed to live on their own, they went to live with their son Dick and were living with his family when they passed away in 1948 and 1949. At the time of their deaths, they were living with Dick’s family at 209 McKinley.

 

The 1950 census for Rawlins which was taken on his 36^th birthday April 24, it listed Richard J  Romero as a “stillman helper” at an “oil refinery” certainly at Sinclair. “A stillman is a professional who oversees the securing and shutdown of units during upset conditions, equipment failures, and emergency situations. They pump materials like NGLs into mainline pipelines from above-ground tanks and provide detailed schematic drawings of unit process flows, process equipment, and safety equipment.”

 

 By 1950, the family had moved away from 209 McKinley after Libradita had died and Dick was living at  701 W  Pine Street with his wife Geraldine M and for children Patricia aged 10,  Nancy M age 9,  Richard M aged 4 and Gerald A aged 3. 

Leaving Wyoming for Denver

Between 1950 and 1955 Dick Romero left Rawlins behind and moved his family to Denver, Colorado where he continued to work for  Sinclair  Refinery for several more years.  He bought a house at 4288 Osceola in Denver where he raised his family and lived in for most of the remainder of his long life.   In March 1955, Ricardo and Libradita’s grandchild, Mary Katheryn Romero, was born in Denver.

 

The 1956 Denver city directory showed Dick Romero was still employed by Sinclair  Refinery and was residing at a home at 4288 Osceola  with his wife Geraldine.  The home was built in 1952 and possibly that is when the family relocated to Denver.

 

Dick and Gerladine’s eldest daughter, Patricia A Romero, married Marvin Wayne Barnhardt  23 November  1957 at the Catholic Holy Family Church in Denver. His daughter Nancy Romero was in  Holy Family High School in 1959 where she was elected Prom Queen.

 

By 1961, while still at 4288 Osceola, Dick Romero was now an engineer for the Packaging Corp of America. His son in law Barnhardt was also working at the Packaging Corp of America. By 1966 the Patricia and Marvin were residing at 4009 Osceola not far from Dick Romero.

 

 By  1970 Dick Romero was a Chief engineer at the Stapleton International Airport  which was replaced by the Denver International Airport in 1995. Marvin Barnhardt was still listed as a factory worker at the Packaging Company of America in 1970. Seven years later Patricia and Marvin Barnhardt were divorced 12 July 1977 and 10 days later she died on 24 July.

 

Dick and Gerri’s two  sons Richard R Romero and Gerald A Romero grew up in Denver. Richard would have graduated from high school circa 1963 and Gerald circa 1965.  As the Vietnam War was in full swing in the 1960s it is unknown whether they were drafted or had enlisted.

 

Gerald Antonio Romero married Lilly Suzanne Cranfill 24 Aug 1968 at the age of 21 in Wheat Ridge, Jefferson, Colorado. Richard R Romero married Priscilla S Roybal 18 March 1971 when he was 25 years old and had five children.

 

Gerald Romero was working as a surveyor for the city of Denver in 1976  and  Richard R Romero was working for the Gates Rubber  Company.

 

Mary Katheryn Romero married Jerry  D Siens 13 Mar 1976 in Adams County, Colorado.

 

Dick Romero in 1993 was still residing at 4288 Osceola Street in Denver and seven years later Geraldine Romero, his wife of over 62 years died on 3 April 2000 in Denver, Colorado at the age of 83. She was buried in the Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery at Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado.

Death of Ricardo Romero’s granddaughter  Mary Katheryn Romero

Tragically Dick Romero’s youngest daughter Mary Katheryn Siens was killed  by a drunk driver on 25 November 2000 and she too was also buried in the Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery at Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County, Colorado along with her husband Jerry Siens who died of a fatal heart attack the very same day upon hearing the news of the death of his wife.  The story was carried by the Associated Press wire and was covered by newspapers from coast to coast in scores of newspapers as a human interest story.

 

“Wreck claims wife; husband follows after fatal heart attack” Denver (AP) They met at a concert when she was just a teenager , and they were married in 1973 [1976]. Inseparable for more than a quarter century, they had worked side by side at a Postal Service mail sorting operation.

Shortly after midnight Saturday, Mary Siens, 45, was driving to her second job when her vehicle was hit by a man who police say had been drinking. Minutes after officers arrived at the Siens home to tell 51 year old Jerry Siens that his wife died in the accident, he collapsed in one of his sons’ arms and died of a heart attack.

“There’s a lot of solace to be found in the fact that they are now together. Not enough to make it right but enough to make it bearable, said Casey Siens, 21, the oldest of three sons. “It’s still surreal.”  Mary and Jerry Siens had worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 24 years.

Six months ago , after Jerry suffered a mild heart attack, he took time off to recover and had recently taken his wife to Las Vegas for a birthday celebration. A week before his death , Jerry went back to work.

“My mom was always giving 100 percent of herself selflessly to anyone. She would be the one sending flowers, arranging dinners, and doing the things that everyone else is doing right now,” Casey Siens said. “My dad was always there whenever I needed advice or anything. He was always the joker. He made me smile and made everyone else smile” he added.

Siens said he and his 18 year old twin brothers Gentry and Shane had been overwhelmed by an outpouring of sympathy and help from friends, family and community members. “I had no idea that people care so much,” he said, adding that he family had set up a fund to help them keep their house.

A private memorial service was planned for Friday. Siens said he and his siblings were planning another more intimate tribute at their mountain cabin. We’re going to plant some evergreens up there so we’ll always have a place to remember them, he said.

The driver police say struck Siens’s vehicle, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and released on bond. There was no answer Thursday night at a phone number listed for Chad Sarmineto in suburban Denver.

 

“Man has heart attack after wife is killed by a drunk driver.  Apparently overcome with grief, a 51 year old man suffered a massive heart attack and died just minutes after receiving news that his wife of 24 years  had been killed by a suspected drunk driver, Aurora police went to Jerry Siens home on Saturday [November 25] to break the news .

“He was very upset, very distressed, police spokesman Roger Cloyd said. Just after receiving the news with three sons in the room, Siens suffered a massive heart attack. Paramedics rushed him to the Medical Center of Aurora, where he was pronounced dead,

Earlier that morning, Mary Katheryn Romero Siens 45, had been driving to her job at Denver International Airport when a 1996 Chevrolet Beretta  driven by Chad Sarmiento of Aurora ran a stop sign at South Tower Road and East Telluride Street. He smashed into the Sienses’ 1994 Ford Explorer, police said.

The impact rammed the Explorer into a light pole, Siens was partly ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Saturday afternoon the family was struggling to comprehend it all. “All my friends say they’re like second parents, said Casey Siens, the 21 year old son of the couple. “When they didn’t have a place to stay my parents would help them out. It’s really tragic and sad to see them go this way. They deserved better. A lot better.

Sarmiento 25 suffered only minor injuries. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicle homicide and taken to the Aurora Municipal Jail. He posted a $10,000 bail and was later released.

 

Dick Romero was a widower for 8 years until he died 24 April 2008 at Arvada, Jefferson, Colorado. He probably was cremated as there is not a burial plot for him in the, Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery. Dick and Gerri Romero were the parents of seven children, 4 boys and 3 girls.

Maria Librada Romero’s Ancestry

            Besides not knowing the year of her birth, several of Libradita Romero’s children, also confused their mother’s surname on vital records by often stating her name as Maes and some even confused her first Christian name. Perhaps this was because her maiden name was the same as her husbands, or more likely her children however as it often is, they were not interested in their antecedents until it was too late. Perhaps even Libradita did not know herself as she married at the age of 15 and would have left home as the oldest child of Jesus Maria Romero and Maria Altagracia Maes.  Many of her own children married young and left home, as well as being raised mainly in Rawlins, Wyoming without any extended family around them to inform them of their forebearers.  Libradita and Ricardo Romero would have been the oldest members of the family in Rawlins and perhaps Ricardo did not want to remember the past.

 

Libradita Romero’s family did not have a presence in the lo Mora Valley until the last half of the 19th Century, instead they had deep roots among the Spanish pobladores [settlers] and Picuris Indians in the Picuris mountain valley that divided lo Mora Valley from the Taos and the Rio Grande valley  communities . The Picuris mountain valley was used by Hispanic pioneers since the 1750’s as people moved into the mountains from more established settlements along the Rio Grande, especially from Santa Cruz and Embudo.

 

An establish route up the Rio Santa Cruz de la Cañada valley passed Chimayo, allowing families to go from the Rio Grande Valley to the Picuris Valley.  However the earliest Pecuris valley mountain communities were threatened by hostile Indians which made travel to them difficult.  Franciscan Priests had established a church at the Picuris Pueblo called San Lorenzo de Pecuris in the early 17th Century which was the parish church for decades for the ancestors of Libradita Romero. It was built to bring Christianity to the Tewa Indian Pueblo that the Spanish called Picuris. Libradita Romero’s second great grandfather, Juan Domingo Romero, settled in Las Trampas south of Peñasco by 1772.  Las Trampas which means “traps” as beavers were hunted on the Rio Trampas was establish as a fortress community against the raiding Comanche Indians.

 

The village of Peñasco, is a mountain community which its elevation is over 7,500 feet. Founded in 1796, the small Hispanic village is “nestled in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo mountains” in northern New Mexico located about 20 miles south east of Taos, about 20 miles east of Embudo where many of Libradita’s pioneer ancestors originated, and 20 miles west from El Rito de Agua Negra [Chacon] in Mora County where her parents moved to in the 1870’s. The parish capilla [chapel]  established at Peñasco  was called San Antonio de Peñasco but the Catholic church for the diocese was at San Lorenzo de Pecuris where christenings, marriages, and burials were recorded.

 

Maria Librada Romero, known mainly as “Libradita”, a diminutive form of her name, was born 15 December 1871 in the village of  Peñasco within the Picuris Indian Reservation in Taos County, New México. The Picuris Pueblo and Peñasco are basically situated between the dividing watersheds where water flows west to the Rio Grande and east to the Pecos River. Libradita Romero was christened 21 December 1871 at San Lorenzo de Picuris located at the Picuris Pueblo.  Her padrinos [godparent sponsors] were Jose Luisano Maes and Maria Juana de Atocha Maes from Peñasco. They were her uncle and aunt, her mother’s brother and sister.

Descent from Antonio Martin and  Catalina Villalpando of Picuris

Pascuala Martin was the wife of Juaquin Torres  and captive of a Comanche Indian Warrior by who she had a son Manuel Torres who married María de las Nieves Valdés.  Her daughter Maria Barbara Torres y Martin by Joaquin Torres, was the wife of Juan Domingo Romero. 

 

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s son Ambrocio Romero by Juan Domingo Romero  was  first cousin to Manuel Torres’ son Jose Antonio Maria Encarnacion Torres. Ambrocio Romero married Teodora Atencio and Jose Antonio Maria Encarnacion Torres married Maria de Gracia Lobato

 

Ambrocio Romero’s son Juan Miguel Romero was second cousin to Maria Encarnacion Torres, a daughter of  Jose Antonio Maria Encarnacion Torres.   Juan Miguel Romero married Refugio de la Duran and Maria Encarnacion Torres married Juan Andres Maes

 

Juan Miguel Romero’s son Jesus Maria Romero was third cousin to Maria Altagracia Maes the daughter of  Maria Encarnacion Torres.  Jesus Maria Romero and Maria Altagracia Maes’ daughter Maria Libradita Romero married Ricardo de Jesus Romero who was her third cousin once removed. Libradita and Ricardo Romero both died in Rawlins, Wyoming.

Descent from Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas of La Joya

Libradita Romero and Ricardo de Jesus Romero were probably also related as that they both may have descended most likely from don Felipe Romero of La Joya. His sons Juan Domingo Romero and Juan Miguel Romero were possible brothers.

 Juan Domingo Romero was married to Maria Barbara Torres y Martin and his brother Juan Miguel Romero was married to Maria Manuela Garcia de Noriega.  Their children were First Cousins.

 Domingo’s son Ambrosio Romero married Teodora Atencio and Miguel’s son Felipe de Jesus Romero married Juana Sanches and their children were Second Cousins.

 Ambrosio’s son Juan Miguel Romero married Refugio dela Duran and Felipe de Jesus son Antonio de Jesus Romero married  Maria Gregoria Vigil. Their children were Third Cousins

 Juan Miguel’s son Jesus Maria Romero married Maria Altagracia Maes and Antonio de Jesus son Ricardo de Jesus Romero married Jesus Maria’s daughter Libradita Romero.  She was Ricardo’s 3^rd cousin once removed.

 

The Pioneer Communities

Mission San Lorenzo de Picuris founded 1629

On the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, some 20 miles south of the Taos Pueblo was the secluded Picuris Pueblo of the Tewa Indians. With an elevation of over 7,000 feet above sea level, Franciscan priests first built a mission in the Picuris Valley in 1629, in order to bring the Tewa Indians into Catholicism and the Spanish ways of life. The  mission was named San Lorenzo de Picuris, Saint Lawrence of the Picuris.

 

The church  was rebuilt several times following the 1680 Pueblo uprisings and from numerous Comanche raids. In 1769, a large Comanche party attacked the Mission as it was located outside the pueblo and was relatively unprotected. Afterward, the mission was moved much closer to the pueblo, and when Father Domínguez visited in 1776 to take a census of the Nuevo México missions, the building was still under construction. These Comanche raids kept Spanish settlements at a minimum and precluded a whole sale movement until treaties were made.  Actually the first communities established in the 1750’s in the valley were to defend against the Comanches attacking the settlements of the Rio Grande Valley to the west.

 

San Lorenzo de Pecuris was the official Catholic authority in the valley, where christenings, marriages, and burials were performed.  Hispanic families also traveled down from the mountain to have christenings and marriages performed at the Catholic Mission of San Juan de Los Caballeros in the town of San Juan in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, while some went to the Mission at Santa Cruz  and some traveled to the Mission of San Geronimo at Taos Pueblo.

 

In the first half of the 1700s, “Comanche groups moved into northern New Mexico, shifting the power dynamics in the region.”  The  Nuevo México governor, Tomás Vélez Cachupíns, in the 1750’s agreed to establishing land grants to certain Spaniards, Coyotes, and Genízaros “detribalized Indians”. Coyote was a mixed race term for Spanish and New Mexican Indians, similar to the Mexican term Mestizo.

 

The Genízaros were usually Indian women and children who had been captured in war by the Spanish or purchased from Indian tribes who had held them captive as slaves. Genízaros were taught Christianity and worked as indentured servants, shepherds, and laborers. They occupied the lowest rung of status-conscious Spanish society in Nuevo México but slowly assimilated and intermarried into Spanish families. In 1793, genízaros were estimated to have comprised up to one-third of the 29,041 people living under Spanish rule in Nuevo México.

 

These new land grants were in order to protect the mountain passes from Apache and Comanche raids which would descend upon the older Rio Grande Valley settlements. While Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s family was located in the Picuris Valley in 1750, Juan Domingo Romero’s family was not, which would suggest that he was born in the Rio Arriba regions of the Rio Grande Valley.

Santa Cruz de la Cañada founded 1695

Santa Cruz de la Cañada  was second oldest villa in New Mexico as it was founded in 1695 and was the largest villa in the Rio Grande Valley. Although the official church for all christenings, marriages, and burials for most of Rio Arriba were recorded at San Juan de los Caballero at the pueblo of San Juan [Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo]. After the villa of Santa Cruz de la Cañada  was established, there was a gradual resettlement up the Rio Grande above its confluence with the Rio Chama. Settlers from Santa Cruz would be the founders of the communities of Los Lucerno, Canoa, La Joya, Chimayo, and Embudo.

 

Initially, the process of Spanish settlement up at the Rio Chama seems to have been largely one of families reclaiming lands lost during the Revolt.  However, both pre-revolt families, such as members of the Martin-Serrano family, and those who came after 1693 from Mexico City received grants for new lands distant from San Juan Pueblo.  The regranting seems to have been largely as rewards for those who returned with Governor Juan de Vargas.

 

“Generally, the early settlement up the Chama was in the form of scattered ranchos  involving extended family groups rather than multifamily communities.  The first houses were small, but with time larger houses of up to 10 rooms began to be built. Although some of these were substantial enough to be termed plazas,  Abiquiu seems to have been the first true enclosed plaza and the only substantial multifamily community until the nineteenth century.” 

 

 Most of the grants and settlements from which Hispanic families of Picuris Valley would settle in the 1750s were from Santa Cruz de la Cañada and Embudo and communities in the Sebastian Martin Serrano Land grant that bordered the Rio Las Trampas

 

When in 1760 the Catholic Bishop of Durango paid his one and only visit to his parishes in northern  Nuevo México, he visited the parishes of San Juan de los Caballeros and Santa Cruz dela Canada where many Romeros were living at the time. Church authorities noted that the pueblo of San Juan consisted of 50 Indian families consisting of 316 persons, and 75 Spanish families consisting of 575 citizens.

 

 The largest concentration of Spaniards in the Rio Grande Valley however was at Santa Cruz.  There were 241 families of 1,515 Spanish colonists and settlers spread out also at Cuarteles, and Chimayo.  Cuarteles was a small community between Santa Cruz and Chimayo, founded after the reconquest in the early 1700's as a military headquarters. Hence the name Cuarteles which is Spanish for headquarters.

 

Santa Cruz was described as having a Franciscan Priest  at the Santa Cruz church which was built in 1733 but that it was noted there was no real semblance of a town. Settlers were said to be scattered over a large area.  Still Santa Cruz's  Plaza was the spiritual and trading center of the area during most of the 18th Century. 

 

Chimayó (Plaza del Cerro) founded 1706

The first new grant documented in the Chimayo area was in 1706 to Luis Lopez, the son of a pre-Revolt family of Santa Cruz de la Cañada , who took possession of the lands where the Plaza del Cerro was later built.  Other pobladores were in the area in the next few years since one filed a complaint against a neighbor in 1712. 

 

Chimayo was once the home to several Indian Pueblos and the name is the Tewa Indian word for "flaking stone", probably referring to the mica found in the nearby hills.  The community was originally founded as a penal colony for the Spanish Empire but after the reconquest new settlers were sent back to Chimayo. These families saw the advantage of the Chimayo River and the valley that was protected by cliffs on the north and hills to the east and south. 

 

The Chimayosos' built their settlement in the form of a fortified adobe plaza now called the Plaza del Cerro. It is not certain when the Plaza del Cerro was built, but it was likely to have been at least by the 1740s, and by the end of the eighteenth century the Plaza del Cerro lands were in the hands of the Ortega family.  

Soledad “Los Luceros” founded 1712

The large Martin-Serrano family, which later mostly took Martinez, “son of Martin, as their surname, returned with Governor Juan Vargas and early on reclaimed pre-revolt royal grants directly north of the San Juan Pueblo and Santa Cruz. The vast Sebastian Martín Serrano land grant of over 50,000 acres, was first made in 1705 and reconfirmed in 1712. The grant extended up the Rio Grande for several miles north of San Juan Pueblo and as far east as what later became Las Trampas in the Picuris Valley. It was also adjacent to the La Serna Grant where Fernando de Taos was founded.

 

Sebastian Martin Serrano settled on his grant and built a chapel at Nuestra Senora de Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude), which may have been what was later known as Los Luceros, about four miles northeast of the Rio Grande-Chama confluence and almost adjacent to the northern boundary of the San Juan Pueblo Grant.   In 1760  Nuestra Senora dela Soledad had 36 Spanish families consisting of 333 settlers. The community of Soledad later known as Los Luceros was where many of the Martin-Serrano pobladores were mostly from.  

Rio Chama Region Settlements circa 1724

Beginning in 1724 Juan de Mestas and his sons received a large grant on the east side of the Chama river  above its confluence with the Rio del Ojo Caliente, numerous grants were made to individuals up both sides of the Rio Chama all the way up to near what is now Abiquiu.  The large grant was originally made to Cristóbal Torres, his married children and several other families, a total of eight families in all, including the widow Juana Lopez de Lujan on the Rito Colorado drainage to the west of Mestas. 

Embudo Founded 1725

Farther up, through the southern part of the Rio Grande gorge, the community of Embudo was founded with the Embudo grant of 1725. It was made for Francisco Martín Serrano, a brother of Sebastian, Juan Marquez, and Lasaro de Cordova, east along the Rio Embudo above its confluence with the Rio Grande.  The original grant extended from the north of Sebastian Martin’s grant and as far east up the Rio Embudo east to near the Picurís Pueblo.  Embudo, like other northern communities, was abandoned for a period in the mid-1700s because of Comanche attacks.

Abiquiu founded 1734

On up the Rio Chama, Abiquiu was settled as early as 1734 by Bartolome Trujillo and others and a grant in the vicinity of Abiquiu is recorded as having been made in 1735 to several pobladores, including Geronimo and Ignacio Martin, Juana de Gamboa, and Pascual Manzanares.  However, the settlements at Abiquiu, Ojo Caliente, and Pueblo Quemado were all abandoned in 1748 because of Comanche attacks.

 

“Although some of the early Hispanic grantees may well have been considered to be Ricos or “upper class” and some did have large land grants, most ranchos seem to have been lived on and largely worked by the grantees and their extended family members.  This is evidenced by some of the pobladores who abandoned their farms after Comanche attacks protesting to the Governor that they could not return because they could not both defend their lands and “attend to their business” These were subsistence farms and ranches, and the work was mostly done by the Hispanic farmers and their families themselves.  Abiquiu was reoccupied continuously from at least 1754 on, according to mission records, by a combination of genîzaros  and Hispanic families. 

La Joya founded 1750

La Joya or La Jolla [Velarde] was founded in 1750 by families from Embudo and Santa Cruz de la Cañada right at the northern edge of the Sebastian Martin grant. It was the last community to be established up the valley before reaching the Rio Grande. Felipe Romero and Casilda Romero relocated from  Santa Cruz de la Cañada to La Joya by 1770 as did many of their children

The Rio Santa Cruz and Picuris Valleys Settlements

While the Rio Grande Valley settlements went north, a river valley called the Rio Santa Cruz went east up into the mountain passes by which means families settled before heading up into Picuris Country

 

The Rio Trampas and Rio Santa Barbara region in the Picuris Valley was settled by Diego Romero a coyote son of Alonso Cadimo in the early 1730’s. The area was an extension of the La Serna Land Grant out of Taos. The area was about 10 miles south of the San Lorenzo de Pecuris Mission.  The original Hispanic pioneers eventually abandoned Santa Barbara due to Comanche raids and the fortified communities of Las Trampas and Truchas provided more  security. The area was the site of the 1760 massacre of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s family.

Las Trampas founded 1751

A major leap up out of Chimayó and the Rio Santa Cruz valley occurred in 1751 when 12 families from Santa Fe under the leadership of Juan de Arguello were given a community land grant in Las Trampas, which was established for defensive purposes on the old “Camino Alto” (High Road) to Taos.  These were families of little means, according to the Governor’s justification for the grant.  Arguello, was a soldier who came to Santa Fe from Zacatecas by 1716. He died 19 December 1789 and was  buried 20 December 1789 in Trampas.  Juan de Arguello was “founder of church and town buried as Las Trampas”. He married Juana Gregoria Brito and was father of Juaquin de Arguello mentioned frequently with Juan Domingo Romero, husband of Mara Barbara Torres y Martin.

 

In the mid-1700s, at Nuevo México’s governor, Tomás Vélez Cachupíns’ insistence, lands that had been abandoned because of nomadic Indian attacks were to be quickly reoccupied and for “strategic defensive needs”, the fortified villas of Las Trampas and Truchas were established as outpost communities. He awarded the Las Trampas land grant to twelve families who established the village of “Santo Tomás Apostol del Rio de Las Trampas ("Saint Thomas, Apostle of the River of Traps"). The name was later changed to  “San Jose de Rio de Gracia de Las Trampas”  or simply Las Trampas the Spanish word meaning “traps”. The grant was one of the first made to expand the frontiers of Nuevo México in order to protect the colony from hostile Indian raids, especially the Comanche who both raided and traded with the Spanish.  Specifically, the pobladores of Las Trampas were charged with “shielding Santa Cruz de la Cañada, 17 miles to the southwest from Comanche raids.

 

Las Trampas was located on the long mountain trails from Santa Cruz de la Cañada  and Chimayo,  between the town Santa Fe to the south and the Taos Pueblo to the north. The settlement was a relatively isolated, insular community between the Rio Grande valley to the west and the lo Mora Valley to the east.

 

The village of Las Trampas was originally built within a defensive wall with low buildings packed around a central plaza to deflect attacks. The first pobladores also dug an old Spanish aqueduct with a wooden flume, or canoa ("canoe"), still in use as part of the acequia system today, which still brings waters to the fields and pastures of Las Trampas. The tight-knit traditional Spanish community grew despite the danger of Indian attacks and flourished for hundreds of years.

Chapel of San Jose de Rio de Gracia de Las Trampas

Within the village of Las Trampas the residents built the Church San José de Gracia, “one of the most original and best-preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico.”  When Las Trampas was founded, the nearest church was at the San Lorenzo de Picuris Mission, almost ten miles away.  Due to threats of Indian attacks, the pobladores received permission to build a simple parish church at Trampas. 

 

Around 1760, the Trampas colonists began constructing the church themselves, not supported or sustained by the Spanish crown or even the Catholic Church.  This “capilla” [chapel] was without a resident priest and all christenings, marriages, and burials were recorded at  San Lorenzo de Pecuris or at San Juan de Caballeros or Santa Cruz.  San José de Gracia was not finished until 1776, over 15 years after it began due to poverty and from the attacks by Comanches in the Picuris Valley slaying dozens of pobladores including the well documented Torres and Villalpando massacres of 1760 that took the life of Barbara Martin y Torres’ father and other relatives.

 

San José de Gracia also  known as Church of Rio de Las Trampas, was built in a typical Spanish-style, single nave plan, about 100 feet long. “Its walls are made of a thick, plastered adobe. The church has a simple façade comprised of two flanking buttresses topped by wooden belfries. Within, a simple wood-floored balcony, accessed via a ladder, serves as a choir loft above the main entrance. Wooden vigas (log beams) support the roof and gracefully rise over the main interior. Though simple in form, the nave was extensively decorated with paintings, most of which remain beautifully preserved today.”  San José de Gracia is a historic church located on the main plaza of Las Trampas and it is one of the least-altered examples of a Spanish Colonial Pueblo mission church, with adobe walls rising 34 feet in height. It was the home church for the ancestors of Libradita Romero while at Trampas.

Truchas founded 1754

The Nuestra Señora del Rosario, San Fernando y Santiago del Rio de las Truchas Grant or as it is now more commonly known, the Truchas Grant, was made in 1754 by Governor Tomás Vélez Cachupín. Río de las Truchas means "river of trout"). The first grantees continued to reside in their communities in the Rio Santa Cruz Valley but built an “acequia” [irrigation ditches] and “planted crops at Truchas for two years to comply with an agreement they had apparently made with Governor Vélez Cachupín promising them the tract when the boundaries of the Las Trampas grant were fully established. The courageous and hardy pobladores of Truchas hand-dug miles of acequias to bring water from the trout-filled river that gave the town its name.

 

Truchas was one of three grants Vélez Cachupín made between 1751 and 1754 in the area northeast of the villa of Santa Cruz de la Cañada  de la Cañada.  The colony of Truchas was established by a royal land grant in 1754 with pobladores from Chimayó and Santa Cruz de la Cañada  It’s purpose was to create a buffer between other Spanish settlements and the nomadic Apache and Comanche bands who often raided both Spanish villages and Indian pueblos. Hence, it was built as a walled compound around a plaza.

 

The Truchas grant was a community grant from its inception. Sometime before 5 March 1754, twelve residents of Chimayó and Pueblo Quemado, including sons and grandsons of Francisco Xavier Romero, Nicolas Romero, Juan de Dios Romero, Julian Romero, Gabriel Romero, Domingo Romero, along with Salvador Espinosa, Tadeo Espinosa, Miguel Espinosa, Venturo Espinosa, Francisco Bernal and Cristobal Martín, wrote Governor Vélez Cachupín reminding him "that having been promised by your Lordship the grant of the place of Rio de las Truchas as soon as the boundaries of the new settlement of Santo Tomás Apostol del Rio de Las Trampas were established, and on that promise we have in good faith built an acequia and have planted for the past two years, we ask that Your Excellency deign to grant us said site in the name of His Majesty."  These Romeros who settled at Truchas are believed to be mostly sons of the notorious Francisco Xavier Romero of Santa Cruz de la Cañada  and later Chimayo

 

There was  a “settlement strategy with regard to the relationship between the two community grants (Truchas and Las Trampas), and the two neighboring private grants of Francisco Montes Vigil of 1754 and the Sebastian Martín Serrano grant of 1705 that “abutted the Trampas grant on its western boundary.” Both Sebastian Martín Serrano  and Francisco Montes Vigil were “elites from the Santa Cruz de la Cañada  area who obtained grants in order to be able to expand their grazing and farming operations.

 

In 1776 Fray Francisco Atanasio Dominguez undertook a survey of all the missions of Nuevo México. When he passed through Truchas, he noted, "this settlement is not of ranchos, but around two plazas ." He further noted that it consisted of 26 families with 122 persons, demonstrating that between 1754 and 1776 the community had already doubled in size and population.

 

Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin

The earliest ancestors to whom Libradita Romero can trace her paternal ancestry confirmed definitely is  Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin of  the villa of San José de Gracia de Rio Las Trampas.  Various researchers have not been able to locate Juan Domingo Romero’s parentage with any certainty to reveal his ancestry. What is known is  he was from a well-connected family who had ties to families in the Picuris Pueblo District in the  late 1700’s.

 

As yet no christening record has been found which would state who his parents were definitively and also his 1772 marriage recorded at San Lorenzo de Picuris did not offer any valuable information as evidently there was no need for a prenuptial investigation or one was simply not performed.  Similarly there are no records of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s christening either.

 

The families of the Picuris Valley are difficult to trace during this transition period in the mid-18th centuries, when families of the northern Rio Grande Valley moved directly or in slow stages in to the area from Santa Cruz, La Joya, and Embudo primarily. The pobladores of Picuris traveled miles in carts, on horseback, and foot to visit relatives left behind in the Rio Grande Valley.

 

Travel between the Picuris Valley and the Santa Cruz Vally was evident as from marriage and baptismal records of pobladores [settlers] of Las Trampas found in church records scattered between San Juan Caballero, Santa Cruz de la Cañada as well as San Lorenzo de Picuris. However no christening  records have been found for either Juan Domingo or Maria Barbara themselves. The best that can be hoped for are other family records that may suggest who their antecedents were from circumstantial evidence.  Even then nothing is conclusive just speculative.

 

Nevertheless, mountain travel was dangerous as that Comanche continuously attacked Spanish and Picuris Indians. San Lorenzo de Picuris church in 1769 was attacked and convent supplies destroyed. There were five raids in 1772 the year Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin married and in 1773 there were two hundred Comanche attacks on the Picuris Indians.

 

Despite these attacks by 1776 the original 12 families of Las Trampas had grown to 63 families, with a total of 278 people living within the village. “Despite the heavy toll taken by a smallpox epidemic and raids by Plains Indians, the village survived and the pobladores managed to build the magnificent San José de Gracia Church completed in 1776.” Fathers Dominquez and Escalante consecrated and dedicated the church of San Jose de Gracia in Las Trampas, while on their expedition to Utah, seeking a route to the California missions.

The Marriage of Juan Domingo Romero and Barbara Martin

  The first authenticated record for Juan Domingo Romero and his wife “Barbara Martin” is a marriage dated 4 October 1772 recorded at  San Lorenzo de Pecuris. Juan Domingo Romero has been  documented as residing at Las Trampas and may have been residing there when he married Maria Barbara Torres y Martin at San Lorenzo de Pecuris in 1772.  

 

“4 October 1772- Juan Domingo Romero Espanol con Barbara Martin Espanola Vicinos ambos fueron testigos  [neighbors were both witnesses] Juan Antonio Avila y Ana María Bargas y lo firme [and I signed]...Andres Claramonte.”

 

The witnesses to the marriage performed at San Lorenzo de Pecuris were  Juan Antonio Avila [Abila] and Ana Maria Bargas [Vargas].  The Priest who married them and recorded the information was Padre Andres Claramonte.  Evidently no relatives were present to act as witnesses.

 

Juan Domingo Romero, in other church records, was said to have been born circa 1749 so he would have been about 23 years old when he married 15 years old Maria Barbara Martin. This marriage record stated that he and his bride were both “Espanol” with evidently no impediment to their marriage or at least no one objected. The listing of the couple as being Spanish indicated that they were was not considered Coyote, [mixed race], or “Indios”, [Indian].  Being purely Spanish was significant in the class base society based on race of Spanish Nuevo México.

 

Barbara Martin would have been considered an orphan as her father Joaquin  [Juachin] Torres had been slain in 1760 and her mother had been captured by the Comanches and presumed dead. Her grandfather and guardian, Antonio Martin Serrano, had just died a few month earlier leaving her 17 years older brother Jose Antonio Torres as her closest living relative. 

Juan Antonio Abila and Maria Ana Bargas,

The marriage witnesses were not connected to either Juan Domingo or Maria Barbara families but were, evidently close neighbors, in Las Trampas.

 

Juan Antonio Abila of “Rio Arriba” and Maria Ana Bargas,  daughter of Ygnacio Bargas [Vargas] and Juana Maria Bejil [Vigil] of San Joseph de Gracia de las Trampas were married 16 September 1758 with the witnesses being were Joseph Antonio Martin and Antonia Rodriguiz. Jose Antonio Martin may have been the grandfather of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin who would have been an infant at this time and they were wed prior to the 1760 massacre. 

 

In 1789 Jose Antonio Avila was listed in two different records as being either 62 years old [1727] or 67 years old [1722] so he would have been between 36 and 31 at the time of his marriage to Ana Maria Bargas. However he was listed as 53 years old [1737] in the 1790 Census of Picuris. Juan Antonio Abila and Maria Anna Bargas survived the Comanche raid of 1760 and certainly would have known Maria Barbara being reared as an orphan.

 

 Juan Antonio Avila [Abila]and his wife Ana Maria Vargas [Bargas], resided at Las Trampas. They had a son born in 1772, named Jose Miguel Avila, the same year they acted as witnesses.  Ana Maria Vargas died  prior to 1778 when on 29 November  1778  a marriage record between Leonardo Balentin child of Bisente Lucero married Antonia Margarita child of Juan Antonio Abila y Anna Maria Bargas, “deceased.” Witnesses to the marriage were Miguel Suaso [Suazo] y Manuela Garcia.  Miguel Suaso was the widower of Maria Jacinta Manuela Torres, who was Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s paternal aunt.  In 1790 this son Jose Miguel Avila married 15 year old Francisca Lovato [Lobato]. Years later on 10 February 1809 Juan Domingo Romero acted as a witness to the marriage of a grandson of Jose Antonio Avila showing that the two families had remained close over the years.

Juan Domingo and Maria Barbara’s Immediate Family

Policarpio and Cristobal, the first two sons of Juan Domingo and Maria Barbara, do not have christening records in San Lorenzo de Pecuris registries. A christening record for a daughter was registered at San Lorenzo de Pecuris which also suggest earlier children were christened elsewhere.  María Manuela Romero was christened 10 September 1777 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. Her brother, Jose Francisco Romero, was born 3 October 1779 in Las Trampas, and christened 6 October 1779 at San Lorenzo de Picuris. 

 

At the beginning of the 1780’s Juan Domingo and Maria Barbara had four identified children born within 7 years of their marriage, Policarpio, Cristobal, Manuela, and Francisco. During the 1780’s several children christened at San Juan de Caballeros in San Juan are possibly more children. The parents are simply listed as “Juan Domingo Romero” and his wife “Maria Martin” of La Joya.  This couple served as godparents to several Picuris Valley families.

 

Juan Domingo Romero and Barbara Martin were godparents for Jose Gabriel Olguin son of Juan Olguin and Casilda [Villa] Pando, on 1 March 1782, at San Lorenzo de Picuris. However on 19 May 1782, a Boniface Rafael Romero of Joya born 15 May 1782, was christened at San Juan de Caballeros, the son of “Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Martin”. His parents were noted as “Coyotes” with his godparents being Antonio Torres and Antonia Nicolassa Sandoval.  Nicolassa Sandoval was a granddaughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas and Antonio Torres was the son of Marciel Torres and half-brother to Joaquin Torres.

 

A son of Juan Domingo Romero and Barbara Martin, José Ygnacio Romero,  was born  27 January 1783 and christened 3 February 1783 in San Lorenzo de Picuris just 10 days shy of 9 months after this Boniface was born.  Perhaps premature.  On 11 February 1783 “Barbara Torres”, without Juan Domingo Romero, along with and Mariano Concepcion Romero were padrinos or sponsors for Felipe Antonio de Jesus Sena son of Andres Sena and  Maria de la Luz Martin at San Lorenzo de  Picuris. 

 

On 15 January  1786 Juan Domingo Romero and  Juan Salvador Fernandes were the witnesses to the  marriage of Juan Simon Garcia and Maria Biviana [Viviana] Martin at the church of  “San Jose de Las Trampas.”

 

“Domingo Romero and Maria Martin” of “Joya” had a daughter Ysidora born 13 May 1786 and christened on 16 May 1786 at San Juan Caballeros. Her godparents were  Joseph Lujan and Antonia Mestas. She was born 3 years after José Ygnacio Romero

 

Eleven months after Ysidora Romero was born at La Jolla, Jose Ambrosio Romero was born 8 April 1787 and christened 12 April 1787 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. While his father was recorded as Juan Domingo his mother’s name was given as “Barbara Torres”. His godparents were don Santiago Silva and  his wife dona Josefa Ponce de Leon. Santiago Silva a near neighbor of Juan Domingo Romero at Trampas and he is mentioned as a witness with him on several occasions.

 

In 1788 there were several christening of children in San Juan Caballero whose parents were from Las Trampas showing that there were people traveling back and forth between San Juan Pueblo and Las Trampas.  Juan Domingo Romero and “Barbara Martin” attended the church of San Juan de Caballeros in Rio Arriba County where they  were godparents for Juan de Jesus Cruz  the  son of Juan Cruz and Maria Antonia Cordova on  6 April 1788.

 

Sixteen months after Ambrocio was born, Ana Josepha Romero the daughter of “Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Martin”  was born 10 August and christened 11 August 1788 at San Juan Caballeros. Her godparents were  Manuel Sandoval and Antonia Romero.  Antonia Romero was a daughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas.

 

Bartolome de los Dolores Romero, was born  24 August 1789, and christened 30 August 1789 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. His father was Juan Domingo and mother’s name was given as “Maria Barbara Martin”. His godparents were  Vicente Montano and his wife Maria Rosa Duran y Chaves

The 1790 Spanish Census of Nuevo México

The New Mexican census of 1790  listed Juan Domingo Romero located at the settlement near the mission “Picuris” where he gave his occupation as being a farmer and his family was listed as Spanish.  This would have been at Trampas.

 

Juan Domingo Romero was household number 62  and his age was given as 41 years [1749], his wife “Maria Barvara Martin Montoya” was aged 34 years [1756], and having six unnamed sons ages 16 [Policarpio 1774], 15 [Cristobal 1775], 11 [Francisco 1779] , 7 [Ygnacio 1783], 3 [ Ambrocio, 1787], and 1 [ Bartolome, 1789]. His one daughter was 14 [Manuela 1776] . There’s no Boniface born in 1782, Ysadora born in 1787, or Josefa born in 1788.

 

Two households before Juan Domingo,  at number 60, was Juan Antoino Avila who was a witness to Juan Domingo and Maria Barbara’s marriage in 1772. He was listed as 53 years old [1737] along with his second wife Barbara Medina. Two households before Avila was that of 45 year old Santiago Silba [Silva]. Others near Juan Domingo were was Ascension Maria Zamora age 44 and his wife Teresa Hurtado age 35 at household 72 and at 89 was Juaquin de Arguello age 59.

 

Juan Domingo Romero was recorded as a witness on various marriage records of San Lorenzo de Pecuris during the 1780’s and 1790’s as he had become an influential personage. He is often associated with don Santiago Silva, husband of Maria Josefa Ponce de Leon  of Las Trampas,  and  Juaquin Arguello who married Barbara Rodrigues of Las Trampas 3 May 1760 with “Philipe Romero” and Juan Franscisco Martin as witnesses.

 

At household number 63 was Eusevio [Eusebio] Martin aged 67 [1723]  the son of Antonio Martin and Catalina Villalpando, the grandparents of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin. Four houses from Juan Domingo was also Manuel Torres aged 29 [1761] at household 66 and next to him at number 67 was 43 year old Juan Antonio Bargas [Vargas]

 

Balentin [Valentin] Martin aged 60 and his wife Lugarda Torres  aged 56 were also enumerated as household 101.  He was a son of Francisco Martin and first cousin to Pascuala Martin, Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s mother. Lugarda was a daughter of Marcial Torres by his first wife and Maria Barbara’s paternal aunt.

 

Juan Garcia de la Mora, the Alcalde Mayor of Santa Cruz  had the census for Santa Cruz and San Juan taken. At the Pueblo of San Juan jurisdiction of La Villa de Santa Cruz de la Canada the following families were enumerated not too far from each other. In the Spanish Jurisdiction of San Juan  was at household 51 don Salvador Garcia age 60 and dona Apolonia Sandoval age 54. Near them was his son in law don Miguel Romero age 40 which must have been at La Joya. He was the son of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas. Near Miguel Romero was his brother in law Alonso Sandoval aged 50 and his sister Maria Rito Romero age 30 with their 3 sons.  At household 90 was Casilda Mestas’ godson Antonio Aban Cordova, farmer, aged 40 and his wife Juliana Torres age 38 a daughter of Marciel Torres.

 

Further away most likely at Embudo was Juan de Los Reyes Romero age 20 farmer, and his wife Maria de Soledad Romero age 16 with a one year old son at household 208. On 25 January 1790, Juan de Los Reyes Romero’s son Josef Pablo Romero was born, and christened at San Juan de los Caballeros on 26 January 1790. 

 

Seven households away at 215 was Miguel Atencio age 45, farmer, and  Maria Hurtado age 38 whose daughter Teodora later married Ambrosio Romero son of Juan Domingo. Juan Domingo Salazar age 44 and Maria Hurtado age 40 with 1 son and two daughters ages 16 and 12 was enumerated at household 225. Two households away was Miguel Hurtado age 22 and Maria Sandoval age 16 at household 227. Next was enumerated Jose Romero age 36 and Lugarda Hurtado age 33 with 6 sons and 1 daughter. Their son Jose Antonio Romero born in 1784 married Juliana Romero the daughter of Juan Domingo Romero.

 

Antonio Torres 35 [1755] and Nicolassa Sandoval age 34 [1756] were enumerated at household 229 with 6 sons. Antonio Torres was the son of Marciel Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval was a granddaughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas. A little further away at household 231 was Antonio Jose Maese age 25 and Maria Concepcion Hurtado age 18.

 

Much further away at household 304 was Casilda Mestas a 68 year old widow with an 18 year old son and a 14 year old coyote servant girl. It is not known where this household was located.  Further away at 336  was Antonio Jacinto Hurtado age 34 and Maria Francisca Quintano age 33.

The 1790s

A known daughter of Jose Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin was Juliana Romero, whose christening information has not been discovered but she was born after the 1790 census was taken. According to her marriage, when Juliana Romero was listed as at the age of 15, this indicated she was born in 1790. She  married Jose Antonio Romero on 22 September 1805 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.  He was  the son of Juan Jose Manuel Romero and Lugarda Hurtado and born 8 June 1784 in Embudo and christened 10 Jun 1784 in San Juan de los Caballeros.  This marriage is interesting as it indicates that Jose Domingo Romero and Juan Jose Manuel Romero were not closely related as there was no prenuptial investigation for this couple.

 

On 23 March 1791, Juan Domingo Romero aged 42 [1749] and  Juan Bautista Venavides [Benavides] aged 34 [1757] were witnesses  for the marriage between Joseph Antonio Olguin 22, and Maria Dorotea Garcia 18. He was the son of  Salvador Olguin deceased and Margarita Velasquez.  She was the daughter of Diego Antonio Garcia deceased and Nicolas Leyba. Other Witnesses were Ascencio Maria Zamora aged 49  and  Bernardo Casillas aged 46. These were all residents of Las Trampas. The “Padrinos” for the couple were Francisco Romero and his wife Gregoria Velasquez. Other witnesses were Simon Armenta, Juan Joseph Arguello, and Juaquin Arguello. Most of these men were  called as witnesses to any impediment in a prenuptial investigation.

 

The name Montoya began to show up in connection with Juan Domingo Romero first in 1790 and then when he acted as a witness along with Juan [Santiago] Silba [Silva] and Juaquin de Arguello to the marriage of Francisco Xavier Montoya 23 to Maria Reyes Ruibal 18 on 8 May 1791.  He was the son of “Bartolome Montoya deceased and Gregoria Tenorio”.  She was the daughter of Juan Ruybal and Maria Leyba. Other witnesses for Francisco Montoya were Julian Chaves 54, and Juan Antonio Baca 57. Witnesses for the bride were  Salbador Cordova 58 and Juan Domingo Romero 42, and Juan Antonio Baca de Chimayo. “Padrinos were Juan Bautista Montano and his cousin “Primas” Maria Gabriela Aragon.

 

Juan Domingo Romero in July 1791, was a witness to the marriage of  Francisco Aragon age 29, widower of Teodora Padilla, who married Maria Barbara Velasquez age 31. He was the son of Joseph Aragon and Melchora Leyba deceased. She was daughter of Toribio Velasquez, deceased, and Maria Antonia Zamora. Witnesses were Sebastian Cordova 58 [1733] and Juan Domingo Romero 42. Padrinos were Bernardino Ortiz and his “Mujer” [wife or woman] Margarita Velasquez. Other witnesses were Santiago Silva, Sebastian Cordova, and “Juachin” de Arguello as well as Julian Chaves 54 and Antonio Baca de Chimayo 57. Sebastian Cordova was the son of Tomas Cordova and Maria Francisca Torres y Gonzales of Soledad. He married Maria Josefa Dominque 8 February 1757 at San Lorenzo de Picuris            

 

Juan Domingo Romero who was named an “Interpreter” witnessed on 23 August 1791 along with  Simon Armenta, and Juan Antonio Leyba the marriage of Juan Jose Calabaza 30,  child of Joseph Calabaza and Juana Maria deceased and Maria Antonia Tursa 16 child of Joseph Antonio Tusa y Juana deceased at San Lorenzo de Picuris

 

Juan Domingo’s son Joseph Francisco de los Dolores Romero was born 10 September 1791 in Las Trampas and christened 17 September  1791 at  San Lorenzo de Picuris.

 

Juan Domingo Romero, Santiago Lujan “Fiscal Mayor” [senior prosecutor] and Juaquin de Arguello “Sacristan Mayor” [senior Sacristan] on 8 February 1792 were witnesses for the marriage of Antonio Simbolo 18 child of Joseph Simbolo and y Maria Piechant to Maria Romero child of Salvador Romero and Maria Pasa, deceased 

 

Buenaventura de los Dolores Romero was born  26 September 1792 in Las Trampas and christened 1 October 1792 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. Juan Domingo’s son Jose Joachin Romero was christened 18 July 1795 in San Lorenzo de Picuris born 3 years after his brother.

 

On 7 February 1796, Juan Domingo Romero “y su Esposa” [and his wife] “Maria Barbara Montolla” were witnesses for the marriage of Manuel Antonio Belmontes child of Miguel Antonio Belmontes and Maria Luiza Rodrigues, deceased to Maria Ynes Martin child of Turibio  [Eusibio] Martin y de Maria Antonia Armigo [Armijo]. Eusibio Martin was the uncle to Maria Barbara.

 

The Santa Barbara land grant 1796

Santa Barbara, now Rodarte up the Santa Barbara Creek, had pobladores there by at least 1751 although the area was later abandoned. It may have been the location of the Torres and Villalpando estancias that were attacked in 1760. The original Santa Barbara a community was founded between Las Trampas and Truchas and when abandoned, the former pobladores had forfeited all rights of possessions to the land.

 

Santa Barbara and neighboring villa of El Llano, 2 miles south of Peñasco, are small communities located south of  the Picuris Pueblo. In 1795 several “Resident Settlers of the Place of San Jose de las Trampas” partitioned the Governor Don Fernando Chacon to renew  the land grant. The petition was received  on  11 January 1796.

 

Don Manuel Garcia [de la Mora], who was Chief Alcalde of Santa Cruz de la Cañada  “proceeded to Santa Barbara  with those witnesses of my attendance.” Juan Domingo Romero and Antonio Cruz of Trampas were the witnesses of Manuel Garcia’s attendance  of which he certified 3 April 1796 .   If Juan Domingo was the son of don Felipe Romero of La Joya, don Manuel Garcia de la Mora knew this family quite well.

 

All the applicants being seventy seven citizens were  present and they examine the tract with the Alcalde. He then granted “100 Varas to each one” as well as established on “the prairie and as well as one on the river” two  towns [Santa Barbara and El Llano] of “thirty odd families.” The Chief Alcalde reported that the “Common lands were to be used for grazing, collection of fire wood.” 

 

Balentin [Valentin Martin], husband of Maria Leonarda Torres and son of Francisco Martin, his cousin Eusebio Martin, husband of Maria Antonia Armijo and son of Antonio Martin and Catalina Villapando, Jose Olguin husband of Juan Olgin Casilda [Villal] Pando, Cristóbal Clemente Mestas [a nephew of Casilda Mestas wife of Felipe Romero], husband of María Eulalia [Olalla] Gonzales were all specifically mentioned in the Santa Barbara land grant, as well as sixty-seven unnamed others. 

 

Some of the other 67 men have been identified in a legal documents dated from 21 August 1901 that listed these settlers as Ramon Martin, [husband of Mathiana Cordoba], Felix Martin, Alberto Martin, Juan Jose Martin [son of Eusebio Martin], Roque Sanchez, Eusebio Medina [husband of Lugarda Gallego], Salvador Medina [husband of Cruz Martin], Tomas Medina [husband of Maria Manuela Fresquis], Manuel Cordova [husband of Maria Josefa Lujan], Miguel Gonzales [husband of Maria Vitoria Martin],  Hemegildo Leyba, Andreas Sena [husband of Maria dela Luz Martin], Felipe Sena, [husband of Maria Josefa Sandoval], Francisco Aragon [husband of Teodora Padilla], and Juan Baptiste Benavides [husband of  Maria Josefa Torres]

 

On 24 February 1797, Juan Domingo Romero and “Barbara Montoya’s” oldest daughter Maria Manuela Romero married Juan Andres Casillas  the son of  “Bernardo Casillas y Rosa Lujan” at the age of 19. The Witnesses were neighbors  Juan Antonio Bargas [Vargas] y su Esposa Maria Natividad Lujan.

 

Juana Catarina Romero, born 23 November 1798 in Las Trampas, was christened 30 November 1798 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. Her mother was named as Montoya. The god parents were Pedro Antonio Torres and his mother Antonia Nicolasa Sandoval.  

 

There was a three year gap between the birth of Jose Joachin Romero in 1795 and Juana Catalina.  An unplaced daughter, named Maria Francisca Romero, had a daughter named Maria Paubla Romero christened 24 January 1836 at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Taos. This infant’s maternal grandparents were named as  Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres.  She may have been born between 1795 and 1798.         

 

Policarpio Romero was married on 7 January 1799 at Las Trampas to Maria Felipa Ortega He was probably 26 years old. His younger brother Juan Cristobal Romero died in May or June 1799 and was buried 2 June 1799, aged 23, at Trampas. 

 

The 1800’s

Juana Catalina  Romero was buried 12 January 1800 and was listed as a 1 month  old daughter of Juan Domingo and “Barabra Torres de las Trampas”. The San Lorenzo de Pecuris registry gave her christening as in 1798 so the discrepancy is another enigma.

 

A daughter Juana Asencion Romero was born 14 May 1801 in Las Trampas  and christened 22 May 1801 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. She died 4 June 1802 at Trampas. Barbara Martin y Torres was 46 year old when her last child, Juana Catalina Romero,  was christened 5 August 1802 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.

 

Juan Domingo Romero, Jabier [Javier] Tenorio, Felipe Cena [Sena] and Pedro Leyba were witnesses on 28 November 1802 to the marriage of Jose Ygnacio Lucero child of Valentin Y de Antonia Avila deceased, and  Guadalupe Gallegos child of Francisco Gallegos deceased, and Soledad Candelaria.

 

On 6 Nov 1804 Francisco Romero, age 25 and  child of “Juan Domingo Romero y de Barbara Torres” married Josefa Velarde.

 

Juliana Romero at the age of 15 married Jose Antonio Romero on 22 September 1805 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.  He was  the son of Juan Jose Manuel Romero and Lugarda Hurtado. On the same day “Domingo Romero”,  Carpio  Trugillo, and Francisco Trugillo witnessed the marriage of Mariano Rodriguez, Espanola single, child of Antonio Rodriguez and Concepcion Olguin to Antonia Espinosa, Espanola single child of de Juan Espinosa Y de Josefa Trugillo.

 

Ygnacio Romero at the age of 25. married Maria Teodora Ortega 8 January 1809 at San Lorenzo de Picuris, She was daughter of Jose Maria  Ortega and Gertrudis Martin. His brother Buenaventura Romero married Teodora’s sister Roselia.  They both had sons named Julian who are often confused.

 

Juan Domingo Romero and “Senor Ascencio Zamora” were witnesses to the marriage of  Diego Antonio Abila child of Manuel Abila and  de Maria Naranjo, deceased, of  San Juan Maria Rosa Zuaro [Suazo] child of Juan Jose Zuaro and  Nicolasa Lovato on 10 February 1809 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris.

 

Ambrosio Romero about the age of 23, married circa 1810 but not at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. He married Maria Teodora Atencio the daughter of Juan Manuel Atencio and Maria Antonia Hurtado most likely at San Juan de los Caballeros as he lived at Embudo. His brother Bartolome was also not married at San Lorenzo de Pecuris and was married  to Magdalena Mascarenas before 1813.

 

On 25 August 1815 Jose Lopez Viudo de Francisca Lopez married Maria De Gracia Chacon child of Francisca Chacon. Witnesses Juan Cruz , Juan Domingo Romero, Nicolas Dominguez Y Juan Miguel Belasquez , Jose Antonio ? Y Torevio Baca.

 

At the age of 25, Buenaventura Romero married on 1 May 1817 Rosalia Ortega daughter of Jose Maria Ortega and Gertrudis Martin. He and his brother Ygnacio Romero were brothers-in-law as well and their children were double cousins as they all had the same paternal and maternal grandparents.

 

Jose Joachin Romero probably at the age of 24 married Eulogia Sanches, the daughter of Francisco Sanches and Polonia Martin circa 1819.

 

Juan Policarpio Romero was killed in 1822 at Rio Colorado by Indians and 5 years later his bones were brought back in 1827 to be interred at Trampas.

 

Son Francisco Delores  Romero married Maria Getrudes Bustos by 1826 the daughter of Francisco Bustos and Maria Magdalena Pacheco.

Deaths of Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin

Juan Domingo died in 1828 at Las Trampas and was buried 2 September  there as recorded at San Lorenzo de Picuris.  He was called  being of “Capilla de Senor San Jose de Garcia” [The San Jose de Garcia Chapel” in Las Trampas”. It is not clear whether he was buried at San Lorenzo de Pecuris or was just mentioned in the church registry. He was noted as “husband of Barbara Torres”,  “Vecino  de está población” [Resident of this town] probably meaning Las Trampas.  Juan Domingo Romero was between 79 and 80 years old at the time of his death.

 

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin lived four more years than her husband of nearly 56 years. She died in 1832 and was buried  on 13 May 1832.  She was listed as “Barbara Montoya, widow” in the San Lorenzo de Picuris registry and was noted as a resident of “San Jose de las Trampas”.   She was about 76 years old when she died.

Children of Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin

Domingo and Maria Barbara were the parents of at least eight known children, possibly more.  The death rate for  children was extremely high among the 18th and 19th century New Mexican Hispanics and census records cannot accurately reveal how many children a couple truly had unless the deaths were recorded in church registries.

Juan Policarpio Romero

Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin had a son Juan Policarpio Romero born circa 1773/4 perhaps at Trampas. This would have been between 1 and 2 years after they were married in 1772. There is not a christening record for him so where he was christened is unknown. He was married 7 January 1799 at Las Trampas to Maria Felipa Ortega, daughter of Jose (Joseph) Maria Ortega and Maria Getrudes Martin  in Santa Cruz de la Cañada. When Juan Policarpio Romero married in 1799 his mother was also called “Barbara Montoya”.  When Policarpio’s son was born in 1820 his grandmother was named as Barbara Montolla. Another son christened in 1823  had his grandmother listed simply as “Barbara T.”

 

Policarpio Romero may have been married previously as that on 10 February 1793, he and Maria Gonzales were witnesses to the marriage of Francisco Barela [Varela] 24, the child of Sebastian Barela y de Juana Zamora, deceased, to Maria Dolores Leyba, 16, child of Salvador Leyba y Maria Antonia Martin.  Other witnesses were Juan Domingo Romero Don Santiago Silva and Juaquin Arguello.

 

Juan Policarpio Romero was killed in 1822 at Rio Colorado but was interred at Trampas. Burial record from San Lorenzo de Picuris, page 104 in book by Betty Pacheco. "Romero, Juan Policarpio buried 11 Aug 1827, on the same day I gave a Christian burial for his skeleton, deceased husband of Maria Felipa Ortega, who was also slain by the gentiles, 5 years ago, in the company of the before mentioned (Baltazar Ortega). According to other records, about 40 people were on a buffalo hunt near the Rio Balsofonte and killed by the plains Indians. He had 10 known children

Juan Cristoval Romero

Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s son  Juan Cristobal Romero also does not have a christening record but presumed to have been born in 1776. Because of the high fertility rates of the time it is possible other infants may have been born between 1772 and 1776.

 He was buried 2 June 1799, aged 23 at Trampas. 

Maria Manuela Romero

Maria Manuela Romero was christened 10 September 1777 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris and her mother was named as “Barbara Martin”.  When She married on 24 February 1797 to Juan Andres Casillas at San Lorenzo de Picuris, her mother was named “Barbara Montoya of Trampas.” He was the son of “Bernardo Casillas y Rosa Lujan” Witnessed to the marriage were Juan Antonio Bargas [Vargas] and his wife Maria Natividad Lujan. Maria Manuela Romero was buried 24 September 1835 in the Las Trampas Cemetery.  She had 6 known children.

Jose Francisco Romero

Jose Francisco Romero born 3 October 1779 at Las Trampas and christened 6 October 1779 at San Lorenzo de Picuris with his mother named as Barbara Martin. On 6 Nov 1804 Francisco Romero, Espanola, single, child of “Juan Domingo Romero y de Barbara Torres” married Josefa Velarde, Espanola, single, child of “Diego Velarde y de Maria Antonia Lucero”. Witnesses Not Listed.  He may have married Margarita Espinoza daughter of Pedro Ignacio Espinoza and Juana Gonzales after 22 Feb 1808 in Picuris, Taos, New Mexico.

Bonifacio Rafael Romero

On 19 May 1782 Bonifacio Rafael Romero was christened at San Juan de Los Caballeros, the son of Juan Domingo of Joya and Maria Martin “Coyotes”. His godparents were Antonio Torres, son of Marciel Torres and Antonia Nicolassa Sandoval, a granddaughter of Felipe Romero. Died young most likely as not found in the 1790 census.

Jose Ygnacio Romero

He was christened 27 January 1783 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris  but born at Las Trampas. His mother’s name was given as Barbara Torres. He married Maria Teodora Ortega 8 January 1809 at San Lorenzo de Picuris, She was daughter of Jose Maria  Ortega and Gertrudis Martin. His brother Buenaventura Romero married Teodora’s sister Roselia.  They both had sons named Julian who are often confused. In 1850 Ygnacio Romero was listed in Household 473 in Northern Division of Taos County, as being 80 years old  born in Taos County and having $280 worth of property. Maria Teodora Ortega was listed as being age 70  born in Rio Arriba County. He died in 1867 at Las Trampas

Jose Ambrosio Romero

Ambrosio was christened 8 April 1787 with godparents Policarpio Trujillo and Ynez Armijo of Trampas. His marriage was in circa 1810 but was not recorded at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. He married Maria Teodora Atencio the daughter of Juan Manuel Atencio and Maria Manuel Hurtado. She was christened 28 Jun 1792 in San Juan de los Caballeros with her godparents being don Santiago Silva and dona Josefa  Ponce de Leon of Las Trampas.

Ana Josepha Romero

“Ana Josepha Romero  born yesterday” and was christened  11 August 1788 at San Juan Caballero the daughter of Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Martin. Her godparents Manuel Sandoval and Antonia Romero. Antonia Romero was a daughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas. She probably died young as no there’s no further information on her.

Bartolome de los Dolores ROMERO

Bartolome de los Dolores Romero was born  24 August 1789 and christened 30 August 1789 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. His father was Juan Domingo and mother’s name was given as “Maria Barbara Martin”. His godparents were  Vicente Montano and his wife Maria Rosa Duran y Chaves. He married before 1814 Magdalena Mascarenas. She was buried 15 May 1831 in San Lorenzo de Picuris and he remarried Maria Dolores Cordova, married 1841, the daughter of Manuel Antonio Cordova and Maria Paula Sandoval.

Juliana Romero

A known daughter of Jose Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin was Juliana Romero whose christening information has not been discovered but she was born circa 1790 according to her marriage in 1805. Juliana Romero at the age of 15 married Jose Antonio Romero on 22 September 1805 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.  He was  the son of Juan Jose Manuel Romero and Lugarda Hurtado and born 8 June 1784 in Embudo and christened 10 Jun 1784 in San Juan de los Caballeros.  This marriage is interesting as it indicated that Jose Domingo Romero and Juan Jose Manuel Romero were not closely related as there was not prenuptial investigation for this couple.

Joseph Francisco de los Dolores Romero

He was a second son of Juan Domingo Romero named Jose Francisco, born 10 October 1791 at  Las Trampas and christened 17 October 1791 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. His mother’s same was given as “Barbara Montoya.” His godparents were Manuel Valdez and his daughter Maria Valdez. He married Maria Getrudes Bustos by 1826 the daughter of Francisco Bustos and Maria Magdalena Pacheco. When Francisco’s son Jose Antonio Romero was christened in 26 December 1826 his grandmother was named “Barbara Torres”. Another son christened in 1833 stated that his grandmother was also Barbara Torres

Buenaventura de los Dolores Romero

Known as “Ventura” he was born 26 September 1792 at Las Trampas. He married 1 May 1817 Rosalia Ortega daughter of Jose Maria Ortega and Gertrudis Martin. Sponsors were Jose Romero and Maria Felipa Ortega  of Trampas. Maria Rosalia Ortega, was christened 15 Nov 1792 in Santa Cruz de la Cañada  de La Canada and died 30 May 1818 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.  She may have died from complication from childbirth as her son Julian Guillermo De Jesus Romero  was christened 15 February 1818. Ventura then married Maria Juana Mondragon 10 Mar 1828 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. She was the daughter of Juan de Jesus Mondragon and Maria Antonia Montoya. He died 8 May 1873 at Las Trampas.

Jose Joachin Romero

Jose Joachin Romero was born 16 July 1795 at Las Trampas and christened 18 July 1795 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. He married Eulogia Sanches, the daughter of Francisco Sanches and Polonia Martin circa 1819. Joachin was buried  23 May 1842 in San Lorenzo de Picuris,.  The christenings of Joaquin’s children, Felipe de Jesus, María Eulogia, María Apolonia and Jesus María, stated their “Paternal grandparents were  Juan Domingo Romero and “Barbara Torres” .

Juana Catarina Romero

Juana Catarina Romero, born 23 November 1798 at Las Trampas and was christened 30 Nov 1798 at San Lorenzo de Picuris. Her mother’s name was listed as “Montoya”. Her godparents were Pedro Antonio Torres and his mother Antonia Nicolassa Sandoval.  Juana Catalina  Romero was buried 12 January 1800 listed as a “1 month  old daughter of Juan Domingo and “Barabra Torres de las Trampas” and  buried at church. Why the discrepancy in her age is another enigma. She would have been 2 years old.

Juana Asencion Romero

Juana Asencion Romero was born 14 May 1801 in Las Trampas  and christened 22 May 1801 in San Lorenzo de Picuris. She died 4 June 1802 at Trampas at the age of 1 year old. 

Juana Catalina Romero

The youngest child Juana Catalina was christened 5 August 1802  however her buried date was listed as 3 June 1802 an obvious error. She was named the daughter of Domingo Romero and Barbara Montoya of Trampas and 1 year old.

Maria Francisca Romero

An unplaced daughter, named Maria Francisca Romero,  had a daughter named Maria Paubla Romero who was christened 24 January 1836 at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Taos. This infant’s maternal grandparents were named as  Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres.     

Antecedents for Juan Domingo Romero 1749-1828

            A few researchers have suggested there are two main contenders for the parentage of Juan Romero from lack of any concrete documentation. These men are Francisco Xavier Romero of Chimayo and Antonio Romero of the Taos Pueblo region. Certainly there is a third, Don Felipe Romero of Santa Cruz de la Cañada which seems more likely but by no means a certainty.

Antonio Romero of Taos Pueblo

A man named Antonio Romero from Taos Pueblo listed as a “coyote”,  Spanish and Indian mixed race, is a contender, by some researchers, for being the father of  Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas solely based on a baptismal record of Juan Domingo’s son José Ygnacio Romero. Ygnacio was christened at San Lorenzo de Picuris on 3 February 1783 and the baptismal entry listed as his “madrina” or godmother, su hermana, Margarita Romero, vesina del Pueblo de San Geronimo de Taos, translated as “his sister Margarita Romero, resident of the Pueblo of San Geronimo de Taos.”

 

The 1750 Spanish Census of Taos, listed an Antonio Romero and Rosalia Cortes as “Coyotes” with children recorded as María Antonia, Margarita, Joseph Manuel, Carmen, Juan Domingo, Joseph, and  “Joseph de nacion Apache”, [Apache Nation].  This however is at odds with the 1772 marriage description of Juan Domingo Romero where he is listed as being Spanish.  Also the age grouping suggest that this Juan Domingo of Taos was probably born prior to 1749.

 

While many of the Rio Trampas and Rio Santa Barbara region Romeros in the Picuris Valley were perhaps related to Diego Romero it is not known whether this Antonio Romero was. Diego Romero was a son of Alonso Cadimo who was a mestizo  and lived and worked in the household family of Felipe Romero in the 17^th Century. Diego’s sister Maria Romero married into the Villalpando family which was also connected to the San Lorenzo de Pecuris region. However Juan Domingo Romero of “las Trampas” appears to have more family connections with people from Santa Cruz de la Canada and Embudo rather than from the Taos Pueblo.

Francis Xavier Romero of Santa Cruz

Juan Domingo Romero in subsequential censuses and church records consistently stated he was born circa 1749. There is a christening record for a Juan Domingo Romero at Santa Cruz de la Cañada  dela Canada, recorded on  23 January 1749 with the father and mother not listed, which is puzzling. The godparents however were named as “Xavier Romero and Paula Romero”. It would seem unlikely that those named as godparents  of this Juan Antonio Domingo were also the parents of a child with unknown parents. Possibly the child was a foundling or even  had  been christened a Romero due to his sponsors.

 

Francisco Xavier Romero was a native of Mexico City recruited by Governor Vargas to settle northern Nuevo México. Francisco Xavier Romero and Paula Padillo of Chimayo were of mixed races in Mexico City. In 1732 he and his wife were called “Mulatos”, indicating they were mixed race with some African  ancestry. 

 

Francisco Xavier Romero was a rural doctor of sorts and was tried for various infractions including sodomy but was not convicted. He had a large family of “legitimate children as well as “natural” children. He moved from Santa Cruz to Chimayo then further up the canyon where several of his sons, especially Nicolas,  relocated to the Rio Truchas area when that villa was established in 1754.

Don Felipe [Philipe] Romero and dona Casilda Mestas Family

Francisco Xavier Romero and “don” Felipe Romero, while not related, were both residents of Santa Cruz at one time in the early and mid-18th Century but from entirely different class stratums.  Francis Xavier Romero was of “mixed race” while Felipe Romero was entirely of Spanish descendant from pre-revolt families which settled Nuevo México’s in 1598.  Felipe Romero also held the military title of “lieutenant” and even a son of his, became the Alcalde Mayor of Santa Fe although, Felipe resided mainly in Santa Cruz and in his senior year at La Joya. Still, very few of Felipe Romero’s children’s christening records have survived. There are documents indicating the Felipe Romero had dealings in the Picuris Valley at San Lorenzo.

 

Don Felipe Romero's birth year is an unsourced and estimates are from the Great Nuevo México Pedigree Database by the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of Nuevo México. Also there is no burial record in Santa Cruz for him. He is documented in a marriage investigation as the son of Josefa de Medina who had married Diego Romero, a son of Salvador Romero and Maria Ocanto. He is thought to perhaps have been born circa 1710 and is known to have died prior to 1790 when his wife was listed as a widow.

 

 A marriage record from Santa Cruz de la Canada  showed “Felipe Romero” and “Maria Mestas”  were married 13 June 1741.  She was born in 1722 and would have been 19 and he would have bene about 31.  This was another  example of registrars only using first names rather than the entire name of a person as she was actually Maria Casilda the daughter of Mateo Mestas and Rafaela Cortes. Casilda’s father Mateo Mestas was also married to María Manuela Sandoval as his second wife who was Casilda’s step mother. The 15 children of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas intermarried extensively with the Sandoval clan.

Casilda’s first child was born in 1742 and her last child was born 30 years in 1772.

 

The 1750 census of Santa Cruz de la Cañada  listed don Felipe simply as “Phelipe” Romero with a wife and 3 children.  However they probably had at least five children by then, Maria Antonia, Jose Antonio, Jose Miguel, Maria Rita, and Juan Domingo as well as possible children Diego and Paula by a first wife. 

Diego Romero and Maria Paula Romero Siblings

It is a possibility that Casilda Mestas was Felipe’s second wife, as a woman named Maria de Los Angeles, who died prior to 1740, was mentioned in connection with Felipe. She may have been possibly the mother of  a son Diego Romero who was married to Paula Sandoval and a daughter Paula Romero who married Gregorio Antonio Cordoba. 

 

On 24 March 1757 this Diego Romero and Paula Sandoval were godparents for Josepha, a daughter of Pedro Cortes and Juana Gamboa.  Pedro Cortes was a cousin of Casilda Romero. Michaela Romero, a daughter of Diego Romero and Paula Sandoval was christened 15 May 1763 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada. Her godparents were Alonso Sandoval and Maria Rita Romero, a daughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas.

 

A Gregorio Antonio Cordova married Maria Paula Romero 1 April 1755 at Santa Cruz, with witnesses being Pedro Eusebio Leiba [Leyva] and his wife Maria Argueya [Arguello]. Their daughter Maria Loreta Cordova was Christened 12 Mar 1756 at Santa Cruz with godparents being Juan Angel Vijil [Vigil] and Antonia Vigil. Another daughter, Maria Simona Cordoba, married Juan Antonio Gonzales a widower in 1780 at Santa Cruz and the witnesses were Juan Baptista Vegil [sic] and Juan Manuel Hurtado of Truchas.

Casilda Mestas’ children

Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas supposedly had a son named Juan Domingo Romero but there isn’t any  christening proof. There are least two, possibly more, other Juan Domingo Romeros living  in La Joya at this time in the 1760s and through the 1780’s, making it extremely difficult to sort them out. However it  is known  that Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas of Santa Cruz and La Joya had some of their children marry into families connected with Las Trampas. They are even documented as being at San Lorenzo de Pecuris as godparents in 1779. 

 

Many families in Las Trampas and the Picuris Valley had their children christened at San Juan Caballeros in the San Juan Pueblo, at Santa Cruz, as well as at San Lorenzo de Picuris due to the closer proximity of family members at La Joya and Embudo. La Joya was approximately 20 miles down from  San Lorenzo de Pecuris and Las Trampas was 10 miles south San Lorenzo. It would have been a journey of at least two days in ox carts over mountainous roads and rather dangerous as there were still Commanche Indian attacks like the one at San Lorenzo de Pecuris in 1776.

 

While some of  Felipe Romero’s children were christened at Santa Cruz de la Cañada  and some San Juan Caballeros, not all of the births of his children were recorded. Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas children born between 1742 and 1750 were and thought to be “Antonia Romero, Antonio Jose Romero, Juana Gertrudis Romero, Jose Miguel Romero,  Maria Rita Romero and possibly Juan Domingo Romero.”

 

Only Maria Rita Romero of all these children has had her christening preserved. She was christened 12 November 1747 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada with her grandmother Josefa Medina, acting as godmother. Antonia Romero and Antonio Jose Romero can be documented as children of Felipe and Casilda by prenuptial investigations. However, that left Jose Miguel, Juana Gertrudis Romero, and Juan Domingo as speculative and conjecture. Juan Domingo Romero was born in 1749 presumedly after Maria Rita.

 

Children thought have been born in the 1750’s were Juan Miguel Romero, Francisco Santiago Romero, and Maria Ygnacia Petrona Romero. Christening records are only found for Juan Miguel Romero and  Maria Ygnacia Petrona Romero. Juan Miguel Romero was christened 19 July 1751 at Santa Cruz with dona Francisca Atencio the wife of Manuel Xavier Perea acting as his godmother. Maria Ygnacia Petrona Romero was christened 3 July 1759.

 

Four more children three daughters, and a son were born in the 1760’s. They were probably  Maria Antonia Romero, Maria Dolores Romero, Maria de la Luz Romero, and Jose Rafael Romero. Two sons were born in the  1770’s, Juan de Los Reyes and Jose Romero.

San Lorenzo de Picuris Connections

As several land grants in the 1750s made it possible to move east into the valleys of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range, some of Felipe children stayed in the Rio Grande valley at La Joya and Embudo while others were enticed into the new lands to the east at Trampas in the Picuris District. La Joya was approximately 20 miles to San Lorenzo de Pecuris and another 10 miles south to Trampas. Many church records show that there was travel back and forth between Trampas and Santa Cruz de la Cañada .

 

On 3 March 1760,  “Philipe [Felipe] Romero” and Juan Francisco Martin, the son of Francisco El Ciego”,  witnessed the marriage of Joaquin Arguello and Barbara Rodriguez at San Lorenzo de Picuris. Juan Francisco Martin the brother of Jose Antonio Martin, grandfather of Barbara Martin, wife of Juan Domingo Romero.  Additionally Joaquin [Juachin]Arguello was a close associate of Juan Domingo Romero of Las Trampas.

 

A daughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Romero, Juana Gertrudis Romero, married Juan Domingo Cordoba [Cordova] on 6 May 1761 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada. Felipe Romero’s grandson, Pablo Francisco Cordoba, was christened 25 January 1778 at San Lorenzo de Picuris showing that there was a connection between Santa Cruz and San Lorenzo de Picuris for this family. The boy’s parents were named as “Spanish” and residents of “Rosario de Las Truchas.  Several of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas children had settled in the Truchas Land Grant just a few miles south of Trampas. The Truchas community was within the San Lorenzo de Pecuris ecclesiastical  jurisdiction.

 

On 12 December 1779, don Felipe Romero and dona Casilda Mestas “of Joya” had traveled up to San Lorenzo de Picuris to be godparents for Felipe de Jesus Rafael Martin, the son of Gregorio Martin and Maria Tenorio.  This christening placed Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas at San Lorenzo de Pecuris seven years after Juan Domingo Romero had married Barbara Martin there in 1772.

Children of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas

Some of these children are not verified but are speculative from circumstantial evidence as that many baptismal records had been lost.  The children of Felipe and Casilda seemed to have intertwined with the Sandoval and Cordova families as several of their children married members of these families.

Maria Antonia Romero Confirmed; her mother was 20 years old  when born

Maria Antonia Romero was born circa 1742 in Santa Cruz and was the wife of José Antonio Sandoval  who was born circa 1733. They were married on 25 April 1755 in Santa Cruz de la Canada when she was about 13 years old. She was the mother of Nicolassa Sandoval whose prenuptial investigation stated that Maria Antonia was the daughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas. Nicolassa Sandoval married Antonio Torres the son of Marciel Torres and uncle to the wife of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas

Antonio Jose Romero Confirmed; his mother was 22 years old when born

Antonio Jose Romero born circa 1744 and married 2 March 1770 to Francisca Rivera when he was about 26 years old. His first wife died circa 25 April 1778 “suddenly and was buried in the parish of the “capilla de Nuestra Senora Del Rosario”. Jose Tomas Romero, the son of Antonio Jose Romero and Francisca Rivera, married Maria Encarnacion Cordova the daughter of Antonio Aban Cordova and Juliana Torres on 10 November 1800. Antonio Aban Cordova was Casilda Mestas’ godson and María Juliana Torres was the daughter of Marciel de Torres and Maria Lujan Martin.  She was the half-sister of Joaquin Torres the father of Barbara Martin wife of Juan Domingo Romero.

 

His second wife was Maria Baca. From a 16 February to 12 March 1779 a prenuptial investigation Antonio Jose Romero, about 36, widower and soldier of the presidio of Santa Fe, was the legitimate son of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas, citizens and natives of Santa Fe. Maria Baca, 30, widow, was the legitimate daughter of the late Nicolas Baca and Teodora Fernandez [de la Pedrera], Espanols, citizens and natives of Santa Fe. The couple was related in the third and fourth degree of consanguinity on a transverse line.”

“Antonio Jose Romero stated that Maria was poor, pregnant, at an age that would deny her other opportunities to marry, away from her relatives, and without means to support herself. Fray Juan Bermejo, chaplain of the presidio, received the petition in Santa Fe before the notary, Bartolome Fernandez. Witnesses: Juan Antonio Fernandez, 30, citizen and native of Santa Fe, knew the couple was related by consanguinity in the third and fourth degree on a transverse line.”

 

“Father Rivera passed it on to Father Dominguez, who approved dispensation. Father Rivera granted it on condition that the couple perform an act of public penance. On the day of their wedding, they were to attend mass with black candles in their hands. After mass they were to stand on the top step of the high altar and in a loud voice pray an estacion mayor to the Blessed Sacrament, asking God for the welfare of the church and its supreme head, for the relief of the blessed souls in purgatory, the success of the Spanish monarchy, and the present public needs and temporal goods. Assuming they accepted the penance, the vicar ordered fray Juan Bermejo to go ahead with the marriage.”

Juana Gertrudis Romero Speculative; her mother was 23 years old when born

Juana Gertrudis Romero born circa 1745 in Santa Cruz de la Cañada dela Canada and married first Juan Domingo Cordoba on 6 May 1761 when about 16 years old at Santa Cruz de la Cañada by whom she had 14 children. She married as her second husband Salvador Manuel Martin, a son of Francisco "El Ciego" Martín Serrano and María Casilda Contreras.  He was a brother of Jose Antonio Martin-Serrano, the grandfather of Barbara Martin wife of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas.

 

Juan Domingo Cordoba was  christened 9 August 1746  the son of Lazaro Antonio Cordova and Petrona de Avila Martin Serrano, who was Lazaro’s second wife, married circa 1724 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada  de la Canada. Lazaro Antonio Cordova’s married his first wife Ana Valdes 10 June 1710 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada. Ana Valdes was the mother of Gregorio Cordova, Domingo’s half-brother.  Domingo’s full brother, Antonio German Cordoba,  married Ysabel Martin the sister of Gregorio Martin.

 

Juana Gertrudis Romero’s brother in law, Gregorio Cordova, on 17 April 1742 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada married Barbara Duran Valdes, also known as  “Barbara Casanga, Barbara Martin and Barbara Herrera”, three different names similar to Maria Barbara the wife of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas. Their son Antonio Aban Cordova was christened 24 February 1747 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada, with Salvador Romero and Casilda Mestas being godparents. Salvador Romero was the brother of don Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas was Felipe’s wife. Domingo Cordoba’s brother Antonio German Cordoba married Ysabel Martin the sister of Gregorio Martin.

 

Casilda Mestas’ godson Antonio Aban Cordova later married María Juliana Torres the daughter of Marciel de Torres and Maria Lujan Martin.  Juliana was the half-sister of Joaquin Torres the father of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin wife of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas. That made her Maria Barbara’s aunt.

 

Jose Tomas Romero, the son of Juana Gertrudis older brother Antonio Jose Romero and Francisca Rivera, married Maria Encarnacion Cordova the daughter of Antonio Aban Cordova and Juliana Torres on 10 November 1800.

 

Juana Gertrudis Romero and Juan Domingo Cordova’s son, Pablo Francisco Cordova was christened 25 January 1778 at San Lorenzo de Picuris. His parents were named as “Spanish” and residents of “Rosario de Las Truchas. Pablo Francisco Cordova married Antonia Margarita Romero daughter of Francisco Xavier Romero and Pasquala Lucero Aguero 28 April 1797 at Santa Cruz de la Canada. Margarita Romero was a granddaughter of Francisco Xavier Romero by his first wife. 

 

When Juana Gertrudis Romero’s daughter Maria Cordova married Francisco Rafael Trujillo on 31 January 1795, Juan Domingo Cordova was deceased. Witnesses for the bride were Feliz Velarde and Antonio Martin.  Juana Romero and Domingo Cordoba’s daughter “Juana Maria Cordoba” was married on 30 January 1805 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris to Francisco Rafael Trugillo son of Jose Trugillo [Trujillo] and  Rosa Manzanarez. The witnesses were  Torortino Dominguez y Santiago, Feliz Varela, and Antonio Martin.

 

Juana Gertrudis Romero’s second husband was Salvador Manuel Martin who was an old man some 28 years older than Juana Gertrudis Romero when they married. He was a son of Francisco "El Ciego" Martín Serrano and María Casilda Contreras. Salvador Manuel Martin was the brother to Jose Antonio Martin the grandfather of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin wife  of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas,  most likely Juana’s younger  brother.  Martin was first married to Feliciana Rael de Aguilar. Then perhaps  Rosalia Cordova “del Embudo”. Salvador Martin and “Roza” Cordova were listed as parents of Joseph Antonio Martin christened 27 Mar 1764, in Santa Cruz de la Canada.

Jose Miguel Romero Unconfirmed His mother was 24 years old when he was born

Jose Miguel Romero born circa 1746 was married to Maria dela Luz Sandoval of La Joya buried at Capilla de Senior Juan Jose Trampas. He died after 1816 at Embudo.  “Josef Miguel Romero” was born 10 September 1787 and christened the same day at San Juan Caballeros which indicated that the child was ill.  His parents were “Joseph Romero” and Maria de la Luz Sandoval and his godparents were Juan Xptobal [Cristobal] Montoya and Juana Salazar. Jose Miguel Romero was buried 24 December 1788, “3 month old son of Jose Miguel Romero and Maria dela Luz Sandoval of La Joya  buried at Chapel Las Trampas.  The dates discrepancy is an enigma.

Maria Rita Romero Confirmed her mother was 25 years old when she was born

Maria Rita Romero was christened at Santa Cruz dela Canada on 12 November 1747 Santa Cruz with her grandmother Josepha Medina being her godmother. She married Antonio Alonso Sandoval on 21 February 1762, in Santa Cruz de la Cañada at the age of 14. Rita is a diminutive form of the name Margarita. Alonso Sandoval  and Maria Rita Romero were godparents for Michaela Romero, the daughter of Diego Romero and Paula Sandoval who was christened 15 May 1763 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada.

Juan Domingo Romero unconfirmed - His mother was 27 years old when he was born

Juan Domingo Romero born circa 1749 and likely married Barbara Martin on 4 October 1772 at San Lorenzo de Picuris. Another Juan Domingo Romero was the said to have been the husband to Maria Martin y Lujan. Barbara Martin’s grandparents surnames were Martin and Lujan. Juan Domingo died in 1828 at Trampas and was buried 2 September  as recorded at San Lorenzo de Picuris.

 

Libradita Romero’s father, Jesus Maria Romero, was perhaps a direct descendant of Don Felipe Romero and Casilda Romero the pioneer pobladores of La Joya if her great grandfather Juan Domingo Romero was indeed the son of Felipe. Libradita’s descent is from Juan Domingo Romero, the brother of Juan Miguel Romero,  her husband, Ricardo Romero ancestor.  

 

Juan Domingo Romero of Las Trampas was perhaps a sibling to Don Juan Miguel Romero of La Joya. Jose Ambrosio Romero of Embudo who married Maria Teodora Eustaquia Atencio was perhaps first cousin to Felip de Jesus Romero of San Antonio [Cleveland].  Juan Miguel Romero of Peñasco was married to Maria dela Refugia Duran and was second cousin to Antonio de Jesus Romero of San Antoino who married Gregoria Vigil. Jesus Maria Romero of Rito de Agua Negra [Chacon] married Alta Gracia Maes and a third cousin to  Ricardo de Jesus Romero of Agua Negra [Holman] who was Libradita Romero third cousins once removed on the Romero line.

Juan Miguel Romero Confirmed His mother was 29 years old when he was born

Juan Miguel Romero was christened 19 July 1751 at Santa Cruz. Dona Francisca Atencio the wife of Manuel Xavier Perea was his godmother. He married Maria Manuela Garcia de Noriega of La Joya by 1779. He was direct ancestor to Ricardo de Jesus Romero husband of Maria Libradita Romero. He was titled “don” and died at Joya in 1818. 

 

Don Juan Miguel Romero and his wife Maria Manuela Garcia de Noriega of la Joya acted as godparents to Antonio Jose Medina when he was christened at San Juan Caballeros on 20 November 1784. The child was just born the day before so it had to have been short notice to get from La Joya to San Juan Pueblo. The boy’s parents were Felix Medina and Teodora Quintano of La Joya.

Francisco Santiago Romero Unconfirmed; His mother was 34 years old when he was born

Francisco “Franco” Romero born circa 1756. Another record states Francisco married 20 October 1782 at San Lorenzo de Picuris, Gregoria Pascuala Trujillo. He was from Truchas and she from Trampas and both were Spanish.  The witnesses were Juan Antonio Romero and Maria Josepha Quintano.

On 1 January 1792,  Francisco Romero of Truchas age 47  [1745] was a witness to the marriage of Juan Santiago Aragon and Maria Barbara Velaquez. This man may be from the Francisco Xavier Romero Clan.

Maria Ygnacia Petrona Romero Confirmed; her mother was 37 years old when she was born

Maria Ygnacia Petrona Romero was christened  3 July 1759 in Santa Cruz dela Canada. She married Gervasio Alfonso Ribera  [Rivera] on 27 Nov 1772 at the age of 13. She died in 1778 at the age of 18. Gervasio Alfonso Ribera was christened 21 June 1750, Villa de Santa Fé,  the son of  Salbador Ribera and  Thomasa Rael de Aguilar who were married on June 17, 1747. His godparents were Antonio Sandobal ad  Josefa Chaves.  She had a son named Santiago Antonio Rivera. Gerbasio [Gervasio]then married Maria Antonia Abeyta in 1779, at age 28. Maria Abeyta  was born circa 1762.

Maria Antonia Romero speculative; her mother was 38 years old when she was born

Maria Antonia Romero  was born circa 1760 in Santa Cruz and married Manuel Sandoval.  They were godparents to Ana Josepha Romero, the daughter of “Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Martin”  who was born 10 August 1787 and christened 11 August 1787 at San Juan Caballeros. Their residence was not written but to have been christened a day after birth indicated that they resided nearby probably  at La Joya.

Maria Dolores Romero Speculative;  her mother was 40 years old when she was born

Maria Dolores Romero born circa 1762 and married Santiago Salazar. No further information

Maria de la Luz Romero Speculative; her mother was 42 years old when she was born

Maria de la Luz Romero 1764 married Lorenzo Jaramillo, No further information

Jose Rafael Romero Speculative; His mother was 44 years old when he was born

Jose  Rafael Romero born circa 1766 and married Juana Maria Ortiz, No further information

Juan de Los Reyes Romero  Speculative; His mother was 48 years old when he was born

Juan de Los Reyes born circa  1770 in La Joya. He was first married to Agustina Martinez “26 Sept 1798 Juan Romero de Taos Viudo Agustina Martinez married Maria Barbara Cordova de las Trampas child of Ramon Cordova y Maria Cruz Montoya. Witnesses Francisco Truxillo y Teresa Hurtado.” At San Lorenzo de Picuris.

 

He was enumerated in the 1790 Census  of the Pueblo of San Juan jurisdiction of La Villa de Santa Cruz de la Canada.  He was among the following families known to be at Embudo not too far from each other.  Juan de los Reyes Romero age 20 [1770] a farmer with wife Maria de la Soledad  aged 16 [1776]  with a one year old son.  Miguel Atencio  age 45 [1745] and a farmer with wife Maria Hurtado aged 38  [1752] 1 son and two daughters ages 16 and 12. One of their daughters Teodora Atencio married Ambrosio Romero the son of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas. Jose Romero age 36 [1754] and Lugardo Hurtado age 33 [1757]  with 6 sons and 1 daughter.  One of their sons married Juliana Romero the daughter of Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas. Antonio Torres 35 [1755] and Nicolassa Sandoval age 34 [1756]. He was the son of Marciel Torres and she a granddaughter of Felipe Romero and a niece of Juan de Los Reyes.

 

Juan delos Reyes Romero was a widower when he married 20 August 1807 at the age 36 [1771] Maria Guadalupe Gonzales of Las Truchas, daughter  of Jose Antonio Gonzales and Maria Dolores Trujillo. – The witnesses were: Antonio Mestas (54 born 1753), Jose Manuel Martin (40 born 1767).

 

There is also a  Juan de los Reyes Romero age 50 widower living at Canoa in 1816. His sons were Pablo age 28, Mateo age 20, Ramon, age 18 and Agustin age 15.

Jose Romero Speculative mother 50 years old when he was born

The 1790 census listed an 18 year old son in the household of Casilda Mestas Jose Romero 1772, No further information.

Christening Records

The available Christening Records from San Lorenzo de Picuris, San Juan Caballeros, and Santa Cruz are not complete and cannot be relied on completely, but they do offer clues to family and neighbors who acted as Patrinos, sponsors and godparents. This position was taken very seriously among the Spanish Catholic families as the godparents’ purpose is to help the child attain heaven. Therefore they were usually family members, very close relatives, or very trusted friends of the family. Godparents were not just random choices.

 

“Godparents are selected by the parents of a child to be christened and “be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on”. The godparents publicly affirmed their commitment to help the parents in their Christian duty to raise the child in accordance with true religion.”

The Sandoval and Cordoba Clans

There is a strong connection between the Sandoval family from La Joya, Embudo, and Las Trampas by the choice of godparents and marriages of children of  Felipe Romero. His daughter Antonia Romero married Jose Sandoval. A possible son  Jose Miguel Romero married Maria dela Luz Sandoval and was “buried at Capilla de Senior Juan Jose Trampas”. Felipe’s daughter María Rita Romero married  Antonio Alonso Sandoval and another possible daughter Maria Antonia Romero born 1760 married Manuel Sandoval.

 

Felipe’s daughter, Juana Gertrudis Romero married Juan Domingo Cordova, the son of Lazaro Antonio Cordoba, by his second wife Petrona de Avila Martin Serrano. Domingo Cordoba’s brother Antonio German Cordoba married Isabel Martin, the sister of  Gregorio Martin Serrano. They were children of Captain. Pedro Martin Serrano and  Margarita de San Juan de Luna. 

 

Juan Domingo Cordoba’s half-brother Gregorio Cordova was the son of Lazaro Antonio Cordoba’s first wife,  Ana Valdes married 10 June 1710 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada. Gregorio Cordova’s son, Antonio Aban Cordova, was christened 24 February 1747 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada with Casilda Mestas and her brother in law Salvador Romero acting as godparents. Casilda Mestas godson, Antonio Aban [Abad] Cordova, married María Juliana Torres the daughter of Marciel de Torres and half-sister of Joaquin Torres, the father of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin, wife of Juan Domingo Romero.

 

Antonio Aban [Abad] Cordova and María Juliana Torres were married 6 June 1771 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. She was a widow with both being called Spanish. The witnesses to their wedding was Eusebio Martin and his wife Maria Antonio Armijo. Eusebio was a son of Antonio Martin and Catalina Villapando, who were the grandparents of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin. Maria Antonia Armijo was buried 24 November 1794 “50 years buried at church at foot of steps of the main altar.”

 

Gregorio Martin’s wife Maria Tenorio was the daughter of Manuel Tenorio de Alba y Corona and Apolonia Sandoval. Apolonia was born about 1736 to Antonio de Sandoval Martínez and Josefa Duran y Chaves. In 1757 she married Manuel Tenorio and they had one daughter, María Victoria, before Manuel was killed by Apache Indians in 1759.  In 1760 Apolonia was remarried to a widower Salvador José García de Noriega. She then became a stepmother to the wife of Juan Miguel Romero, the son of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas.

 

On 12 December 1779, Don Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas “of Joya” had traveled up to San Lorenzo de Picuris to be godparents for Felipe de Jesus Rafael Martin, the son of Gregorio Martin and Maria Tenorio.  This christening placed Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas  in San Lorenzo de Pecuris seven years after Juan Domingo Romero had married Maria Barbara Torres y Martin at San Lorenzo de Pecuris in 1772.

Gregorio Martin and Maria Tenorio

Gregorio Martin was a son of Capitan Pedro Martin Serrano who was born in 1705, in Santa Clara, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, United States. Pedro Martin Serrano was the son of Blas Martin Serrano, first cousin to Francisco El Ciego Martin Serrano. Captain Pedro and Antonio Martin were 2^nd cousins who made Gregorio Martin and Pascuala Martin mother of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin 3^rd cousins. Capitan Pedro Martin Serrano married Margarita de San Juan Luna in 1733, in Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, United States. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 7 daughters. He died on 12 May 1768, in his hometown, at the age of 63, and was buried in Santa Clara, Rio Arriba.

 

Gregorio Martin Serrano was christened on 29 April 1734, in Chama, Rio Arriba, and married Maria Victoria Tenorio in 1778, in San Juan, Rio Arriba, They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 6 daughters. He died in 1798, in Ojo Caliente, at the age of 64.

 

Gregorio Martin’s sister Ysabel Martin married Antonio German Cordoba, Juan Domingo Cordoba’s brother which made Juana Gertrudis Romero sisters in law by marrying brothers.

 

Gregorio Martin’s wife Maria Tenorio was the daughter of Apolonia Sandoval the wife of Manuel Tenorio. They had one but daughter, María Victoria, before Manuel was killed by Apache Indians in 1759.  In 1760 Apolonia was remarried to a widower Salvador José García de Noriega. She then became a stepmother to Maria Manuela Garcia de Noriega, the wife of Juan Miguel Romero of La Joya, the son of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas.

 

Gregorio Martin and Maria Tenorio had a son, Juan de Reyes Martin, christened 10 January 1782 at San Juan Caballero however the entry for the christening stated the parents were from Bosque near the community of Canoa north of Santa Cruz. His godparents were Jose Sanchez and Rosa Roybal.

 

Gregorio Martin and “Maria Victoria Tenorio”  acted as godparents to Juan Manuel Romero, the son of “Domingo Romero and Maria Luxan “[Lujan] of “Joya”  when their son was christened at San Juan Caballero 20 December 1783.

 

Maria Guadalupe Martin, daughter of Gregorio Martin and “Maria Torres” was born 27 February 1785 and christened 2 March 1785 at San Caballeros. Her godparents  were Ventura Martin and Maria de los Reyes Ruiz. Buenaventura Martin was a younger brother of Gregorio.

 

“Miguel” [Don Juan Miguel] Romero and his wife Maria “Manuela Garcia” de Noriega of la Joya had a daughter Maria Manuela Romero christened 5 Jan 1789 at San Juan Caballeros. The godparents were Antonio Lucero and Ana Maria Salazar.  In 1789 Gregorio Martin and Maria Tenario went to San Juan Caballero to act as godparents for a son of Antonio Lucero and  Ana Maria Salazar and also for a child of Antonio  Josef Martin and Ana Maria Villalpando. Josef Antonio Martin was likely the son of Eusebio Martin who was a son of Antonio Martin and Catalina Villapando, the grandparents of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin.

Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval

The strongest evident connecting Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas with Juan Domingo Romero of Trampas is through their eldest daughter Antonia Romero, born circa 1742.  She was the mother of Nicolasa Antonia Zandoval” who was  christened 17 Jan 1766 the daughter of Jose Sandoval and Antonia Romero. Nicolassa Sandoval married Antonio Torres who was Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s uncle.

 

On 23 May 1782 at Santa Cruz, Antonio Torres (age 25 born circa 1757), son of Marcial Torres and Maria Martin, both deceased, and Nicolasa Sandoval (age 15), daughter of Jose Sandoval and Antonia Romero were married. Witnesses were  Jose Garcia de la Mora, notary; Jose Lujan (40 born 1742), Jose Maese (37 born 1745), Paulin Martin (40 born 1742), Silvestre Lopez. 

 

This Paulin Martin shows up in several records regarding the family.  Paulin Martin and his wife, Juliana Gonzalez were godparents to Juan Manuel, the legitimate son of Juan Ignacio Sanchez and Pascuala Vigil “on 26 June 1774. Manuel Sanchez became Nicolassa Sandoval’s second husband.

 

Antonio Torres died in 1800. “In San Juan de los Caballeros on 23 April 1800, Father Gonzalez buried Antonio Torres, husband of Nicolasa Sandoval, both citizens of the plaza of San Antonio at the puesto of Embudo.”

 

When Nicolassa Sandoval wanted to marry Manuel Sanchez  after the death of Antonio Torres, an investigation was made to determine if there was any impediment from being too closely related. Manuel Sanchez and Nicolasa Sandoval, of “Taos and San Juan de los Caballeros”, Prenuptial Investigations lasted from 9 March-30 April 1801.  On 9 March 1801 it was recorded “Manuel Sanchez ,[aged 24 born 1777], single, Espanol, citizen of the Taos jurisdiction for about seven years, was the legitimate son of Juan Ignacio Sanchez and Pascuala Vigil. Nicolasa Sandoval, [aged 35 born 1767], Espanola, citizen of Embudo in the San Juan jurisdiction, was the widow of her first husband, Antonio Torres.”

 

The investigation showed that the couple was related in the fourth degree of consanguinity on a transverse line from “Jose Medina and Maria Telles Zapata”. Sanchez descended from  Isidro Medina and Sandoval from Josefa Medina. Isidro Medina was the father of Teodora Medina and Josefa Medina was the mother of Felipe Romero making the two first cousins. Teodora Medina was the mother of Pascuala Vigil and Felipe was the father of Antonia Romero making them second cousins. Pascuala Vigil was the mother of Manuel Sanchez and Antonia Romero was the mother of Nicolasa Sandoval which made them third cousins.

 

Along with Julian Quintano, Paulin Martin witnessed a wedding on November 16, 1800,  between Lorenzo Cordova, single, legitimate son of Antonio Abad [Aban] Cordova  the godson of Casilda Mestas who married Juliana Torres, “residents of Quemado”, with Maria Rafaela Trugillo [Trujillo], daughter of Mariano Trugillo and Maria Teodora Baca. 

 

Antonio Torres was Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s half-uncle as he  was the half-brother of Joaquin Torres her the father.  Antonia Romero was the daughter of Felipe and Casilda’s daughter and probable the sister of Juan Domingo Romero husband of Maria Barbara. Antonio Torres first wife was Maria Barbara Sandoval, and Nicolassa Sandoval was his second wife.  His wives may have been sisters or cousins. 

 

Antonio Torres and Antonia Nicolassa Sandoval were god parents to Boniface Rafael Romero of Joya who was christened 1782 at San Juan Caballeros as the son of Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Martin. His parents were noted as “Coyotes” which Maria Barbara would have been through her grandfather Marciel’s first wife Maria Lujan but is at odds with the 1772 marriage which indicated they were  Spanish.. 

 

Antonio Domingo Torres, son of Antoino Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval of “Embudo” was born 4 August 1784 and christened 8 August 1784 at San Juan Caballero. His godparents were Antonio Cordoba [Cordova] and Maria Juliana Torres of Quemado.

 

Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval were also the godparents of Maria Concepcion Romero christened in 1786 at San Juan Caballero. She was the daughter of Jose Romero and Lugardo Hurtado.

 

Pedro Antonio Torres was born 11 March 1786 and christened 12 March 1786 at San Juan Caballeros. He was the son of Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval of Embudo. His godparents were  Joseph Martin and Mari Ana Varela. On 18 February 1787, a 7 or 8 year old Comanche girl named “Maria  de la Concepcion”, who had been purchased by Antonio Torres, was christened at San Juan Caballeros with Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval acting as Patrinos [sponsors]

 

On 27 September 1788, Antonio Torres and “sister in-law” Nicolassa Sandoval were the witnesses [Sponsors] to the marriage between Juan Xpl [Cristobal] Sanches a Spaniard from Embudo in the jurisdiction of San Juan and Margarita Silva at Trampas at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. He was the son of Jose  Sanchez and Ysabel Fresquí and she was the daughter of Santiago Silva and Maria Josefa Ponce de Leon of Las Trampas.  Santiago Silva was a near neighbor of Juan Domingo Romero at Las Trampas. The previous year in 1787 “don Santiago Silva” and  his wife “dona Josefa Ponce de Leon” were godparents to Jose Ambrosio Romero the son of Juan Domingo who at Ambrocio’s christening his mother’s name was given as “Barbara Torres”.

 

In the 1790 census  Santiago “Silba” is listed as being 45 years old born circa 1745 and married to Barbara Medina so his dona Josefa had died between 1787 and 1790. He was near a near neighbor of Juan Antonio Avila.

 

Antonio Torres and his wife had a son named Josef Antonio born 8 February 1792 and christened at San Juan Caballeros on 16 February. The delay was possibly because of winter mountain conditions. His godparents were Josef Mirabel and Barbara Romero.

 

Antonia Nicolasa Sandoval was a widow by November 1798 when along with her son Pedro Antonio Torres acted as “Patrinos” for Juana Catalina  Romero, christened 30 Nov 1798 in San Lorenzo de Picuris the daughter of Juan Domingo Romero and Mara Barbara “Montoya” of Trampas

 

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin-“Montoya”

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin is somewhat of an enigma to researchers as her surname has been problematic as no Christening record has been found for her. She was described as being “Spanish” and in various records her surnamed was given as either “Martin, Torres, or Montoya [Montolla]” causing some research to believe Juan Domingo had married three different Barbaras, while others believe she was the same person, which is the case.  As that Juan Domingo Romero certainly was not a polygamist, it is with confident that it can be confirmed that Barbara Martin, Barbara Torres, and Barbara Montoya were all one and the same person. However why in the 1790’s she was referred to as Montoya or in her death record, is not known. Perhaps the Montoya family helped raise her as an orphan.

 

It was Spanish custom that children could use the father or mother, and even grandparents, names interchangeably.  Maria Barbara Martin y Torres’s children and grandchildren listed her surname mainly as either Martin or Torres, however in some instances she was even called “Montoya/Montolla.” 

 

Spanish names and their spelling were left to the friars entering the inscriptions into the registries. Depending on how familiar the friar was with the family, often dictated what form of a name was written in registries. Some documents only uses the christened first names such Jose, Juan, and Maria and not the entire name. Also some Friars interchanged “Joseph and Josef” for Jose, and “Philipe” for Felipe for an example. The ‘f’ sound was often written using the letter “ph”.   A double 1 consonant was interchanged with a y as in Montolla and Montoya.

 

Maria Barbara’s father’s surname was “Torres” and her mother’s was “Martin” so conversely she could have been known as Torres y Martin.  That is the term generally use in this report when however it was not used in any record.

 

Maria Barbara certainly would have been illiterate, brought up as an orphan, and she may have been called by different names on different occasions by relatives. If she was taken in by her grandfather Jose Antonio Martin, it would be obvious why she was called a “Martin.” However in the 1790’s she began to be known by the surname “Montoya even in records that involved her own  relatives.

 

After her marriage to Juan Domingo Romero, as “Barbara Martin”, in 1776 she was called “Barbara Torres” when she and her brother Jose [Antonio] Torres were padrinos [godparents] for Maria Josefa Mirabal, daughter of  Baltazar Mirabal and  Anna Maria Martin “Coyotes of Taos” at San Lorenzo de Picuris This was one of the earliest example of Maria Barbara switching between Martin and Torres.  As a godparent in 1782, she was called “Barbara Martin” again.  It’s not until the 1790’s she began to be described as a “Montoya.”

The Martin Appellation

Maria Barbara Torres Y Martin’s first appearance in records was as “Barbara Martin” when she married in 1772. Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s daughter María Manuela Romero was christened in 1777 and her mother named as given as “Barbara Martin”. Her son Jose Francisco Romero who was christened in 1779 had his mother listed as “Barbara Martin.” Juan Domingo Romero and “Barbara Martin” were godparents for Jose Gabriel Olguin in 1782, at San Lorenzo de Picuris. Juan Domingo Romero and “Barbara Martin” attended the church of San Juan de Caballeros as godparents for Juan de Jesus Cruz  in 1788. Another son Bartolome de los Dolores Romero was christened in 1789 and his mother was listed as “Maria Barbara Martin”.  All records found in San Juan de Caballeros referred to her as “Maria Martin.” When her daughter Juana Catalina Romero was christened in 1802 her mother name was “Barbara Martin” again.

The Torres Appellation

When her son José Ygnacio Romero was christened in 1783 his mother’s named was “Barbara Torres”.  When Ygnacio married in 1809 he was also listed as the son of  Barbara Torres.  Also in 1783 “Barbara Torres”, along with and Mariano Concepcion Romero were padrinos for Felipe Antonio de Jesus Sena at San Lorenzo de  Picuris. Her son José Ambrosio Romero was christened 1787 and his mother’s name was  given as “María Barvara Torres”.  When Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s daughter Juliana Romero was married in 1805 her mother was listed  Barbara Torres.

A grandson christened in 1823  had his grandmother listed simply as “Barbara T.” When a grandson was christened in 1826, the grandmother was named “Barbara Torres”. Another son christened in 1833 grandmother was also Barbara Torres. When a granddaughter was christened in1827, her grandmother was named as Barbara Torres. When Juan Domingo Romero died in 1828, his widow was named as “Barbara Torres”.  Another grandson christened in 1831 had his grandmother listed as “Barbara Torres”. In 1832  a granddaughter’s christening named her grandmother was named as Barbara Torres.  A grandson christened in 1835  had “Barbara Martin” listed as his grandmother..”

 

Maria Francisca Romero’s daughter, named Maria Paubla Romero was christened in 1836 and her maternal grandmother parents was named Maria Barbara Torres. 

The Montoya Appellation

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s son Joseph Francisco De Los Dolores Romero was christened in 1791 and his mother was name was given as “Barbara Montoya”. Her son Buenaventura de los Dolores Romero was christened in 1792 and his mother's name was given as “Maria Barbara Montoya.” When Maria Barbara’s son Joaquin was christened in 1795, she was also named “Barbara Montoya.” In 1796 “Juan Domingo Romero y su Esposa Maria Barbara Montolla,” were witnesses to the marriage of ”Manuel Antonio Belmontes to Maria Ynes Martin” a  child of Eusibio Martin and Maria Antonia Armijo.  Eusibio Martin was Maria Barbara’s maternal uncle. In 1797 when daughter Maria Manuela Romero married, she was listed as the daughter of “Barbara Montoya”. Maria Barbara Torres y Martin was listed as “Maria Barbara Montoya” at her daughter Juana Catarina Romero christening in 1798. At her son Juan Policarpio Romero marriage in 1799,   she called “Barbara Montoya”.

 

 At her daughter Juana Ascencion Romero’s christening  in 1801 her mother was named as Barbara Montoia.”   In 1820 Policarpio’s son and Juliana’s son where christened and their grandmother was named as Barbara Montolla.  When Joaquin’s daughters were christened in 1822 and 1826 their grandmother was listed as Barbara Montolla and Barbara Montoya.  At a 1830 christening of a granddaughter, was listed as Maria Barbara Montoya. 

 

When Maria Barbara Torres y Martin died  she was listed as “Barbara Montoya widow”.  Her burial records of San Lorenzo de Pecuris  stated she was 13 May 1832 and she was  said to be “of San Jose de las Trampas”  Another grandson christened in 1839 named his grandmother as “Maria Barbara Montoya.”.  

 

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin’s Antecedents 1756-1832

Maria Barbara Torres y Martin  was said to have been born circa 1756  and at the age of 4 was a survivor of the Taos Massacre of 1760 where her father Jose Joaquin Torres was slain and her mother Pascuala Martin was taken captive. She and her brother Antonio Torres may have survived being hidden by their mother during the attack when other children were killed or taken captive by the Comanches.

 

Joaquin Torres was  the son of Marcial Torres and his first wife Maria Rosalia Martin y Lujan, the daughter of Sebastian Martin-Serrano and Maria Lujan.  Maria Rosalia Martin y Lujan had been killed in 1747 at an attack on Chama. His father remarried the Maria dela Luz Martin the daughter of Jose Antonio Martin Serrano and Catalina Villalpando.  As that Joaquin Torres was also married to Pascuala another daughter of Jose Antonio Martin Serrano and Catalina Villalpando, this made his father Marciel also his brother in law.

 

Joaquín Torres and Pascuala Martin were married circa 1750 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris where they were also enumerated in the 1750 census. They were listed with no children in their household  at the time having recently married. How many children they may have had between 1750 and 1760 is unknown as that only one child’s christening record survived at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. Jose Antonio Torres was christened as the son of Joaquin Torres and Pascuala Martin in 1755. It is likely more children were born in the previous five years.  Maria Barbara Torres y Martin was born circa 1756/7 but is not found in the records of San Lorenzo de Pecuris. 

 

On 4 August 1760 the Comanches attacked Taos Valley specifically at Picuris. Maria Barbara Torres y Martin and her five year old brother escaped the massacre either being hidden or perhaps being away with their Martin grandfather’s rancho at the time. Their father Joaquin Torres was slain as was their grandfather Marciel Torres. The men’s wives, sisters Pascuala and Maria dela Luz were taken captive.

 

Maria Barbara and her brother Jose Antonio were most likely raised within the family of her grandfather Antonio Martin and Catalina Villalpando, after their father was killed and mother captured, as that she became known by her mother’s surname interchangeably with that of her father. Maria Barbara’s grandfather Antonio Martin Serrano handled the estate of Marciel Torres as that he was both a  “father in law to Marciel Torres and to his son Joaquin Torres. 

 

Maria Barbara would have been considered an orphan as that it was not known until later that her mother Pascuala Martin survived her captivity. She would have been raised impoverished with her parents leaving no estate for her and not having, much if any, of a dowery.

 

Barbara Martin’s grandfather Antonio Martin Serrano was a resident of Truchas and died in August 1772. According to  San Lorenzo de Picuris records he was buried  on 27 August 1772.  About 6 weeks later on 4 October 1772, she married Juan Domingo Romero.  She was married using the name Barbara Martin.” According to the registry no family acted as witnesses and no mention of their parents were recorded. Some researcher stated her parents had been identified in Nuevo México Prenuptial investigations found in “the archivos historicos de Durango”, but is so, they are unavailable.   Not much is known about Antonio Torres Barbara’s older brother at this time as he would have been 17 years old.

The Romero, Villalpando,  Torres and Martin Serrano Clans of Picuris

Libradita Romero’s ancestor, Maria Barbara Torres y Martin, the wife of Juan Domingo Romero, was a descendant of early pioneers of the Picuris Valley near the Rio Las Trampas. 

Diego Romero

Some of the earliest “pobladores”, [settlers] to venture into the Picuris Valley came from the Taos Pueblo valley.   They were the descendants of Alonso Cadimo and Juan de Villa El Pando who were distant ancestors of Libradita Romero.  Alonso Cadimo had a son named Diego “Romero” and a daughter “Ana Maria  Romero” who married Juan de Villa El Pando

 

Alonso Cadimo, a “criado” [Servant], lived with his wife Maria de Tapia at the estancia of Felipe Romero de Pedraza near the Pueblo of Sevilleta. Felipe de Romero de Pedraza was a grandson of Captain Bartolome Romero and Luisa Robledo first settlers of New Mexico.

 

Alonso Cadimo was not a true “Romero” as he only adopted the name of Romero.  He may have been actually related to 36 year old Jose Francisco Pedro Cadimo de Pacheco, a soldier with Juan Oñate in 1598, a native of Salaíces de los Gallegos  Spain.  However there is proof connecting Alonso to him or to the two women named Ana and Francisca Cadimo. Nevertheless  due to the scarcity of Cadimos in Nuevo México, Alonso was probably related somehow. 

 

Alonso Cadimo was born circa 1630, a native of Santa Fe, and married Maria de Tapia born circa 1655, Nuevo México, Nueva España. Both Alonso Cadimo and Maria de Tapia were servants at the Felipe Romero hacienda. It is Maria de Tapia who is known to have brought the Indian heritage to the family, although it is not beyond the realm of possibility that her husband was also of mixed ancestry.

 

Alonso apparently died prior to the 1680 Pueblo Revolt but his widow, Maria de Tapia, fled to El Paso with her two children, Diego and Ana Maria who adopted the Romero name. Then she married a younger man “Mateo Trujillo”, born in 1664, the son of Cristóbal Trujillo and María Sandoval y Manzanares. Maria de Tapia returned with the Reconquest of Nuevo México in 1693.

 

In the years following their return, Maria de Tapia and her daughter Ana Maria Romero remained in Santa Fe while Diego Romero, stepson of Matias Trujillo, however, struck out on his own. He was present  presence in the Taos Valley as early as 1714. There he registered a livestock brand and gave his residence as the Pueblo de San Geronimo. 

 

Before the 1680 Pueblo Indian Revolt, no “Spanish villa” had been established at the Taos Pueblo. A Spaniard, Don Fernando de Chavez and other farmers and ranchers had settled in the area but the Chavez’ family was killed during the Revolt and the area was not resettled until several years after Vargas’ reentry. 

 

The first lasting land grant was made on 15 April  1710, when Cristobal de la Serna requested a land grant in the vicinity of Taos Pueblo. The grant included the area that became the later village of Don Fernando de Taos  and extended south to the Rio Las Trampas in the Picuris Valley. The villa of Ranchos de Taos area about three miles south was settled beginning at least by 1715 when the Serna grant lands were being occupied by Hispanics from the Rio Arriba area. 

 

Cristobal de la Serna, however, claimed his duties required his presence in Santa Fe and thus prevented his establishing residency. This, at least, was his argument in 1715 when he requested a revalidation of his grant. His request was granted, yet he still had not established residency by 1720, when he was killed while on a punitive expedition against the Pawnees. 

 

On 21 November 1724 Serna's children sold the grant to Diego Romero who was said to have been “part Indian.” Throughout his life he referred to himself as a "coyote", mixed race. The Taos pueblo Indians called him "el Coyote". 

 

. Diego Romero was married to a Pueblo Indian named Maria de San Jose, and thus founded a distinct Romero family many who settled both in Don Fernando de Taos and near San Lorenzo de Pecuris. He settled by the Rio Las Trampas where he had a large rancho containing  1,300 Varas of land.

 

When Diego Romero made out his will on 13 June  1742, he noted he had a ranch at the Rio de Las Trampas. He died in 1742 and a partition of the Diego Romero estate  showed that he had married a woman Maria San Jose, and had four children,  sons Andres, Francisco, Juan (deceased), and a daughter Ana Maria.

Juan de Villa El Pando

Alonso Cadimo and Maria de Tapia’s daughter Ana Maria Romero, after the family's return from El Paso, married a Spanish soldier of the Santa Fe garrison, named Juan de la Villa el Pando on 2 June 1694  in Santa Fe. Even if she was an infant in 1680, she would have been around 25 years old when she married. He thus became Diego Romero’s brother in law

 

Villa el Pando seems to have been of the one hundred soldiers who accompanied the thirty five families on their return to Santa Fe from El Paso in 1693. He was a native of La Villa de Leon, and a soldier at Santa Fe.  His parents were Juan de Villa el Pando and Ursula de Olaes of Spain.

 

Because there’s no mention of Pando's military title made in any documents, “it would appear he was a common soldier in the ranks. Juan Pando and Ana Maria Romero’s known children were Juan Ambrosio Villalpando who married Maria Romero, Pablo Francisco Villalpando, Juan Rosalio Villalpando who married María Rosa Valdés, Maria Paula Villalpando who married Francisco Martin Serrano and Maria Catalina Villalpando who married Antonio Martin Serrano.

 

 For reasons, and at a date, unknown, the family pulled up stakes in Santa Fe and followed the south-to-north migration route toward the northern settlements. The Villa el Pando family stopped for a number of years in the San Juan area. By that time the name had been contracted to Villalpando, as evidenced by that spelling in the church records. Other church entries identify various family members as being in San Juan, Embudo, and Rio Arriba in those years.

 

When Juan de la Villa el Pando died, before 1718 , his widow Ana Maria Romero was known also as “La Panda.”

 

Juan Ambrosio Villalpando was twenty years old [1698] when he married Maria Romero, probably an Indian on 6 October 1718. In 1732 a complaint was made against him for mistreating some Picuris Indians  and in 1735 he was tried for the killing of an Indian but was found not guilty.   This 1732 complaint showed that some of the Villalpandos were already in the Picuris Valley. The earliest record of Pablo Francisco Villalpando's marriage to Francisca Luxan [Lujan] also known as Martin-Serrano, was in 1731, when he would have been twenty-one. Juan Rosalia Villalpando was married to María Rosa Valdés in Santa Cruz in 1738.

 

The extensive Martin Serrano family is frequently made mention as being witnesses or godparents to Villalpando marriages and births in the 1730s. Pablo Francisco Villalpando and his wife “Maria Martin” were, for instance, witnesses to the marriage of his brother, Juan Rosalia Villalpando to Rosa Valdes in 1738.

 

Pablo Francisco Villalpando was a son in law of Sebastian Martin Serrano and his sisters married brothers,  Francisco Martin Serrano and Antonio Martin Serrano who were sons of Francisco "el Ciego" [the blind] Martin Serrano. He was the brother of Sebastian Martin-Serrano, sonw of  Pedro Martin Serrano and Juana Apolonia Arguello and was a grandson of Luis Martin Serrano and Catalina de Salazar.

 

The Villalpando group probably moved into the Taos Valley in the early to mid-1740s, and once there, settled on Diego Romero's grant as part of the larger Romero family, a common manner of settlement in those times.

 

Not surprisingly, most Spanish settlers preferred to live in the immediate vicinity of the more heavily populated Taos pueblo, for both safety and convenience but not so the Diego Romero clan, including the Villalpando family, for they established their ranchos on the Rio de las Trampas miles south of the Taos pueblo nearer to San Lorenzo de Pecuris.

 

In 1744 a visiting friar reported that only four ranches were  found in the Picuris Valley, with ten Spanish families living there with  most of them connected to Diego Romero. The Villalpando family, the Torres family, and the sons of Francisco Martin Serrano were all part of the greater Romero clan in the Taos Valley.

 

By 1750, when the extended Villalpando clan was counted in the census of the Taos Valley, Pablo Francisco Villalpando had a sizeable number of people sharing his household. In the 1750 census of Picuris, Pablo Francisco Villalpando was mentioned as “Spanish” while his brother Juan Rosalia Villalpando living at Taos, was identified as a “Coyote”.

Diego de Torres

In "Origins of New Mexico Families,” by Fray Angelico Chavez",  Diego de Torres, was listed as a son of Cristobal do Torres, a native of New Mexico. Cristobal do Torres gave his age as thirty in 1698, and forty-four or forty-five in 1710.‘Hence, he was not the forty-year-old man who passed muster in 1680,but evidently his son. His wife was Angela de Leyva [Leyba], according to his last will and the marriages of their children. He was a soldier, and married, at Guadalupe del Paso in 1698, but by 1710 he was an Alférez residing in Albuquerque.  But some years later he established himself at Santa Cruz.”

 

In 1724 Diego de Torres was given a large grant near the “Old Pueblo” of Chama. He was accused in 1726 of reporting to Juan Paéz Hurtado the names of poor people who were trading illegally with non-Pueblo Indians." In this year he also made his last will, declaring the name of his children. They were Diego de Torres, Francisca de Torres wife of Felix Lujan [who murdered her in 1713], Maria de Torres who married  Antonio de Salazar in 1708, Josefa de Torres wife of Diego Martín Serrano, and Margarita de Torres the wife of Bartolomé Trujillo. The following year, 1727, his widow made her own will

 

Diego de Torres and Angela Leyba’s son Diego was numbered among the first settlers of Chama as a village in 1731. “He gave his age as thirty-nine [1692] in this year as assistant Alcalde of Santa Clara.“ He was already widowed of Rosa de Varela when he married again in 1712.” Two elder sons of his, seem to be the issue of his first marriage. They were Salvador Torres who married to Catalina Naranjo and his brother Marcial Torres, who “was married twice, to Maria Lujan and Maria Martin, by whom he had several children.”

 

Diego de Torres’s second wife was a Maria Martin of Santa Cruz, daughter of Alejo Martin and Maria de la Rocha, “the latter a native of Sonora.” They had at least eight children. Diego was married a third time, to Rafaela Baca of the Rio Abajo, who bore him another six children. After his death prior to 1758, she “ became the wife of Baltasar Baca.”  

The Martin-Serrano Clan

Francisco “el ciego” (the blind)Martín was christened 7 October 1680, at Guadalupe del Paso, New Mexico and  died circa November 1764, San Antonio del Embudo, New Mexico. He married Casilda Contreras who was non Spanish. He was the great grandfather of  Maria Barbara Torres y Martin who married Juan Domingo Romero of Las Trampas.

 

The main group of Spaniards who were enumerated in Picuris Valley were connected with Francisco "El Ciego" Martin Serrano and his brother Alejo Martin Serrano de Salazar. The Martin-Serrano Clan descended from Pedro Martin Serrano de Salazar and his wife, Juana de Arguello

 

Pedro Martin Serrano de Salazar and his wife, Juana de Arguello returned to Santa Fe in 1693 to re-settle their “ancestral La Canada country.” He was dead by 1700, when a son was married but his wife Juana was seventy years old in 1718 when she was still living with her daughter Josefa, widow of Andrés Archuleta, in Santa Fe.”

 

The known sons of Pedro Martin Serrano de Salazar were Miguel Martin Serrano, husband of Leonor Dominguez de Mendoza,  Antonio Martin Serrano who married Ana Maria Gomez, and then Magdalena Sedillo, Francisco, “El Ciego," Martin Serrano married to Casilda Contreras, Alejo Martin Serrano and Sebastian Martin Serrano, husband of Maria Lujan.

 

Three known daughters were Maria Martin Serrano, widow of Juan Olguin, who then married Tomas de Bejarano, Juana Martin Serrano widow of Francisco de Apodaca who then married a different Juan Olguin in 1695 and then Felipe de Arratia, and Josefa Martin Serrano wife of Andres de Archuleta. 

 

Francisco Martin Serrano, called “El Ciego,” must have been blind, or very much near sighted, to deserve the nickname. His wife was Casilda Contreras.“ He was living at El Embudo with his wife in 1764 when he made his last will.

 

Jose Antonio Martin was born circa 1706 probably at Santa Cruz. He married Catalina de Villalpando, that daughter of Juan de Villa de Pando on 26 August 1728 at San Juan de Los Caballeros.

 

A son Eusebio Martin was christened 13 November 1729 at San Juan de Los Caballeros. His mother was simply named Catalina “Pando.”  He married Maria Antonia Duran de Armijo dau of Salvador Manuel Duran de Armijo and Maria Francisca Baca.

           

A daughter named Pasquala Martin was christened 6 January 1732 at San Juan de Los Caballeros and her mother was also simply named a Catalina Pando. She married Joaquin Torres son

Sex      Male

Spouse's Name Pasquala Martin

Spouse's Sex    Female

Event Type       Marriage

Event Date       10 May 1750

Event Place      Picuris Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Event Place (Original)  Catholic, Picuris de San Lorenzo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

 

Maria Cayetana Martin Father's Name   Antonio Martin & Mother's Name Catarina Villallpando Christening 11 Nov 1735 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

Mario Cayetano Martín Villalpando

Birth: Nov 11 1735 - San Lorenzo de Picuris Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico Territory

Death: May 2 1785 - Picuris, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Parents: Antonio Martín Serrano, Catalina Villalpando Romero

Siblings: Antonio Eusebio Martín Serrano, María Diega Diega Francisca Martín

 

 

            Name   Caietano Martin

Sex      Male

Spouse's Name Juana De Tapia

Spouse's Sex    Female

Event Type       Marriage

Event Date       27 Jun 1747

Event Place      Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

Event Place (Original)  San Francisco de Asis Cathedral, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States Name            Barbara Martinez

Sex      Female

Father's Name  Cayetano Martinez

Father's Sex      Male

Mother's Name Juana De Tapia

Mother's Sex    Female

Event Type       Christening

Event Date       29 Apr 1753

Event Place      Picuris Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Event Place (Original)  Catholic, Picuris de San Lorenzo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

 

Name   Juan Andres Villalpando

Sex      Male

Father's Name  Cayetano Villalpando

Father's Sex      Male

Mother's Name Juana De Tapia

Mother's Sex    Female

Event Type       Christening

Event Date       12 Feb 1760

Event Place      Picuris Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Event Place (Original)  Catholic, Picuris de San Lorenzo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

 

Manuela De La Cruz Martin Father's Name Antonio Martin and Mother's Name  Catalina Pando Christening 8 May 1737 San Juan de Los Caballeros, San Juan, Rio Arriba, New Mexico, United States Name          Marcial Torres

            Maria Martinez

Event Type       Marriage

Event Date       18 Sep 1749

Event Place      Picuris Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Event Place (Original)  Catholic, Picuris de San Lorenzo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Maria Manuela de la Cruz Martin, birth 3 May 1737 in Embudo, Rio Arriba, New Mexico, christening 8 May 1737 San Juan de los Caballeros, Rio Arriba, New Mexico, Parents Antonio Serrano and Catarina Villalpando.

 

Name   Salbador Victoriano Medina

Sex      Male

Spouse's Name Manuela De La Cruz Martin

Spouse's Sex    Female

Event Type       Marriage

Event Date       8 May 1752

Event Place      Picuris Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

Event Place (Original)  Catholic, Picuris de San Lorenzo, Taos, New Mexico, United States

 

 

Antonio Martin - On said day, month, and year, [August 27, 1772], gave church burial to Antº Martin, widowed of Catarina Villalpando without receiving the Holy Sacraments because of a violent death, was going to this mission ? en el Rio de las Truchas. glesia de Santa Cruz de la Cañada (Santa Cruz de la Cañada, New Mexico, Unite

 

 Juan Francisco Martin Serrano, 1711–1780 who married Paula Villalpando,

Pedro Martin, 1713–Deceased,

Juana Gertrudes Martin 1715–1782 wife of  Juan Antonio Fresqui or Fresquez 1712–1776            1 Oct 1731San Juan,

Maria Josefa Martin 1717–1766 who married Luis Suazo of Guadalupe del Paso, October 2, 1734."

Cristobal Martin 1721–Deceased, Maria Antonia Lopez

Maria Barbara Martin 1724–Deceased,

Michaela Martin y Serrano 1724–Deceased, Agustin Trujillo 1724–Deceased

Salvador Manuel Martin Serrano 1725–Deceased married Feliciana Rael de Aguilar, April 25, 1743 and 3 January 1795 Juana Gertrudis Romero daughter of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas,,

Julian Martin, 1727–1809,Christening 7 May 1737 Santa Cruz,  Maria Rosalia "Rosa" Mascarenas

Maria Luisa Martin born on May 20,1729–1797 Antonio Marcelino Fernandez Valerio

 

 

Sebastian Martin Serrano and his wife Maria Lujan were married 24 September 1691 and is the most famous of the whole clan. He and his wife, Maria Lujan, were still in Santa Fe in 1698, when he gave his age as twenty-seven. [1671]” But within a few years he had moved north to the ancestral Rio Arriba country.“ In 1714 he was Alcalde of Santa Cruz.” He built up his large grant at La Soledad, north of San Juan Pueblo, and there reared a large family; he himself became a legendary figure as an Indian campaigner.” His wife, Maria Lujan, made her last will in 1765,when she declared that she was the legitimate daughter of Don Fernando Duran y Chaves and Elena Ruiz Caceres “another example of interchanging this name with Lujan”. Their daughter Maria Lujan was the first wife of Marciel Torres who was the step son of  Maria Martin a niece of Sebastian.

1750 Census of Picuris

A Spanish census taken on 12 July 1750 of the Picuris Mission district  listed the following  Spanish families who were mostly connected to the Martin-Serrano Clan. There were no villas in the valley except for the Picuris Pueblo where the San Lorenzo church was located. There were only 14 family groups listed in that census containing 127 Spaniards and their servants. The census did not enumerate the Indian population or the priests at San Lorenzo de Pecuris. 

 

Old Francisco Martín [El Ciego] and his wife Casilda were enumerated at Picuris in 1750. Casilda’s last name was not given and she listed as “non-Spanish”.  His son Manuel Martín with his wife Juana Trujillo were enumerated with  three servants who had three small children. They had just recently been married in 1750, in San Juan de Caballeros. A widow named Guadalupe Martín, with two sons and one daughter was also enumerated in the census.  A widower named Contreras (no given first name), was enumerated with one son and one daughter. He  may have been related to Casilda Contreras, the wife of Francisco "El Ciego" Martin Serrano.

 

Francisco "El Ciego" Martin Serrano’s two sons Antonio and Juan Francisco were enumerated who married to two Villalpando sisters were enumerated also. Antonio Martín was enumerated with his wife “Cathalina” Villalpando, along with one son, one daughter and three females servants, “one being very young.” His son Cayetano Martín, was listed with his wife Juana de Tapia and one son. She may have been a daughter of Gertrudis de Tapia, widow with one daughter and one female servant. This Tapia family may have been related to Maria de Tapia the widow of Alonso Cadimo and her daughter Ana Maria Romero.

 

Antonio’s brother Juan Francisco Martín was enumerated with his wife Paula Villalpando, one son, four daughters, and four female servants “with one child”.  His son Balentín [Valentín Antonio Martín Serrano] Martín was enumerated with his wife [Maria] Leonarda Torres, the daughter of Marciel Torres  and his first wife Maria Martin Lujan daughter of Sebastian Martin Serrano. Francisco made his last will at Embudo in 1767, naming Paula Villapando as his wife, and their eleven children.

 

The highest ranking military man in the Picuris census was “Lieutenant” Jacinto Martin, the son of Alejo Martin Serrano and Maria de la Roche. He was likely first cousin to Antonio and Francisco. Jacinto Martín along with his wife, María de la Serna, were enumerated with two males children, two female children, one female and two male servants.

 

Jacinto Martin was born circa 1690, as that he married Maria de la Serna in 1712. He would have been nearly 60 years old in 1750. He would also have been a nephew of Francisco "El Ciego" Martin Serrano. Enumerated next to him was Alejo Martín with his wife, Teresa Casillas and a young daughter. This may have been Jacinto son, rather than his father as his father would have been around 80 years old in 1750. An Alejo Martin who was buried 25 January 1756 at San Lorenzo de Picuris as a widower was most likely Jacinto’s son not his father.

 

Jacinto’s father Alejo Martin was a brother to Captain Sebastian, and Francisco "El Ciego", all who were sons of Pedro Martin Serrano y Salazar and Juana de Arguello. Alejo was born circa 1670 and was living in Santa Fe in 1701 with his wife, Maria de la Roche, or Rocha.“ Shortly afterwards, he moved to the Rio Arriba area. He and his brother Captain Sebastian Martin witnessed a wedding officially at La Soledad, December 25, 1729.“ An Alejo Martin who married Catalina de Ribera on February 20, 1730,” might be the old man himself, or else a son of the same name. Alejo’s daughter Maria was married to Diego Torres the father of Marciel Torres by a first wife Maria Rosa Varela Jaramillo who he married 8 July 1711.

 

Men who married Martin-Serrano women were Joachín [Juaquin]Torres, son of Marciel Torres and Maria Rosa Martin Lujan , who was enumerated with wife Pascuala Martín daughter of Antonio Martin and Catalina Villalpando and recently married. They  were the parents of Jose Antonio Torres and Barbara Torres y Martin the wife of Juan Domingo Romero. 

 

Marciel Torres was married to Maria Lujan prior to 7 July 1739 when a daughter “Pretolina” was christened at San Juan Caballero.  They were residents of Chama and Marciel’s wife was listed as “non Spanish” at the time indicating she was either a Coyote or Indian. Marcial Torres with his 2nd wife María Martín daughter of Antonio Martin and Catalina Villalpando was enumerated with one son and one daughter in 1750.   Marciel was the son of Diego de Torres and Maria Rosa Varela Jaramillo.

 

 Antonio de Diós was listed with his wife Josefa Villalpando, and three sons and five daughters,

 

Juan Fresquí  who was enumerated with his wife “Juana Martín”,  had one son, four daughters and a sister in his household. Another man named Pedro Medina had a wife Josefa Martín, four sons and three daughters.

 

Manuel Olguín was enumerated with his wife Antonia Martín and three sons. A man named Bartolomé Olguín, certainly a relative of Manuel Olguín, was enumerated as a widower with one son and two daughters.  The book “Origin of New Mexican Families” listed a Bartolomé Olguin as married to Maria Romero and had a son, Bartolomé, born July 19, 1730, at Chama. A man also named Bartolomé Olguin married Maria Pascuala Romero who was the youngest daughter of  Salvador Romero and  Maria Lopez de Ocanto. She would have been the great aunt of Felipe Romero of Joya. Her son  Bartolome Olguin married Simona Antonia Lujan de Arguello .   In 1751 he asked for Picuris lands, but these were not granted.“ Either the father or the son tried in vain to obtain a grant in 1763.”  

 

José Zamora was enumerated with his wife Alberta Martín, with four male and four female children in their household including, 1 male servant and two female servants. Juana Zamora, a widow was enumerated with two sons and two daughters.

 

There were four family groups with no obvious family ties to the Martin, Villalpando, and Torres clans. They were the Hurtado Family, the Vasquez Family, the dela Cruz and Gonzales,  . 

 

José Urtado [Hurtado] was may have been related to Governor Juan J Paez Hurtado. He was enumerated with his wife Juana Sánchez and two sons. They were the parents of Maria Antonia Hurtado who married Juan Miguel Atencio the parents of Teodora Atencio who married Ambrocio Romero son of Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin.

 

Juan “Basques” [Vasquez] was listed with his wife Magdalena Rodrigues, three sons and two daughters. Francisco de la Cruz and his wife María de la Cruz had two sons. Xavier de la Cruz was listed with his wife María Romero and two sons.  Juan Manuel Gonsales with his wife Rosa López, two sons and one daughter, Antonia Luján, widow with one daughter, Gertrudis de Tapia, widow with one daughter and one female servant. Catalina Villalpando’s grandmother was Maria de Tapia and Joaquin’s grandmother was Maria Lujan but the others are unaccounted as having a relation to the others.

 

The 1760 Taos Massacre at Picuris

Pablo Francisco Villalpando the son of Juan de Villalpando and Ana María Romero in 1731, married María Francisca Lujan and they had two children, Pablo and Ana María. His sisters Catalina and Paula Villalpando married brothers,  Antonio and Francisco Martin. Pablo Francisco Villalpando had a great estancia in the Taos Valley probably near Rio Santa Barbara, “with a home built like a fortress to protect them against Indian attacks.” Most of his extended family lived there with him. Near him was also the Torres and Martin-Serrano’s ranches.

 

 In 1760 at the Taos Pueblo, Comanche warriors witnessed a spectacle dancing with two dozen Comanche scalps before their very eyes. The Comanches, ‘to avenge’ the outrage, rallied a huge war party and descended on the Taos Valley in August. Accordingly 3000 Comanches warriors attacked the Taos and Picuris valleys. At Pablo Francisco Villalpando and Marciel Torres’ fortified homes, the Indians were said to have killed almost 64  men and any women who had helped defend the properties. The rest of the women and children, said to have number 54, were taken captive.

Marciel Torres’s Family

While Maria Barbara Torres y Martin survived the massacre, however many members of her family did not, including her father Joaquin Torres and her mother Pascuala Martin was among those captured. Her paternal grandfather Marciel Torres’ family was nearly decimated.

 

Marciel Torres was born circa 1712 to Diego de Torres and Maria Rosa Varela Jaramillo. His mother died in 1712 perhaps from complications from childbirth and he was raised by his step mother Maria Martin Serrano the daughter of Alejo Martin. She died in 1742, in Santa Cruz at the age of 51.

 

In 1735 Marciel’s father, lieutenant alcalde Diego de Torres of Chama, was accused by Juan Garcia de la Mora of illegally trading with the Comanches. Torres was found guilty of all charges and fined ten pesos plus he made a substantial contribution to the local church fund.

 

At the age of about 28 on 16 April 1730, Marciel Torries married Maria [Rosalia] Martin at San Juan De Los Caballeros. She was the daughter of Sebastian Martin Serrano and Maria Lujan. At least 7 known children were born to this union. After his first wife was killed in an earlier Indian raid in 1747 at Chama, he again was married to María de la Cruz Martín Serrano the daughter of  Antonio Martin Serrano and Catalina Villalpando on 18 September 1748 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, New Mexico and to this union at least 5 more known children were born.

 

A passage from “Torres – A Story of Survival The Taos Massacre of August 4, 1760 by Patricia Sanchez Rau commented “The old families sought to resettle their land, among them being the Martín Serrano family along with other early settlers including the Marcial Torres family. Marcial married Rosa Luján Martín in 1730 at San Juan de los Caballeros, and had eight children; Joaquin, Leonarda, Paula, Petronila, Jacinta, Cristobal, Pablo and another child whose name we were unable to find.  His first wife died about 1747 and Marcial remarried to a María de la Luz Martín and had five more children; Juliana, Antonio, Manuela, Domingo, and another child whose name we were unable to determine.”

 

The family was very resourceful and various types of defensive towers built at the corners of their hacienda for protection. The older children had all married so the extended family had grown quite large along with the neighbors who were not too far away.  Everything was peaceful until the early morning of August 4, 1760, when they were attacked by a tribe of Comanches.  Three thousand braves swept in and although the battle was fierce, the Torres family and the neighbors and extended family soon succumbed.  It is unknown who gave the alarm, if the Torres family or one of the neighbors had been able to send an out rider to raise the alarm or if someone survived and had made it to safety.”

 

Gilbert A. Torres wrote this story regarding Marciel Torres from his book History of the Torres Family. “Marcial Torres, stayed and lived in the Chama Merced [Merced is the Spanish term for Land Grant] where his father and grandfather had the ranch granted to them by the King of Spain. He married Maria Luján around the year 1732, [1730] and they had several children. Most of their children grew up in the ranch. Then, a catastrophe befell the Chama Merced ranch. It was raided by the dreaded Comanche Indians. Marcial, somehow, survived but his wife and most of his children and their spouses were massacred. Two of his daughters were taken captive by the Indians, but they were ransomed back to the family a few years later. [He may have confused this incident with the 1760 massacre]

 

“Marcial not only recovered from his catastrophe, but in true pioneering spirit, he re-energized himself and set out to reconstruct himself a new life. In an even more hostile environment he remarried taking Maria De la Luz Martinez, (a.k.a. Maria Dela Luz Salazar Serrano Martin), as his new wife. Together, they migrated north along the Rio Del Norte, (Rio Grande) and settled in the area of Embudo Nuevo México, Nueva España. [ Embudo is actually 90 miles south of Chama] This area is a box canyon where the Rio Grande valley north of España narrows into the Rio Grande Gorge south of Rancho de Taos. This area was likely close to the present-day community of Dixon where the bridge crosses the Rio Grande. They started a new family and develop their new ranch, but then his luck ran out again. [The family had moved to the Rio Santa Barbara area in the Picuris Valley by 1750] His family was attacked again in 1760 by the same Indians, the Comanche. This time Martial [sic] was killed, but a couple of his children survived the massacre perhaps [the] surviving children were somewhere else during the attack maybe at the grandfather Antonio Martinez house.”

 

The first attack on the family of Marciel Torres occurred in 1747 however it may not have been Comanche warriors but Utes who attacked as that Spanish troops retaliated and ambushed a group of Utes on the Chama River, in October 1747 killing 111 Indians and taking 206 as captives.  A daughter named Paula Torres, who does not have any further history, is very likely the one taken captive.

 

A Comanche attack occurred at the Villalpando Estancia [Estate] probably located between the Rio Las Trampas and the Rio Santa Barbara, south of San Lorenzo de Pecuris in the Taos Valley, on 4 August 1760. This Estancia was comprised of about seven different households and many people were killed in the attack and captured.

 

In this Comanche attack  Marcial Torres was slain at the age of 48, with many others relatives and neighbors, among them his sons and sons-in-law, and children. Many of the women and children were also taken captive including his second wife María de la Luz Martín, his daughters Petrona Torres and Jacinta Torres from his first marriage, and daughters in law Pascuala Martin and Francisca Salazar.  His son Cristobal was also taken captive, a grandchild Francisca Jacquez and three children from his second marriage, María Torres, Francisca Torres  and an unnamed one, were all killed.  The unnamed one may have been a baby who Antoino Martin was unfamiliar with.

 

Those members of Marciel Torres family group affected by the massacre were listed by Antonio Martin who was both a son in law and father in law within this family. The people mentioned involved in the tragedy were Marciel’s son  “Jose Joaquin Torres, dead and his wife Pascuala Martín captive”. She was the daughter of Antonio Martín and Catalina Villalpando. Antonio Joseph Torres, the son of Jose Joaquin Torres and Pascuala Martín, was listed as an orphaned living with Antonio Martín. Oddly his sister Maria Barbara was not named. Another son of Marciel,  “Pablo Torres, dead and his wife Francisca Salazar captive”. She was the daughter of Jose Antonio Salazar. A son in law and his daughter “Julian Jacquez, dead, his wife Jacinta Torres captive.” Their daughter Francisca was also taken captive. Marciel’s son Cristobal Torres “taken captive.” Three children from Marcial Torres second marriage were taken captive – “one named María and the other unnamed, plus Francisca killed”. Two children were “Orphaned Juliana Torres and Juan Domingo,” and “it is for these children that the grandfather Antonio Martín is seeking division of the estate.”

 

Catalina Villalpando’s brother Pablo Francisco Villalpando left no issue, so his 3 children, María, Pablo, Ana María, and his wife Francisca Lujan were all either killed or captured. Among his known children, Rosa Villalpando, wife of Juan Jose Jacques was a known captive. Others were probably also taken as hostages, however, no legal papers or other items were found to help identify the killed or captured.”

 

No records have been found of any of the rescue missions to know who were rescued and who was not. A Historical Marker in Taos, New Mexico mentions the massacre stating “Captive Women and Children of Taos County. In August 1760, around sixty women and children were taken captive in a Comanche raid on Ranchos de Taos. That raid is an example of the danger of living on New Mexico's frontier during the 17th and 18th centuries, for Hispanic and Indigenous communities alike, raided each other and suffered enormous consequences. Thousands of women and children were taken captive. Most were never returned.”

 

In Marciel Torres’ family his daughters Maria Petrona Torres and Maria Jacinta Manuela Torres, and wives of Miguel Suazo and Jose Julian Jaquez were taken captive. Jacinta was held in Indian captivity for about 15 years. Evidence was found that Jacinta Torres had been sold by the Indians to a trapper in Arkansas.  Petronila [Petrona] Torres was either rescued or redeemed as she  and her sister Leonarda were in an estate dispute with Antonio Martin. Pascuala Martin the daughter of Antonio Martin and wife of Marciel’s son Joaquin Torres was held in captive for nearly as long having a mixed race son born in 1773.  No information was recorded regarding her return to New Mexico.

 

A famous captured person was Maria Rosa Villalpando a daughter of Pablo Francisco Villalpando or possibly his brother Juan Rosalia Villalpando although she could only identify her mother as "of the name Martine.” While her origins are obscure, and her age is uncertain, parish record of her death gave her age as 104 while two St. Louis, Missouri newspapers gave her age as 107 when reporting her death.  She married sometime between 1750 and 1759 to Joseph Xaques [Jose Jaques.] Among the residents counted in the Taos pueblo in 1750, was Joseph Xaques, identified as a single male. “Adding to the many unanswered questions, there was a Juan Jose Jacquez living in Rio Arriba in 1754. In her marriage contract of 1770 with a Frenchman, Maria Rosa, then called Marie Rose, she said she was the widow of Jean Joseph Jacques, "killed by the Laitanes" (Comanches) about ten years previously.

 

A Historical Marker regarding the 1760 Taos Massacre  also mentions “María Rosa Villapando” “One known captive of this raid, María Rosa Villapando was traded to the Pawnees and, after ten years, was ransomed by her future husband, a French trader from St. Louis. She was reunited with her New Mexican son, Joseph Julian Jaques in 1802. Her grandson, Antoine Leroux, returned to Taos and married into the Vigil family, making her the ancestral matriarch of several prominent Taos families.”

 

Information given of the number of children Marcial and his second wife had was given by Antonio Martin’s testimony, who would have been their grandfather, at the settlement of the estate of Marcial Torres. “Marcial died at the hands of the Comanches in the "valley of Taos" and Antonio paid for masses to be said for him and for the safety of his daughter & Marcial's wife, Maria Martin, and two of their children, who were taken captive by the Comanches. "

 

“There is now in my possession ... two little orphans; one little girl and one little boy, children of the said deceased and my daughter, Maria Martin, now a captive and a little grandson of the said deceased and mine, that is three little orphans that are in my possession," ... "I took them in charge, considering myself nearest them, on the part of my daughter now captive, and the two children who are with her and that the two which I have with me".

 

 In another statement given, Antonio Martin stated the names of the children of Marciel Torres from both marriages: First marriage: Joaquin, now dead, who was married to his, (affiances) daughter, Pasquala, from which union there is left one child called Antonio Joseph, who is now in his, (affiants) possession; Pablo, who was killed by the Comanches, having been married to a daughter of Juan Antonio Salazar, who was carried off into captivity; Jacinta, who is in captivity and who was married to Julian Jaques, who was killed by the Comanches, from which union there was one child named Francisca, who was taken into captivity with her mother by the Comanches; Leonarda who is married to Valentin Martin; Cristoval, who is also in captivity; and by the second wife, whose name is Maria, a daughter of the affiant, he had Juan Domingo, Juliana, Maria and another child whose name he does not know. Of these, Juan Domingo and Juliana are in his possession and the other three are in captivity and Francisca, who was killed by the Comanches."

 

He named five children at an inquest in 1763  who he identified as Juan Domingo Torres and Juliana Torres, who were living with him, and Maria and another child “whose name he can’t remember” were taken captive. Then in another testimony he listed  “Francisca, killed” as an afterthought.

 

Antonio Martin was nearly 60 years old or older, which may be the reason for discrepancies in remembering all his grandchildren. He did not mention Maria Barbara Torres y Martin by name as a grandchild in his testimony but he also failed to mention another child named Jose Antonio Torres who listed Marcial as his father in his prenuptial marriage investigation. On 23 May 1782 at Santa Cruz, Antonio Torres (age 25 born circa 1757), son of Marcial Torres and Maria Martin, both deceased, and Nicolasa Sandoval (age 15), daughter of Jose Sandoval and Antonia Romero were married. Antonia Romero was the daughter of don Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas of La Joya.

 

There was a legal dispute between Marciel Torres’s surviving daughters with Antonio Martin over the division of Marciel’s estate.  Leonarda Torres, wife of Valentin Martin and Petrona Torres the wife of Miguel Suazo.  Both of the women were  aunts of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin.

 

“Leonarda Torres and Petrona Torres, daughters of Marcial Torres and Maria Lujan, deceased, residents of the place call Santa Barbara, we appear before Your Honor in due form of law and as consistent with our rights here involved, and state: That having recognized, after the invasion of the enemy, the Comanches, the property belonging to our father, Marcial Torres, which has been collected by Antonio Martin, it is attested by a paper of Juan Domingo Lovato, that he delivered thirty-two cattle, and seven horses and one mule.”

 

“In another of Joaquin El Burro in which he declares that he, his people, and an Indian woman of Antonio Martin, harvested twelve cart-loads of corn, which after being shucked measured out seventy costales of good corn, and thirty of inferior quality, this by order and command of Antonio Martin, who delivered as his tithe, seven costales; and we being the legal heirs of our father (peace to his ashes) it appears that in justice Your Honor should cause to be delivered to us the said property taking into your charge as guardian of minors and sole refuge of unprotected orphans, the increase of the breeding stock, which you can cause the said Antonio Martin to definitely account for, and in due legal form order them delivered to us, as also a cow and an ox, that were afterwards found and taken charge of by said Antonio Martin, who being required to make delivery of said property, has endeavored to satisfy us with the least part, denying the receipt of said property, whose delivery to him is clearly evident.” 

 

“It being also true that said Marcial Torres, our father, had this and other property, as may be shown by the statements which Señor Bentura Mestas, Antonio Mestas and Joseph Antonio Naranjo will make to Your Honor, as also those of Juan Domingo Lovato and Joaquin El Burro, who are ready to state the truth before Your Honor, or else here, at such time and place as Your Honor may deem fit and proper.”

 

“He also appropriated a cart, which is now in possession of Joaquin El Burro who says that Antonio Martin gave it to him, and because the said Antonio Martin does not deliver to us in full, the aforesaid property we refuse to be satisfied otherwise, or with other arrangement.  Therefore we ask and beseech that Your Honor order and provide as we have requested, wherein we will receive favor, which justly we ask.”

 

The children Marciel Torres he had by his first wife were Maria Leonarda de Torres wife of Valentin [Balentin] Antonio Martin, Jose Joaquin Torres who married Pascuala Martin, Maria Paula de Torres probably killed 1747, Petrolina [Petrona] Torres wife of Miguel Suazo, Pablo Torres who married Francisca Salazar 7 Jan 1760. A son of Marciel, Cristobal Cayetano Torres, is not included in Antonio Martin’s list of his so it is likely that he is a child by Marciel’s first wife. However it is known that he was taken captive .

 

Cristobal Cayetano Torres may have survived his captivity  as that a marriage record from 7 November 1795 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris, showed that a “Calletano Torez [Torres] and Getrudes Armigo, both deceased, had a son named Francisco Torez, a widower of Maria Rosa Atencio who married Maria Francisca Martin child of Pedro Asencio Martin and y Maria Clara Trujillo. The witnesses were Francisco Montolla  and his Esposa [wife] Maria Ruybal [Ruibal].

 

The children by Marciel’s second wife, who were not taken captive during the massacre, were Juan Domingo, Maria Juliana Torres wife of Antonio Aban Cordova, and Antonio Jose Torres who married Nicolassa Sandoval. Her daughter Francisca Torres was killed, and daughter Maria Torres was taken captive.

Daughter in Law Pascuala Martin Captive

As it turned out Maria Barbara’s mother, Pascuala Martin, did not die during the 1760 raid, despite contradictory reports that assumed she did. She was one of the fifty-six women and children carried into captivity by the victorious Comanches. In the ensuing months the Spanish authorities managed to ransom, redeem, or recapture some of those carried off in the raid but not all.

 

Pascuala spent the next decade as a captive of the Indians, first among the Comanches and later probably traded to other tribes of the plains.  There is no record of the conditions under which she lived with the Indians, but she must have gained some acceptance as she was not killed and had at least one son born  in 1773. It is unknown when or how Pascuala was released from captivity, she was probably ransomed.

 

She showed up listed in a 1790 census as Pascuala Martin a widow with a son aged 16. He was named Manuel Torres who was given the last name Torres in memory of Pascuala’s late husband Jose Joaquin Torres.  Manuel Torres would have been a Coyote, Spanish and Indian mixed race. “Manuel Torres of Las Trampas” was born 13 years after Pasquala was captured by the Comanche. She may have had other children while in captivity who died. It is not known but probable as she was a young woman when abducted.

 

Manuel Torres was identified as the natural son of Pasquala Martín when he sought to marry María de las Nieves Valdés, “a native of El Pueblo Quemado” (modern-day Córdova) and a daughter of Francisco Valdés y Bustos and Diega Tafoya. On 29 May 1794,  he submitted his request to marry to church authorities as part of the customary pre-nuptial investigation process. He declared he was twenty-one years of age and the natural son of Pasquala Martín, a widow.”  Natural in these records generally referred to as being born out of wedlock.  As that Pascuala was listed as a widow and not deceased she was alive at least by 1794.

 

In March 1795, María de las Nieves gave birth to the couple’s first born son who was baptized at the mission church of San Lorenzo de Picurís on 25 March and christened José Antonio de la Encarnación Torres. Almost eighteen months later, the second son of this couple was born at Santa Bárbara and baptized at Picurís on 5 November 1796 and named Manuel de los Santos Torres. Manuel’s half-sister “Barbara Torres” and her husband Juan Domingo Romero were godparents for this son. The child was christened  5 November 1796, at San Lorenzo de Picurís and died less than eight weeks later and was buried at San José en el Río de Las Trampas on 26 December 1796. Immediately following this burial record was that of the child's father, Manuel Torres, deceased at age twenty-three, and who died without having received the sacraments.

 

José Antonio de la Encarnación Torres, was married three times: He first married María de la Luz Mestas on 13 June 1817. She was the daughter  of Ygnacio Mestas, deceased, and Juana Torres, residents of Santa Bárbara. He then married Maria de Gracia Lobato [Lovato] daughter of Miguel Lobato and María Alberta González.  After she died in 1852 he married Juana María Espinosa in 1854.

 

José Antonio de la Encarnación Torres and  Maria de Gracia Lobato had a daughter named Maria Encarnacion Torres who married Juan Andres Maes at Peñasco. Their daughter Maria Altagracia Maes married Jesus Maria Romero who also descended from Pascuala Martin. Their daughter Libradita Romero married Ricardo de Jesus Romero who was a great grandson of Felipe Romero and Casilda Mestas.

 

Jose Antonio dela Encarnacion Torres and Ambrocio Romero, a son of Maria Barbara Torres y Martin  were first cousins. Their children  Maria Encarnacion Torres and Juan Miguel Romero were 2nd cousins, and their children Altagracia Maes and Jesus Martin Romero were third cousins.

 

The offsprings of Ricardo Romero y Vigil and Libradita Romero y Mases were descendants of Pascuala Martin survivor of Indian captivity.

 

Ambrocio Romero and Maria Teodora Atencio

Little is known about Ambrocio Romero except he died young about 28 years old leaving a young widow with three children. He was the sixth child of Juan Domingo and Barbara Torres, born 4 April 1787 at Trampas and christened 12 April 1787 in San De Lorenzo de Picuris. His godparents were prominent as they had the titles of respect of don and dona.  They were don Santiago Silva and dona Josefa  Ponce de Leon.

 

As a middle child, his mother only a 10 year old daughter to help with a household of boys and his father probably as with most Spanish men at that time was rarely involved with raising children until they were at an age to be useful on the farm. He is found in the 1790 census as a 3 year old boy in his father’s household.

 

He married probably at the age of 23 in 1810 however no marriage record is found at San Lorenzo de Pecuris so he and his bride may have married elsewhere. He married Teodora Atencio who was born 20 June 1792 in Santa Cruz de la Cañada  and christened 28 Jun 1792 at  San Juan de Caballeros. She was the daughter of Juan Miguel Atencio “Spanish” and Maria Manuela Hurtado “Spanish”. Her godparents were Jose Antonio Martin and Maria Ines Leal.

 

Teodora Atencio’s father Juan Miguel Atencio sometimes referred to as “Manuel” was christened 9 May 1755 at Santa Cruz de la Cañada  de la Cañada, Rio Arriba, Provincia de Nuevo México, Reino de Nueva España. He was the son of Gregorio de Atienza and Francisca Valdés y Bustos.  Over the course of the 18th century, the ATIENZA surname came to be pronounced and spelled ATENCIO and  died 12 August 1835 at Abiquiú, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, Mexico.   He was the husband of María Manuela Hurtado married circa 1778.   After she died Juan Miguel Atencio married María Dolores Jirón 11 January 1784 • Santa Cruz de la Cañada , Juan Miguel Ascencio  then married Maria Manuela Martin 15 April 1798 from Abiquiu .

 

After Ambrocio and Teodora married they lived away from the Picuris Valley and moved to Chamita in Rio Arriba County some 33 miles from Peñasco. During its earlier years, the community was known as San Pedro De Chamita and served as the first county seat for Rio Arriba county.  The village is situated between the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama.  The village was 12 miles south west of La Joya and 16 miles southwest of Embudo which was 18 miles from Peñasco .  

 

Ambrocio died sometime in Chamita circa 1815.  The 1817 census of San Pedro Chamita  taken on 3 March listed 25 year old Teodora Atencio as a widow with three children all using her maiden name,  Juan Miguel Atencio age 5, Maria Manuela Atencio age 3 and Matias Atencio age 1.

 

Ambrocio’s oldest son Juan Miguel was born 5 November 1811 in Embudo and christened 7 November 1811 in San Juan de los Caballeros. He married Maria Refugio Duran, the daughter of Juan Pedro Antonio Duran and Maria del Carmen Lopez of Peñasco .

 

He was followed by a daughter Maria Manuela Romero born 29 December 1813 at Peñasco and  christened 1 January 1815 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.  She married Antonio de Jesus Maes 9 November 1831 in San Juan,

 

Ambrocio Romero’s third child Matias Ambrocio Romero was born after his death supposedly on “29 February 1817.  However the 29^th of February occurs only on leap year so he probably was born in 1816 not 1817. This could have been a mixed up between the Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar. He was christened however 1 Mar 1817 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  He married Guadalupe Ortega, (daughter of Antonio Ortega and Maria Dolores Martin).

 

All of his children were named either after him or after Teodora’s parents which would indicate there might have been an estrangement

 

Included in the household of her son Juan Miguel enumerated in the 1850 census was “Teodora Atencio” aged 50 [1800]. She died prior to the 1860 census. Many others Teodora Atencio lived long enough to be a citizen of Spain, Mexico, and the United States during her life time.  She remained a widow for 35 years after the death of Ambrocio Romero.

Children of Ambrosio Romero and Maria Teodora Atencio

Juan Miguel Romero

Ambrocio’s oldest son Juan Miguel was born 5 November 1811 in Embudo and christened 7 November 1811 in San Juan de los Caballeros. He married Maria Refugio Duran, the daughter of Juan Pedro Antonio Duran and Maria del Carmen Lopez of Peñasco .

Juan Miguel Romero, b. 3 November 1811 Embudo, christened 7 November 1811 in San Juan de los Caballeros,

(Padrinos Carpio Trujillo & Ynes Armijo of Trampas

died by 1870 in Taos Co., NM. 1850 Census Taos page 99. 1860 Census

Taos page 290 (el llano):  1860 Census El Llano, Taos Co., NM, page 290: 

1880 census Mora Co., page 50, prct#16.

 He married Maria del Refugia Duran born January 1823 in San Rafael, NM, (daughter of Pedro

Antonio Duran #1528 and Maria del Carmen Lopez christened 02-February-1823 in San Juan, NM,

(Pad: Andres Pacheco & Maria Barbara Labadie.) died 1885-00, (She was living with son Cesario

Romero, 1885 territorial census, Prct #16, page 15, Mora Co., NM.) d. by 1876.  He married Maria Refugio Duran, b. 1832, (daughter of Juan Pedro Antonio Duran and Maria del Carmen Lopez) d. by 1887.

 

Juan Miguel Romero was born 3 November 1811 at Embudo, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, the eldest son of Jose Ambrosio Romero [1787–1816] and Maria Teodora Eustaquia Atencio 1792–1855. Embudo, a tiny village on the Rio Grande in northern Nuevo México, is located near the Embudo Creek (Rio Embudo) that flows into the Rio Grande.  Its earliest pobladores came from San Juan los Caballeros 17 miles to the south.

 

 

 His parents were married circa 1810.  Juan Miguel’s siblings were  Maria Manuela Romero  christened 1 January 1815 4 day old daughter of Ambrosio and Maria Theodora Hurtado godparents Antonio Jose Lopez and Maria Dolores Lopez. (1814–1867) born at  Chama, Nuevo México and Matias Ambrosio Romero born 28 April 1817 at  Picuris, Taos County, Nuevo México, after his father’s death at Chama.  

Maria Manuela Romero

Maria Manuela Romero b. 28 Dec 1814 Maria Manuela Romero, b. 28 Dec 1814, christened 1 January 1815 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  She married Antonio de Jesus Maes, married 9 November 1831 in San Juan, NM, He was born  24 November 1808 in Embudo, NM, (son of Juan de Jesus (Maese) Maes and Maria Gudalupe (Martinez) (Martin) christened 26 November 1808 in San Juan, NM.

 i Maria Alvina Maes b. 9 Oct 1832.     

ii     Pedro de Jesus Maes, b. 19 September 1834 in Embudo, NM, christened 12 September 1824 in San Juan de los Caballeros. 

 iii   Juan de Jesus Maes, b. 9 September 1836 in Embudo, NM, christened 15 September 1836 in San Juan de los Caballeros

iv    Jose Ygnacio Maes, b. 8 September 1843 in Embudo, NM, christened 12 September 1843 in San Juan de los Caballeros.  He married Juana Maria Romero, married 17 January 1866 in San Antonio de Peñasco , his first cousin daughter of Juan Miguel Romero and Maria Refugio Duran) christened 30 Mar 1851 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.    

 v     Jose Julian Maes, b. 12 Mar 1845, christened 13 Mar 1845 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.     

 vi    Jose Tomas Maes, b. 27 Dec 1846 in Embudo, NM, christened 30 Dec 1846 in San Juan de los Caballeros.     

 vii   Marcelino Maes, b. 16 February 1849, christened 22 February 1849 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.     

viii  Maria Biviana Maes, christened 1 April 1866 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.

Matias Ambrocio Romero

Matias Ambrocio Romero, b. 29 February 1817, christened 1 March 1817 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  He married Guadalupe Ortega, (daughter of Antonio Ortega and Maria Dolores Martin).

Maria Dolores Romero, christened 18 Dec 1844 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  She married Juan Miguel? Cristoval, married 23 November 1872 in San Antonio de Peñasco .    

 Jose Ramon Romero, christened 8 June 1849 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  He married Maria Rufina Maes, married 9 Dec 1872 in San Antonio de Peñasco .     

Maria Tiburcia Romero, b. 8 April 1856, christened 12 April 1856 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.     

 iv    Jose Amador Romero, b. 30 April 1863, christened 3 May 1863 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.     

v     Maria Ynes Romero.  She married Jose Manuel (Abeita) Abeyta, married 21 January 1871 in San Antonio Church, Peñasco , Nm, (son of Francisco Abeyta and Maria Rosa de Herrera) christened 27 January 1850 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.

Lugarda Antonia Hurtado and Maria Antonia Hurtado

The daughters of Jose Hurtado and Juana Sanchez Maria Antonia Hurtado were connected to the family of Juan Domingo Romero and Maria Barbara Torres y Martin in two ways. Maria Antonio Hurtado was the mother in law to Ambrocio Romero the son of Juan Domingo Romero and Lugarda was the mother in law of Juliana Romero a daughter of Juan Domingo Romero.

 

Some researchers try to connect the ancestry of Lugarda and Maria Hurtado with Paez Hurtado the lieutenant Governor and General under Governor Vargas during both his terms, and his actual commander of many of his expeditions. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of this connection. These sisters seem to be the daughters of  Jose Hurtado the “natural son of a woman named Maria Hurtado.  A daughter named Bartola Hurtado was the wife of José de Bustamante. He was a resident of Santa Fe as late as 1757 and was a native of Aranda de Duero in Spain, the son of Juan Antonio de Bustamante y Tagle. In 1762 his widow, Bartola Hurtado, made her last will. She declared that they had been married for twenty years, [1742] and that she was the natural daughter of Maria Hurtado. Her brothers were named as Santiago and José [Joseph] Hurtado.

 

A son José de Bustamante, known also as “Miraba1,” lived in the Picuris valley of Taos in 1770 and had married Monica Tomasa Martin, the widow of Francisco Romero. They had no children. He is also very likely the “José Hurtado” mentioned there in 1776.”

 

Joseph [Jose] Aurtado [Hurtado]  married  Juana Gonzales [Sanchez] 12  February 1747 at Santa Fe and Santiago Urtado [Hurtado] married María Luisa Martín 23 November 1750 at San Lorenzo de Picuris. She was the daughter of Francisco "El Ciego" Martín Serrano and María Casilda Contreras. The witnesses were Juan Benavides and Maria Urtado [Hurtado]. Santiago Hurtado thus was a  brother in law to Francisco Martin and Antonio Martin who was the father of Pascuala Martin.

Juan Antonio Hurtado

Juan Antonio Hurtado a son of “ Joseph Hurtado”  and  “Juana Sanches was christened 20 October 1748 at

Santa Fe. On 11 April 1771 an unplaced Joseph Antonio Hurtado, perhaps the same person married Maria Peneda a widow at San Lorenzo de Picuris with their witnesses being Asencio Zamora and Maria Teresa Hurtado.

Maria Hurtado

A daughter named Maria Hurtado may have been born in 1750 as in the 1790 census of the Spanish Jurisdiction of San Juan,  most likely at Embudo, located at household 225 was Juan Domingo Salazar age 44 [1746] and Maria Hurtado age 40 [1750]

Maria Theresa Hurtado

Maria Theresa Hurtado daughter of “Joseph Hurtado and Juana Sanchez”  was christened on 21 October 1751 at San Juan de Caballero. She was the wife of Ascension Maria Zamora who in the 1790 census was age 44 [1746] and his wife “Teresa” Hurtado was aged  35 [1755]. They were at household 72 at Trampas. They witnessed the wedding between Joseph Antonio Hurtado and  Maria Pineda, a widow, on 11 April 1771 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris and were witnesses for Juan Antonio Fresquís and Quintera Barela [Varela] on the same day.

Lugarda Antonia Hurtado

Lugarda Antonia Hurtado  was christened 13 June 1753, at San Juan de los Caballeros the daughter of “Joseph Hurtado and Maria Sanches”. The godparents were “Juan Domingo y Maria Antonia Villalpando.” She was the wife of “Juan José Manuel Romero” and mother of José Ygnacio Romero; José Rafael Romero; Francisco Rafael Romero; José Antonio Romero; María Concepción Romero; José Miguel de los Dolores Romero and María Magdalena Romero.

Jose Ygnacio Romero the son of Juan Jose Manuel Romero and Lugarda Hurtado of Embudo was born 8  December 1777 and christened 12 December 1777 at San Juan Caballeros. His godparents were Ysidro Suazo and Maria Valdez.

On 16 February 1782 Juan Miguel Atencio, acted as a god parent to Francisco Rafel Romero the son of Juan Romero and Lugarda Hurtado.

José Antonio Romero was born 8 June 1784 in Embudo and christened 10 Jun 1784 in San Juan de los Caballeros.

Maria Concepcion Romero was christened August 1786 at San Juan Caballero. Her godparents were Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval. The christening was at San Juan Caballero.

In the 1790 census of the Spanish Jurisdiction of San Juan, most likely at Embudo, enumerated at household 228 were  Jose Romero age 36 [1754 and Lugarda Hurtado age 33 [1757]  with 6 sons and 1 daughter. 

Juan Jose Manuel Romero and Lugarda Hurtado’s son Jose Antonio Romero married 15 year old Juliana Romero the daughter of Juan Domingo Romero and “Barbara Torres”,  on 22 September 1805 in San Lorenzo de Picuris.  Both couples were listed as Spanish. The fact that no prenuptial investigation was done for the couple shows that these two Romero families were not closely related, supposedly or at least no one objected. Witnesses were Salomon Cordoba, Rafael Vargas, Juan Espinosa and Francisco Casillas.

The 1816 Spanish census of Embudo gave the ages of both Jose Romero and Lugarda Hurtado as 70 [1746]

María Antonia Hurtado

María Antonia Hurtado the daughter of “Joseph Hurtado and Juana Sanches” was christened 30 June 1755 at San Juan de Los Caballeros. She was the wife of Juan Miguel Atencio. Juan Miguel Atencio and “Maria” [Antonia] Hurtado] acted as godparents for Bibiana [Viviana] Torres, the daughter of Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval and the great granddaughter of Felipe Romero She was christened 1790 at San Juan Caballeros.  In the 1790 census of the Spanish Jurisdiction of San Juan  most likely at Embudo at household 215 was Miguel Atencio age 45 and  Maria Hurtado age 38 [1752]

           

Juan Miguel Atencio was buried at San Lorenzo de Pecuris 3 November, age 44, “citizen of Embudo. Buried close to the choir side of the gospel.”

 

The 1816 census of Embudo listed “Maria Hurtado” a 60 years old widow with a 16 year old daughter named Maria Delores. She was the widow of Juan Miguel Atencio and mother in law to Ambrocio Romero who had passed away by that time. The 1817 census of San Pedro Chamita  taken on 3 March sited her 25 year old daughter Teodora Atencio as a widow with three children, all using her maiden name,  Juan Miguel Atencio age 5, Maria Manuela Atencio age 3 and Matias Atencio age 1.

Juana Getrudes Hurtado

“Juana Getrudes Urtado” the daughter of “Joseph Urtado” and Juana Sanches was christened 15 February1757 at San Juan de Los Caballeros,

Maria Ygnacia Hurtado

Maria “Ygnazia Margarita Urtado” also the daughter  of “Joseph Urtado” and Juana Sanches was  christened 5 December  1761 at San Juan de Los Caballeros. She was buried 17 January 1779 “17 year old daughter of Joseph Hurtado and Juana Sanches” buried at Las Trampas

María Bárbara Hurtado

Another daughter María Bárbara Hurtado the daughter of Joseph Hurtado and Juana Sanchez was christened

7 April 1764 at San Juan de Los Caballeros. She was buried 5 November 1778 at San Lorenzo de Picuris “6 year old daughter of Jose Uxtado and Juana Sanches” died at Las Trampas

José Miguel Hurtado

José Miguel Hurtado the son of “Joseph Hurtado and Juana Gonsales” was christened on 18 January 1767 at San Juan de los Caballeros. He was the husband of María Sandoval. Antonio Torres and Nicolassa Sandoval were godparents to Miguel Hurtado and Maria Sandoval’s son  Manuel Hurtado born 1 July 1791 and christened 3 July 1791 at San Juan Caballeros. On 13 July 1828 Maria de Jesus 5 days old, daughter of Manuel Hurtado and Gertrudes Vigil, residents del Rancho Taos listed as paternal Grandparents were Miguel Hurtado and Maria de Jesus Sandoval, both deceased.

Juan José Hurtado

Juan José Hurtado was christened 1 April  1769 at San Juan de Los Caballeros the son of  Joseph Hurtado

And Juana Sanches

María Concepción Hurtado

María Concepción Hurtado a daughter born circa 1772  was the wife of José Antonio Maese  and the mother of María Rosa Maese; María Luisa de los Dolores Maese and María Bibiana Maese 1790 census of census of the Spanish Jurisdiction of San Juan, most likely at Embudo,  where Antonio Jose Maese was listed as age 25 [1765] and Maria Concepcion Hurtado aged 18 [1772] at household 231.

 

Juan Miguel Romero and Refugio dela Duran

Juan Miguel Romero, b. 3 November 1811 Embudo, christened 7 November 1811 in San Juan de los Caballeros, (Padrinos Carpio Trujillo & Ynes Armijo of Trampas died by 1870 in Taos Co., NM. 1850 Census Taos page 99. 1860 Census Taos page 290 (el llano):  1860 Census El Llano, Taos Co., NM, page 290: 

1880 census Mora Co., page 50, prct#16.  He married Maria del Refugia Duran born January 1823 in San Rafael, NM, (daughter of Pedro

Antonio Duran #1528 and Maria del Carmen Lopez christened 02-February-1823 in San Juan, NM, (Pad: Andres Pacheco & Maria Barbara Labadie.) died 1885-00, (She was living with son Cesario

Romero, 1885 territorial census, Prct #16, page 15, Mora Co., NM.) d. by 1876.  He married Maria Refugio Duran, b. 1832, (daughter of Juan Pedro Antonio Duran and Maria del Carmen Lopez) d. by 1887.

 Juan Miguel Romero was born 3 November 1811 at Embudo, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, the eldest son of Jose Ambrosio Romero [1787–1816] and Maria Teodora Eustaquia Atencio 1792–1855. Embudo, a tiny village on the Rio Grande in northern Nuevo México, is located near the Embudo Creek (Rio Embudo) that flows into the Rio Grande.  Its earliest pobladores came from San Juan los Caballeros 17 miles to the south.

 

 His parents were married circa 1810.  Juan Miguel’s siblings were  Maria Manuela Romero  christened 1 January 1815 4 day old daughter of Ambrosio and Maria Theodora Hurtado godparents Antonio Jose Lopez and Maria Dolores Lopez. (1814–1867) born at  Chama, Nuevo México and Matias Ambrosio Romero born 28 April 1817 at  Picuris, Taos County, Nuevo México, after his father’s death at Chama.  

 

The 1850 census of Nuevo México Territory, taken as the first American census showed the family of Juan “Miguel” Romero Home residing in the “Northern Division, Taos, Nuevo México Territory.”  The census was taken on the last day of December and enumerator missed entered his name. He was listed  as Miguel instead of Manuel but the rest of the information was fairly accurate. His age was given as 40 years born in  Rio Arriba County. He was listed as a farmer  in “agriculture” with real estate valued at $200.   He may have alternated between the name Manuel and Miguel as that his son Pedro A. Romero who died  29 June 1920’s death certificate stated his parents were “Juan Miguel Romero” and “Refujio Duran”.   His birth place was given as Peñasco.

 

In his household was Refugio Duran aged 26, Antonio Jose Romero aged  9 [1841], Desiderio Romero age 8 [1842], Pedro Romero aged 6 [1844], Juan Manuel Romero aged 5 [1845], Guadalupe Romero aged 2 [1848]. Included in his household was “Teodora Atencio” aged 50 [1800] , certainly his mother.   Manuel, Refugia and Teodora all give Rio Arriba as the county of their birth, however all their children were given as Taos.  For what whatever reason, the boy enumerated as “Juan Manuel” ,was either renamed or was missed identified as he was actually Jesus Maria Romero.

 

In 1858 U.S. Congress confirms the Picuris Pueblo grant, which contained 17,460 acres, lands upon the Romeros and Durans had settled early in the 19th Century.

 

The family of Juan Manuel was still located in “Taos County” according to the 1860 census of Nuevo México Territory. The enumerator was assistant marshal Pedro Valdez who enumerated 50 year old Juan Manuel Romero on 1 August 1860. Romero was residing at household 2609 in  El Llano, as a farmer  with Real Estate Valued at $800 and Personal Estate Valued at $690. The post office for El Llano was  Fernando de Taos some 25 miles north west across the range.

 

 Within Manuel’s household were Refugio Duran aged “28, whose age should have been listed as 37 years old not 28,  Antonio Romero aged 21 [1839], Desiderio Romero 19 [1841], Pedro Antonio Romero aged 18 [1842],  Jesus Maria Romero aged 15 [1845], Guadalupe Romero aged 12 [1848], Juana Romero aged 9 [1851], Manuel A Romero aged 7 [1853], Cesario Romero aged 5 [1855],  Jose Benito Romero aged 2 [1858].   All of the children were said to have been born in Taos  County which would indicate that the family moved to the Picuris valley around 1838.

 

   Jose Manuel de la Natividada Romero December 25, 1852 Birthplace:       Peñasco, NM Death:  September 26, 1931 (78) Chacon, NM

 

  The family was well off and included a 15 year old servant named Maria Ygnacia Romero and her 3 year old daughter Margarita Romero. Also within the household was a 68 year old laborer  named Ramon Marquez. While not stated the last three people were most likely Indians perhaps Picuris. 

Children of Juan Miguel Romero and Refugia Duran

Antonio Jose Romero,

christened 4 November 1841 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.      Antonio Jose Romero, christened 4 November 1841 in Picuris, NM, (lists grandparents; godparent’s Pedro Duran & Maria del Carmel Lopes who were his maternal grandparents

Jose Deciderio Romero,

b. in Embudo., NM, christened 25 April 1844 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  He married Maria Virginia Romero, married 8 Dec 1884 in Mora, Nm.     Desiderio Romero #1462, born 20-April-1844 in Embudo, NM, christened 25 April 1844 in San Juan, NM, (Pad: Antonio de Jesus Maese (his uncle)).

Pedro Antonio Romero,

b. 14 September 1844 in Peñasco , NM, christened 22 September 1844 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  Pedro Antonio Romero. Baptized 22 September  1844  8 days old  of Peñasco  grandparents Juan Rafael Romero and Teodora Atencio and  Pedro Duran and Carmel Lopez  god parents Martinez and Ynez Archuleta. He married Juana Atencio born 1854 Trampas, Taos County, New died

14 Mar 1924 (aged 69–70) Mora County, Nuevo México,

Jesus Maria Romero

christened 18 October 1846 married Altagracia Maes 8 April 1869 in Peñasco, NM, (she was d/ Andres Maes & Maria Torres, all of Peñasco,  He was christened 18 October 1846 at San Lorenzo de Picuris, son of Juan Miguel Romero and Maria de Refugio Duran  father’s parents Ambrosio and Teodocia Atencio. Mother’s  parents  Pedro Duran and Maria del Carmel  Lopez

Maria Guadalupe Romero,

christened 14 Dec 1848 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.     

Juana Maria Romero,

christened 30 Mar 1851 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  She married Jose Ygnacio Maes, married 17 January 1866 in San Antonio de Peñasco , b. 8 September 1843 in Embudo, NM, (son of Antonio de Jesus Maes and Maria Manuela Romero) christened 12 September 1843 in San Juan de los Caballeros.

Jose Manuel de la Natividada Romero

born 25-Dec-1852.

Maria Margarita Romero, christened

11 May 1854 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  She married Benito Vigil, married 18 Dec 1876 in Agua Negra(Holman), NM, (son of Agapito Vigil and Maria Altagracia Valdez).  Mria Margarita Romero christened 11 June 1854 in Picuris, NM, (list grandparents; gp's Bartolo Maes & Maria Dolores Romero, residences of Peñasco).  She married Benito Vigil, married 18 Dec 1876 in Agua Negra, Mora, NM, (he was son of Agapito Vigil and Maria Altagracia Valdez; she Juan Miguel Romero and Maira del Refugia Duran; padrinos Pablo Valdez and Ger__ta Garcia.) Maria Manuela  christened 11 June 1854  god parents Bartolo Maes and Maria Delores Romeo  of San Antonio del Peñasco

Jose Cesario Romero

b. 22 February 1856.    Cesario Romero born 22 February 1856 in Picuris, NM, baptized 25 February Ary 1856 3 days old  (list grandparents Godparents  Pedro Maes & Maria Manuela Romero of San Antonio del Peñasco). Census 1885 Mora Co., NM Territorial, Prct #16, page 15:  Romero, Cesario, M, 28, head

 ", Antoni___, F, 28, wife  ", Josi, F, 2/12 months, March daughter  Duran, Refugia, F, 55, widow.  He married Felicita Martinez married Aft 1888.

Jose Benito Romero,

b. in Peñasco , NM, christened 21 Mar 1858 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM.  He married Libradita Romero, married 9 January 1886 in Mora, Nm.      Jose Benito Romero born -___-1858 in Taos Co., NM. Baptized 21 March 1858  7 days old parents Vicinos of San Antonio del Peñasco godparents Pedro Lucero and Tomasa Santistenevan

Maria Genova (Genaria) Romero

 Maria Genova Romero born 18 September 1866 in Peñasco, NM, christened 25 September 1866 in Picuris, NM, (gp Decidero Romero & Maria Margarita Romero).

Miguel Antonio Romero, b. 3 May 1862, christened 7 May 1862 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM. 

xi   . Maria Genova  christened 25 September 1866  7 days old of Peñasco godparents Decidertrio Romero and Maria Margarita Romero

 

This information was entered by Damien E Aragon, Feel free to E-mail additions, corrections or deletions. E-mail them

to me at damien@daragon.net.

The Duran Family

Maria del Refugia Duran, Libradita Romero’s grandmother, Maria del Refugia Duran was from the village of San Antonio del Peñasco where her father Jose Pedro Duran resided. He was buried however at the church of San Lorenzo de Picuris according to an entry in the church’s records. “ Pedro Duran of Mission de Picuris  entry date 15 February buried 24 January 1845, husband of Maria del Carmel Lopez Plaza del San Antonio del Peñasco buried  in parish cemetery three surviving children.”

 

Pedro Duran was a descendant of the earliest pobladores of New Spain and Nuevo México and of Azteca native Indians through the “dela Cruz, Greigo and Bernal families.  The Durans originated from a man named Juan dela Cruz who wanted to distinguish himself from another man also named Juan dela Cruz a native of Spain.

 The  New Mexican colony established by Juan de Oñate “represented one of the last major efforts of the 16th century to expand the geography of the Spanish empire and the Roman Catholic Church via a policy guided by the ideology of evangelization.” The lack of discoveries of silver and gold in Nuevo México had  the Spanish crown leave the colony mainly to the church which focused its “attention on spreading the Christian faith” among the Pueblo Indians rather than expanding the colony.

 “Of the several hundred soldiers that came north between 1598 and 1601, a great majority of them deemed Nuevo México a land of misery and abandoned the colony. By 1608, only about 50 Spanish soldiers, many with families, continued to reside in Nuevo México.”  Among them were ancestors of the descendants of Captain Bartolome Romero. “A lack of documentation makes it 

difficult to understand the motives of those few soldiers who decided to remain and make their homes among thousands of Indians."  Nuevo México was known as “tierra de Guerra”, land of war, and the small number of Spanish pobladores spent much of their time defending their communities and those of the Pueblo Indians from depredations by hostile bands of nomadic Indians, mainly Apache and Navajo.

 Juan Griego and his wife, Pascuala Bernal were among the few who remained as they were not Spanish but Greek and Mexteca Indian. Juan Griego was a native of Greece and “traveled a great distance to eventually arrive in Mexico City prior to 1597, by which time he was already married to Pascuala Bernal.” She was an genízaro an Indian acculturated to Spanish society, “apparently coming from one of the tribes  of the Valley of Mexico that spoke Nahuatl the language of the Aztecs. Her children were consistently identified as mestizos, indicating a racial mixture of  European and Indian.

 As an adult, their son Juan Griego “el mas Joven” the younger spoke the Náhuatl language of the Aztec Indians from the Valley of Mexico. He served as an interpreter of the Tewa language and attained the privilege of being an encomendero in Nuevo México.

 By 1617, there were only 48 Spanish pobladores living in Nuevo México, many with families, including the Griego–Bernal family. The family of Juan Griego and Pascuala Bernal included three sons and four daughters: Juan Griego, Lázaro Griego, Francisco Bernal, Isabel Bernal, Catalina Bernal, María Bernal and Juana Bernal. As was customary in Spanish society, some of the children took their mother’s surname as their own.

The Griego–Bernal clan was one of the “three most prominent families of 17th century Nuevo México.”  This clan was further expanded by marriages of the Griego–Bernal daughters to frontier soldiers.”  Their daughter Catalina Bernal married a soldier named Juan dela Cruz Durán. Catalina Bernal’s brother Juan Griego II married Juana dela Cruz  a daughter of another man also named Juan de la Cruz, known as the Catalan, who married an Indian woman named Beatris

 By the mid-17th century, the large and expanding Griego-Bernal clan secured their standing as one of the top three most prominent and prosperous families of Nuevo México. In addition to owning various properties in the Villa de Santa Fe, this clan owned  and operated as many as four encomiendas in what is now the Española Valley.  The encomiendas system of requiring Pueblo Indians to labor and pay tribute to the Spanish would be a contributing cause of the revolt in 1680.

 “Men from the Griego–de la Cruz–González-Bernal extended family  represented five of the 35 men who were granted encomiendas in Nuevo México” and held the grants for at least five pueblos. Only the Anaya Almazán-Domínguez de Mendoza clan and the Romero-Montoya- Gómez-Lucero de Godoy clan held more encomiendas, eight and ten, respectively. These three family groups monopolized 23 of the 35 encomiendas of Nuevo México, or 63 percent, making them the socially and economically dominant families of seventeenth-century Nuevo México.”

 Most likely Juan de la Cruz [Duran], was the nineteen years old soldier who came with Juan Oñate in 1598. He was listed as  the son of a man named Juan Rodriguez and was a native of the Valley of Toluca. Juan dela Cruz most likely was a mestizo, Spanish and Mexican Indian. It is not unlikely that Juan dela Cruz {of the Cross] was of mixed race as that he didn’t adopt his father’s name.  The Toluca Valley was a tribute-paying area and buffer zone between the Aztec and Purépecha empires at the time of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico.  Juan dela Cruz’s father Juan Rodriguez was a Spanish conquistador/ pobladore and  probably sired his son by an indigenous woman. Juan Rodriguez died circa  12 February 1590 at Zacatecas, The name “Duran” is a Spanish and Portuguese surname of Basque origin. It is derived from the given name Durando, and it means "steadfast" or "enduring" in both languages.

 Juan dela Cruz as a member of Oñate's 1598 expedition was described as somewhat “swarthy, beardless, and tall.”   Thirteen years later in 16 11 at the age of 32, he was  mentioned as a resident of Santa Fe. However he was in his 40’s when he married Catalina Bernal who was an adolescent. Juan dela Cruz was mentioned as early as 1628 some 30 years after coming to Nuevo México as the husband of Catalina Bernal, daughter of Juan Griego.‘

 In Nuevo México Juan dela Cruz began using the appellation “Duran” to distinguish himself from Juan de la Cruz, the Catalan Spaniard who had an  Azteca Indian wife, Beatriz de los Ángeles. Their daughter  Juana dela Cruz  had married Catalina Bernal’s brother, Juan Griego de Mozo [Younger] 

  “Juan de la Cruz” was involved in a case concerning pagan Indian rites. Both Catalina Bernal and Juan dela Cruz were in 1632 accused by Franciscans as being involved in a “hex trial” having used  pagan Indian rites. Catalina’s mother Pascuala Bernal and Juan Griego de Mozo’s mother in law Beatriz de Los Angles were denounced to the Inquisition as hechiceras, “women who bewitched people with potions and enchantments.”

 In the 1632 trial Juan dela Cruz’s children were mentioned as sons, Juan Duran and Nicolas Duran and a daughter, Catalina Duran who became the wife of Juan Moran.

 

Juan dela Cruz Duran’s son Nicolas Duran was sheriff of the Santa Fe Council in 1642. He was mentioned in 1663 as being an “aide” to Governor Penalosa and having a wife and children in Santa Fe.-‘ He died before the Pueblo revolt of  1680,but from the marriage of a daughter, Catalina Duran, “we learn that his widow’s name was Antonia Trujillo.“ Antonia de Trujillo daughter of Diego de Trujillo y Salas and Catalina Vasquez

  Drought, famine and pestilence made the 1670s particularly harsh for Spanish Vicinos, Pueblo Indians and the nomadic tribes. Lack of food supplies and increased raids by confederated bands of Apache and Navajo forced  the Spanish population of Nuevo México to remain small. “In 1679 there were only 150 men who could bear arms. The Pueblo Indian population was recorded to be about 17,000, with 6,000 men capable of bearing arms.”

In August 1680 the Pueblo Indian uprising that forced the Spanish pobladores to flee their homes and take refuge in El Paso del Río del Norte. Abandoning their estancias in La Cañada and property in the Villa de Santa Fe, various members of the Griego–Bernal-Duran extended family managed to escape the uprising but it is not known how many members of this clan lost their lives in the attacks. Juan de la Cruz Duran’s widow Catalina Bernal  escaped the massacre and was described as “extremely poor” in the 1680 muster of refugees. She was included with a family of nine persons, children and Grandchildren.

 “After persevering through almost 13 years of exile from their places of birth” a small number of Juan Griego’s descendants  returned to northern Nuevo México when it was restored to the Spanish crown in 1692.

 

Nicolas De Duran

When Nicolas Duran was born in 1624, in Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States, his father, Juan de la Cruz Duran, was 46 and his mother, Catalina Bernal, was 14. He married Antonia de Trujillo in 1642, in Nuevo México, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 1 daughter. In 1663, at the age of 39, his occupation is listed as governor's aide in Santa Fe, Nuevo México, New Spain. He died before 1680, in his hometown.

 Nicolas Duran 1624–1680 married Antonia de Trujillo dau Cristobal Trujillo passed muster in 1680 with his wife and twelve other persons.‘-" Among the families in distress at Ysleta del Paso in 1684 were those of Cristobal Trujillo ‘Eel Viejo,” Cristobal Trujillo “el Mozo,” Bartolomé Trujillo, and Juan Trujillo.“

Old Cristobal’s wife was Maria de Manzanares, or Sandoval. Among their children were Jose and Angela, the latter the wife of Francisco de Torres; most likely, too, Cristobal “the Younger,” and, perhaps, Bartolomé, Mateo, and Juan. A daughter might have been an Antonia who married Nicolas Duran.

 Salvador de Duran

When Salvador de Duran was born in 1644, in Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States, Salvador was most likely the son of Nicolas Duran since both, more advanced in the social scale than the other Duran people, consecutively held the same position of “Ayudante.” his father, Nicolas Duran, was 20 and his mother, Antonia de Trujillo, was 15. Salvador de Duran and Ana Maria Marquez. or Lujan), as we learn from the marriages of their children: Miguel, Diego, Lazaro, and Juana, wife of Tomas Nunez.“ Another daughter, very likely, was Josefa, married to Agustin Griego.”

 

e had at least 6 sons and 12 daughters with Ana Maria Marquez. He died on 4 December 1709, in El Paso del Norte, Nuevo México, New Spain, at the age of 65. He accompanied wagon-trains to and from Mexico City  as a teenager in 1657, 1658, and 1661.’ He was a great grandson of the first Juan Duran through his daughter Catalina Bernal, wife of Juan dela Cruz Duran Moran.”

 

 In 1680,Juan Duran and his family of eleven persons, including his brothers and sisters, escaped the Indian massacre." But he himself is not mentioned in the following year, having died or run away from the exile colony. Other Duran persons in the 1680-81 lists were as follows: Salvador Duran, Adjutant, thirty-one (or forty—one)years old, escaped with his family of twelve, including daughters and servants. He was a native of Nuevo México, married, of good stature, with a swarthy complexion,

 

SALVADORDURAN of pre-Revolt times and his wife, Ana Marquez, both deceased, had several children, some of whom came back in 1693. These were Miguel, Diego, Lazaro, and Juana. The latter became the wife Of Tomas Nunez. A Josefa Duran, widow of Agustin Griego, and mentioned in conjunction with Juana, might have been her sister

 

When Salvador de Duran was born in 1644, in Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States, his father, Nicolas Duran, was 20 and his mother, Antonia de Trujillo, was 15. He had at least 6 sons and 12 daughters with Ana Maria Marquez. He died on 4 December 1709, in El Paso del Norte, Nuevo México, New Spain, at the age of 65.

Sebastian Duran

Sebastian Duran son of Salvador de Duran and Ana Maria Marquez When Sebastian Duran was born in June 1675, in Nuevo México, United States, his father, Salvador de Duran, was 31 and his mother, Ana Maria Marquez, was 31. He married Ana Maria Martin about 1706, in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. He died on 20 November 1761, in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States, at the age of 86.

 

Sebastian Duran married and Ana Maria Martin Serrano When Ana Maria Martin was born about 1686,  her father, Domingo Martín Serrano, was 42 and her mother, Maria Josefa de Herrera, was 33. She married Sebastian Duran about 1706, in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. She died before 1733, in her hometown.

 

hen Sebastian Duran was born in June 1675, in Nuevo México, United States, his father, Salvador de Duran, was 31 and his mother, Ana Maria Marquez, was 31. He married Ana Maria Martin about 1706, in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. He died on 20 November 1761, in Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Nuevo México, United States, at the age of 86.

Gregorio Duran and Maria De La Concepcion Rodarte

Gregorio Duran son of Sebastian Duran and Ana Maria Martin

 

Diego Duran son of Gregorio Duran and Maria De La Concepcion christened 9 Mar 1742 San Juan Pueblo, [Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo] Nuevo México, New Spain San Juan de Los Caballeros, San Juan, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México,

Concepcion Rodarte death  12 Mar 1756

Event Place      1741

Event Place (Original)  1741

 

Pedro Duran

Not much is known of the antecedents of this man however his widow’s name was Maria del Carmel Lopes [Lopez]. It is thought he christened 28 April 1790 at  Abiquiu, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México. Carmel  Lopez was thought to have been christened 2 January 1791 at San Juan, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México

 

for example a child named “ Pedro Antonio Duran of San Lorenzo de Picuris” was buried 12 February 1851 the 1 year old son of Luis Duran and Josefa Fresquez del San Antonion del Peñasco.”  He was not mentioned on the 1850 census who would have been a nephew of Refugia

 

Cordova, Mateo       married   Maria Del Carmel Lopez   date: 30 Oct 1859 

 

Jose de Jesus Duran

Josef De Jesus Duran Christening  18 May 1817 San Juan, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, United States  San Juan de Los Caballeros, San Juan, Rio Arriba, Nuevo México, United States. The family was enumerated as residing next to Manuel’s wealthy brothers in law Jose de Jesus Duran and Luis Duran. Jose de Jeus Duran was listed as household 2607. He was a  48 year old farmer  with $400 in real estate and $500 in personal property. He stated he was born in Rio Arriba County  was married and had 4 enumerated children. The oldest was born in 1846 in Taos.  He died by 1880 and his wife after 1891 when she applied for a pension for her husband’s service in the Civil War.

Name   Jose De Jesus Duran Age in 1870          52 Birth Date    abt 1818 Birthplace      Nuevo México Dwelling Number           62 Home in 1870          Picuris Indian Reservation, Taos, Nuevo México Territory Race  White Gender            Male Occupation          Farmer Cannot Write    Yes Male Citizen Over 21        Yes Personal Estate Value            100 Real Estate Value   250

Household Members (Name)     Age

Jose De Jesus Duran     52

Maria Dolores Vegil 50

Maria Martina Duran christened 30 November 1845 daughter of Jose Duran and Maria Dolores Vigil

Antonio Aban Duran 22 1848 Duran, Antonio Avan child of Jose Duran   and Maria Dolores Vigil     married Maria Alcaria Duran   date: 26 January 1876  child of Juan Antonio Duran   and Maria Rafaela Sanchez

MA del Carmel  Duran 17 1853  Duran, Maria Del Carmen   child of Jesus Duran   and Maria Dolores Vigil     married Tomas De Aquino Martin   date: 18 November 1876  married Trujillo, Eduardo       06 February 1882 

Jose Francisco Duran 15 1855

Jose Monico Duran 8 1862 1867   Duran, Jose Monico   child of Jose Duran   and Maria D. Vejil     married Maria Ramona Quintano   date: 26 November 1887 

Dulcinea Duran  age 7

Maria Esabel Duran 4 1866 Duran, Maria Isabel   child of Jose Duran   and Maria D. Vejil     married Jose Nabor Martin   date: 13 January 1887 

MA Josefa Duran 4 1866

Duran, Maria Ulsisinia   child of Jose Duran   and Maria Dolores Vigil     married Gabriel Estrada   date: 27 Aug 1894 

Duran, Maria Ysabel   Duran, Maria Isabel   child of Jose Duran   and Maria D. Vejil     married Jose Nabor Martin   date: 13 January 1887 

Luis Duran

Luis Duran was household 2608 and listed as 45 years old and also a farmer born in Rio Arriba County. He had $1200 worth of real estate and $700 worth of personal estate.  His wife was Josefa Fresquis  and only 2 children were enumerate din his household along with a 29 year old servant named Juan Duran. Maria Josefa Fresquis Y Romero 1827–1900

 Juana Gertrudis Duran 1849–1910

 Pedro A Fresquis Duran Y Fresquí 1851–

 Leonora Duran 1859–

 Francisco Duran 1862–

 Candelario Duran 1873–

 Maria Juana Duran 1875–

 Benito Duran 1878–

 Juan Duran 1883–

 

Juan Miguel Romero (son of Ambrosio Romero and Maria Teodora Atencio) was born November 03, 1811 in Embudo, Nuevo México, and died Abt. 1875 in Taos, Nuevo México. He married Maria Refugia Duran.

Marriage to  María Refugia DURAN born: 11 JUL 1818 in San Pedro, Nuevo México

Children

Juana María Romero

Manuel Antonio Romero

Antonio José Romero b: AFT. 1830 in Nuevo México

José Desiderio Romero b: ABT. 1844 in Nuevo México married 8 December 1884 son of Juan Miguel Romero deceased and Maria Rufugio of El Rito  married Maria Virginia Romero daughter of Antonio and Gregoria Vigil of San Antonio . Padrones witness Jesus Romero and Altha Gracia Maes

María Guadalupe Romero b: DEC 1848 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM

Pedro A. Romero b: MAR 1849 in Nuevo México

Juana Romero b: MAR 1851 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM

José Manuel de la Natividad Romero b: DEC 1852 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM

Jesus Manuel Romero b: AFT. 1855 in Nuevo México

José Benito Romero b: AFT. 1855 in Nuevo México married 9 January 1886  Libradita daughter of Antonio Romero of Agua Negra  witnesses Manuel Romero and Francisquita Espinoza

María Margarita Romero b: AFT. 1855 in Nuevo México

José Cesario Romero b: 22 FEBRUARY 1856 in San Lorenzo de Picuris, NM

María Genaria Romero b: 18 SEP 1866 in Peñasco, Nuevo México

Sources:

Title: Damien Aragon

Note: B

Repository:

Call Number:

Media: Letter

Children of Juan Miguel Romero and Maria Refugia Duran are:

+Pedro A. Romero, b. March 1849, in Nuevo México. 

 Jose Ramon Duran 1819–

Luis Duran Y Lopez 1819–

Maria Antonia Duran 1821–

Jose Vicente Duran 1822–

Maria del Refugio DURAN Y Lopez 1823–1886

Refugio Duran 1826–1905

Maria Polonia Duran 1826–

Maria Rita Duran 1828–

 

Antonio Jose Romero age 35 household 126 Maria Guadalupe Chacon 1841–1917

 José Desiderio Romero 1842–1893

Pedro Antonio Romero age 25 household 85 married to Margrita Leba in his household was Jose Miguel Romero age 60  1844–1920

Jesus Maria Romero 1846–1937

Maria Guadalupe Romero household 58 wife of Jose Delores Vigil  30 1848–1877

Juana Maria "Juanita" Romero 1851–

José Manuel de la Natividad Romero 1852–1931

Jose Cesario Romero Y Duran 1856–1944

José Benito Romero 1858–1931

Margarita Romero 1860–1928

Miguel Antonio Romero 1862–

María Genaria Romero 1866–1910

1877 A new wagon road has been made from Peñasco , Taos County, to Mora, Mora County

 

1881 Santa Fe New Mexican “How are the Mexican People? Are they not treacherous?” They are a good people; kind and hospitable as a general thing; law abiding and have as high a respect  for the laws and constituted authorities as any people I have ever known. They are thoroughly American in their sentiments and feelings and as loyal to our government as any citizen under the flag, They are much more fair and liberal to us than we are too them. They take an active interest in politics. The Church there does not exercise much influence in politics, Colonel William Breeden  attorney General of Nuevo México means” who were more interested in owning the land than settling it.26 Two days later, Governor Pérez made the grant, instructing Sandoval to verify the naturalization of the Anglos Kinkead and Carlos Quinto of Kentucky, Felipe de Jesús Loran from England, and Conn. Pérez also ordered Sánchez to have all the pobladores present on a day when the governor might be at Lo de Mora to attend to the ceremonies of possession. When Governor Pérez did not show up, Sánchez placed seventy-six pobladores in possession of lands along the Río Agua Negra (the Mora River), establishing two plazas, one at Santa Gertrudis (Mora) and the other at San Antonio (Cleveland). Of the seventy-six grantees (only ten of whom had signed the petition for a priest in 1818), there was only one Olguín: Miguel, a nephew of José Antonio. Settlers at Santa Gertrudis received 5,900 Varas of agricultural land while at San Antonio pobladores received 3,610 Varas. Most pobladores received strips 100 Varas wide, but the leading settler, Miguel Olguín, was granted a 250-vara strip facing the plaza at San Antonio. The governor assigned each community a parcel of grazing land. The rest of the land within the grant was common to all the pobladores. As mentioned, the first Acequia de la Sierra was already in place at the time.27 d. The majority were farmers, and many did not have enough water to irrigate their fields, a problem that led to the Holman diversion in 1882 and the suit in the same year by Picuris Pueblo to stop or reverse it

 

The diversion into Holman in 1882 merited special attention. Thomas listed twenty-two parciantes on the Holman Acequia, including Father Juan Bautista Guerín of Mora, who had sponsored and provisioned the fourteen families that constructed the acequia. Father Guerín had more than the community’s interest at heart, though that was certainly a factor. He is said to have owned a large amount of land in the northwestern part of the grant, some of which was apparently irrigated by the third Acequia de la Sierra. Thus, the priest had a private interest in sponsoring the crew that would bring water to his land. Father Guerín was following the tradition of other farmer-priests such as Father Jean Baptiste Ralliere of Tomé, who at about the same time found himself the subject of death threats over an acequia dispute there. 

As far as we know Father Guerín never suffered such threats, though it is said that the construction crew for the Holman Acequia de la Sierra did receive attacks from Picuris warriors.48 The Holman Acequia was probably the most difficult to construct and would not have been built without the priest’s moral and material support. After the Picuris lawsuit was filed in 1882, Agent Sánchez (Thomas’s successor) would approach Father Guerín to reach a settlement of the dispute, without success. hat in 1860 the census reported 4,400 individuals Ebright / Making Water Run Uphill 135 living in the Mora Valley. New communities were formed at Guadalupita in 1852, Coyote and Lucero in 1853, and Agua Negra (Holman) in 1856. There were too many farmers using the water from the first Acequia de la Sierra diversion for there to be a water-sharing regime with Hispano irrigators as was crafted

 

Maria Juana Maese 1851–

Jose Luciano Maese 1852–

Maria Altagracia Maes 1856–1939

Maria Rafaela Maese 1862–

Maria Dorotea Maese 1865–

Maria Faustina Maese 1868–1940

Maria Manuela Maese 1869–1933

Maria Rosario Maese 1870–1907

Jose Manuel De Atocha Maese 1873–1959

Juanito Maese 1879–

 

 

 

Jesus Maria Romero and Maria Gracia Alta Maes

Jesus Maria Romero christened 18 October 1846 at San Lorenzo de Picuris, the son of Juan Miguel Romero and Maria de Refugio Duran. His paternal grandparents were listed in the registry as Ambrosio and Teodocia Atencio. His mother’s  parents  were listed as Pedro Duran and Maria del Carmel  Lopez.

 The first census he is located in is from 1850 within his father Juan Miguel Romero’s household in the Northern Division of Taos which certainly would have been in the Picuris Valley. However is was listed as 5 year old “Juan Manuel Romero”.   In all subsequent census he would be named “Jesus Maria.” His grandmother Teodora Atencio was also enumerated in the household.   Both of his parents as well as his grandparents stated they were born in Rio Arriba County  while all their children were born in Taos County.

 In the 1860 census of Taos County, Jesus Maria was enumerated within his father’s household residing in the precinct of El Llano on the 1 August.  He was listed as a 15 year old farmer laborer certainly on his father’s farm.  His family was well off enough to employ a 15 year old servant and a 68 year old farm laborer showing that his father  was a prosperous farmer in the Picuris Valley .

 Jesus Maria Romero  may have served in the Unites Sates Army during the Civil War as records from the 1890 census of Union soldiers from El Rito de Agua Negra listed  a “Jesus Maria Romero” residing at household 150 having served as a Sergeant in Company H having of the Nuevo México Infantry. His enlistment date was 4 October 1861 which would have been his 15^th birthday and served until 29 September 1862 not quite 16. He married Altagracia Maes the daughter of Andres Maes and Maria Encarnacion Torres of Peñasco . They were married 8 Aprill 1869 at San Lorenzo de Pecuris while residence if Peñasco .

 While Miguel Romero and Refugio Duran have  not been located in the 1870 census however Jesus Maria Romero and  Altagracia Maes were. They are enumerated residing on the Picuris Indian Reservation, Taos, Nuevo México Territory as household 64. No children were enumerated in the household as their daughter Libradita was not born until December 1871. The couple was enumerated on 24 August 1870  by Captain Willison a U.S special agent for Indian and Census services in Nuevo México. Their post office for at Abiquiu  in Rio Arriba County although they were in Taos County.

 Jesus Maria Romero’s uncle, Jose de Jesus Duran and his wife Maria Dolores Vigil with their offsprings were  also located in 1870 residing on the Picuris Indian Reservation, Taos, Nuevo México Territory in  household 62. His father in law was also located on the San Lorenzo de Picurís Indian reservation as household 80

Jesus Romero and Alta Gracia Maes also had a son named Ricardo Romero born in 1892. He lived at El Rito and married Yenaida Martinez. he died at the age of 34 on 25 Feb. 1926 and is buried at the Rito Cemetery. The community of Chacón was originally El Rito de Agua Negra or Agua Negro Arriba, but was changed when the post office was first established there in 1892 and named after the first postmaster, Diego Chacón. 

 

Juan Andres Maese Maria Encarnacion Torres

 

At household 85 there is man enumerated as “Jose Miguel Romero” age 60 living next door to Pedro Romero age 25 married to 19 year old Margarita Sebu. If this is the same person as Juan Miguel who did have a son Pedro who fit this age range then it seems that Rufugia Duran and he may have been living apart from each other.

 1870 Town of Peñasco Taos 15 July 1870 household 18

Miguel Romero’s brother in law had moved down from Picuris and was located in Agua Negra as household 16  in 1870. Antonio de Jesus Romero was enumerated as at household 41. There were only 90 households with 416 people counted in the village in 1870 and it was just a coincident that the families of Antonio de Jesus Romero and Jesus Maria Romero had settled in the small community of Agua Negra.

 Libradita’s father Jesus Romero and his family are listed in the 1880 U.S. Census of Mora County as living in Precinct 16 as of 21 June 1880. The village is called El Rito de Agua Negra. In 1880, 100 households containing 103 families were living in this community.  The parish church for Rito de Agua Negra was Santa Gertrudis de Mora in Mora the county seat. Rev. Antonio Fourchque was the parish priest for Santa Gertrudis for much of the 1880's.  There are a cluster of sixteen families in this village with the surname Romero.  Most of them,  if not all, were probably relatives of Libradita Romero.  Census evidence show that Jesus Romero is the son of Juan Manuel Romero and Maria de la Refugio Duran.

 1880 At household 24 was 54 years old Refugia Duran a widow who was the head of a household consisting of  unmarried sons, 38 year old Desiderio Romero, 25 year old Cesario Romero, 23 years old Benito Romero, a 13 year old daughter named Genaria and two grandchildren, 9 year old Filomenas Vigil and 3 year old Jesus Vigil. Rufugio was the widow of Juan Miguel Romero.

 Enumerated next at household 25 was 30 year old Manuel Romero his wife Francesca Romero, and two sons 4 year old Pacornio and 7 month old Abel Romero.  After him at house hold 26 was Victor 54 year old Victor Sanchez and his wife 29 year old wife Antonia and 23 year old son Bonifacio Sanchez.  Following them was the family of Jesus Romero . A few families away at house hold 30 was 40 year old Juan Romero and his 24 year old wife Juliana and two sons 14 year old Pablo Romero and 12 Years old Jesus Romero.

 Jesus Romero and Alta Gracia Maes  are listed as household number 27. Jesus Romero age 32 (1848) a farmer, his wife Alta Gracia Romero age 23, his daughter  Librada Romero age 8 (who would have been 9 in December) and his daughter and Perfivia Romero age 5 (1875) his daughter.

 Maria Altagracia Maes was christened 9 June 1856  5 days old. Daughter of Andres Maes and Maria Encarnacion Torres. Fathers parents Juan de Jesus Maes and Guadalupe Martin and mother’s parents Antonio Torres and Maria Altagracia  Lobato. Godparents Antonio Torres and Juana Maria Espinoza of Santa Barbara

 Their daughter Maria Libradita Romero was born 15 December 1871 at Peñasco followed by Maria Porfiria Romero was born 7 March1875 at San Antonio del Peñasco and christened 11 March 1875 at San Lorenzo. Her God parents  were Jose Romero and Margarita Romero. She died 8 December 1950 in Denver.

After the birth of his daughter Porfiria and the 1880 census, Jesus Maria Romero relocated his family to El Rito de Agua Negra in Mora County. They left Peñasco probably with other relatives and neighbors down from the mountain valley to the farm lands within the communities along the Rio Mora such as San Antonio and Agua Negra.

 There is an eight year gap between Porfiria and her brother Margarito Romero who was born 7 August 1883 at El Rito de Agua Negra  and baptized 19 August 1883 at Santa Gertrudis at Mora. Manuel Romero would marry Manuela Borrego and died in 1977 at Chacon which was originally named El Rito de Agua Negra.

 Manuel was followed by Matilda Romero born 14 March 1886 and christened 23 March 1886  at Santa Gertrudis. She married Pedro Abeyta  the son of Agapito Abeyta Jr. and Cordelia Valdez 

 Jose Manuel Romero  born 5 May 1891 married Ninfa Trujillo

 Ricardo Romero 1894-1930 married Senaida Martinez

 Rafaelita Romero  born 26 October  baptized 16 December 1896

 Rafaelita Maes daughter of Jose Gracio Maes and Juana Maria Romero

 Jose Elias Romero born 8 September 1899 baptized 14 September  padrios Samuel Piz and Maria Irinea Grenier.  Married Carmelita Cordova died 22 October 1971          

Jesus Romero and Alta Gracia Maes  in 1911 acted as godparents to a granddaughter Juanita Romero.

 

MAES of Peñasco

Maria Alta Gracia  Maes was the daughter of Andres Maes  and Maria Encarnacion Torres. She  married  Jesus Romero   8 April 1869  at San Lorenzo de Picuris 

A sister Maria Manuela Maes married  Jose Rafael Del Carmel Leyva   on  29 January 1872  at San Lorenzo de Picuris. Another sister Maria Dorotea Maes married  Jose De Jesus Medina   11 February 1882  at San Lorenzo de Picuris Maria Faustina  Maes married  Manuel Trujillo   date:  16 Aug 1887 Luciano  Maes    married  Marina Sena   date:  07 November 1890  Maria Dorotea       married  Nicanor Rael   date:  21 November 1892  Maria Rosario       married  Jose Epigmenio Lujan   date:  16 January 1893  Maes, Maria Petronila       child of Jose Rafael Maes   and Francisca Griego     married  Juan B. Gonzales   date:  09 Dec 1888  Maes, Maria Barbara       child of Juan De Jesus Maes   and Maria Manuela Duran     married  Nicanor Lopez   date:  07 Sep 1878  Duran, Maria Rosalia   child of Santos Duran   and Maria Catarina Montoya     married Juan Miguel Romero   date: 25 November 1867