\ ` End of Trail

Chapter

October, 2015

will be available on-line for use by educators Mary Lundell, our secretary for the past several throughout the region. years, recently passed away after a valiant struggle The journals of the three organizations will with cancer. In 2009 she and her husband Kerth were print articles submitted by our speakers at the awarded the Ralph Hathaway Memorial Award for Conference. We were also fortunate to have Historical Preservation for their preservation of Santa good local exposure especially from the Santa Fe Fe Trail ruts in their Santa Fe backyard. Our New Mexican and the dynamite Fall Edition of El condolences go out to her husband and to their Palacio which featured Ron Kil’s painting All family. Trails Lead to Santa Fe on the cover as well as numerous fine trails-related articles. My personal regret is that as a Steering THREE TRAILS CONFERENCE REPORT Committee member charged with registration by Pam Najdowski support and balancing 17 bus tours including Looking back it seems a long time ago that lunches for up to 175 people, I was able to hear End of the Trail Chapter members were only snippets of the morning presentation. I did canvassed about their interest in and willingness hear that they were wonderful and we were to sponsor the 2015 SFTA Symposium. In fact it especially proud to hear from everyone’s was in April of 2011 when our commitment was inspiration, Marc Simmons, and our hard- made. From the beginning our intention was to working State Historian, Rick Hendricks. I was bring together the members of the three trail’s finally able to relax during the Saturday night associations -- Camino Real de Tierra Adentro scrumptious banquet and was thrilled by the Association, the Old Spanish Trail Association, performance of the Carlos Gilbert Elementary and the Santa Fe Trail Association—in order to School students under the creative direction of share inspiration and learn from each other as Dolores Valdez de Pong. well as to increase the general public’s Sunday morning was another treat for me knowledge of the impact of the trails on our with a bus tour on El Camino organized by Jere history and culture. We did achieve that purpose Krakow and Lolly Martin but with lots of input with 378 registered guests from 22 states plus from a US Army Corp of Engineer archaeologist Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. at the Galisteo Dam area as well as from We are hopeful that the Three Trails knowledgeable fellow passengers such as CARTA Conference will have an impact beyond the board member and geologist David Love and th th halcyon days of September 16 to 20 . We are others trying to determine the routes their proud of the All Trails Lead to Santa Fe Program ancestors might have taken to reach Santa Fe. Guide which will be a resource for the future, the All of the field trip organizers must be High Desert Field Guide’s Three Trails Map and commended for their exceptional level of Guide given to all participants, and the expertise on their respective trails: Hal Jackson commissioned Three Trail Children’s Musical on the SFT, Mark Henderson on the OST, and Performance with scripts, scores, and video that Jere Krakow on El Camino. Although we had one day of major disappointing bus problems we in the Pass, and were amazed at the extent of were happy that everyone traveled safely during the ruins that span pre-trail days when the Pecos their time in Santa Fe. Pueblo was known as Cicuique, which interestingly linguistically resembles the lexicon OTHER CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS of Nahuatl, or the ancient language of the The group following the Santa Fe Trail out Aztecs. The pueblo was renamed Santiago in of Santa Fe got to visit several sites of historical 1599 by the Spanish, and is mentioned in interest scattered throughout Glorieta Pass east Coronado’s journals. The pueblo was completely to Las Vegas. abandoned in 1837, when the survivors of a The first stop, Pigeons Ranch, is rabid smallpox epidemic, and unable to fend off associated with the Civil War Battle that became increasing Comanche raids, moved to a watershed moment for the South when in spite Walawatowa, or present-day Jemez Pueblo, to of winning the battle, it lost its unguarded supply live with their Towa kin. train to Union soldiers. The Ranch is also heavily associated with trail days, and several trail-era buildings still stand to this day in the area. The National Park Service has long-term plans to purchase additional acreage where the Glorieta Battle occurred and to preserve the site to make it available for historical research. Much of it currently is in private hands. The well-preserved ruins of the Spanish-era church at Pecos Pueblo. Over 40 participants from the Bent’s Fort Chapter attended the conference, including Dotti Russell and Dennis Myrick who extended their appreciation to the Steering Committee, Pam Najdowski, SFTA, Pat Kuhlhoff, OSTA, and Troy Ainsworth, CARTA for their efforts in making the conference so enjoyable. Field trip participants checking out the Pigeons Ranch roadside interpretive display. GEMS AT THE END OF THE TRAIL: SAN MIGUEL DEL VADO I had the pleasure of piloting and/or guiding two of the SFTA field trips which included a stop at San Miguel del Vado. I am embarrassed to admit after living 10 years in Santa Fe, I had yet to make it there prior to the conference, but this gem near the end of the trail is worth the one hour drive from Santa Fe. As many SFT buffs already know, San Miguel del Vado was near where William The adobe house from Pigeons Ranch days alongside the interpretive display is in the process of being refurbished. Bucknell encountered Mexican troops on his first foray into Mexican Territory in 1821, and was The group also visited Pecos Mission, one where subsequent American traders had to pay of the most photographed and documented sites the customs tariff for each wagon of goods. San Miguel began as a community land Remains of an adobe wall on the Trujillo House across grant in 1794, of military officers, Puebloans, and from the church. The wall is one of the few with most of the mud chinking still intact. genízaros from Barrio de Analco in Santa Fe, who cited insufficient water as the reason for the UPDATE ON THE ST. VRAIN MILL PRESERVATION grant. The St. Vrain Mill Preservation The trail forded the Pecos River just east Foundation had the New Mexico Historical of the main plaza, paralleling the river and the Preservation Department conduct an in-depth Grossetete house for a short distance, then past study on the mill, including its structural the Territorial building, the Trujillo house and integrity. The report was recently published and the San Miguel Mission. Today, many of these Foundation members are using the information trail-era buildings remain even though they are to proceed with planning and stabilization. in need of major preservation. The roof was repaired and so moisture For an in-depth look at the history as well can no longer get inside the building. An as archeological studies of the town, Kelly Lee additional engineering study was conducted to Jenks’ “Vecinos en la Frontera: Interaction, determine how to stabilize the north wall. Adaptation, and Identity at San Miguel del Vado, Results from the study showed the mill is not on NM” is highly recommended reading. solid ground, but rather a sandy loam. Ideas are To get to San Miguel del Vado from Santa being discussed on how to stabilize the Fe, take I-25 North to the Villanueva State Park foundation. However, a comparison of the Exit (#). Make a right onto NM Route 3 and significant crack in the wall from a 1987 photo continue for approximately 5 miles to the town. with a current photo indicates the wall may be The church is on the right hand side, while the more stable than originally thought as it has only plaza and the river/trail are on the left hand side. grown 1/8 of an inch over the past 28 years.

On June 28th, in conjunction with a Cleveland Roller Mill celebration, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony with Foundation members, who were able to enter the mill for the first time in decades.

The Santa Fe Trail climbing up from the Pecos River ford past the Territorial House towards San Miguel del Vado Church

Foundation members gather in front of the mill just prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony.

For more information, visit their website at www.strain.org; or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/8164214650 79454/

TRIP TO FORT UNION For any concerns, contact: Alan Bradford, Treasurer (505) 699-1352. On June 20, 2015 Louann Jordan, Joyce Fox and Kermit Hill joined the field trip to the Fort Union Days Celebration. This year, the emphasis of the CALENDAR celebration was on the latter years of the fort, 1876- On November 21 the End of the Trail 1881. Activities included a tribute to the service of program at the El Dorado Community Center will th th the 9 Cavalry, a 19 century military encampment, be titled Crossing Paths — The Madonna of the historic weapons and artillery demonstrations, as Trail Controversy. The story stems from a well as traditional Jicarilla Apache music. discovery of Harry S. Truman hiding in the New Mexico State Records and Archives DAR Reports from the group indicate the day was collection. beautiful, with lakes and green grass galore that El Dorado Community Center would have delighted trail travelers of old. The big 1 Hacienda Loop. Turn right at Calle Amistad off entertainment was the firing of a Civil War era of Hwy 285. (505) 466-4208 cannon during the artillery demonstration, a weapon much feared by plains Indians. The group also enjoyed old western songs sung by Steve Cormier. I-25

to Santa Fe to Las Vegas

1st stoplight from I-25 exit U S

2 8 5 Eldorado Community Room (1 Hacienta Loop) N

The annual January meeting for 2016 th Look out and cover your ears! will be on Saturday the` 16 . Time, location and topic TBA.

End of Trail Board Members

Joy Poole, La Alcaldesa (505) 820-7828 R. Kermit Hill, Jr., El Alcalde 2ndo (505) 438-3442 Alan Bradford, El Tesorero (505) 699-1352 Gail Bryant, Board Member (505) 757-6654 Michael Pitel, Board Member (505) 982-2704 Mike Najdowski, Board Member (505) 920- Sketch of the day’s events made by Louann Jordan. 7702 Priscilla Gutierrez, newsletter editor, DUES REMINDER [email protected] The Chapter dues are for the calendar year, and the renewal form for 2016 is enclosed.