Teipana Pueblo – the First Socorro Part 1 Originally published in El Defensor Chieftain that King Phillip II authorized the colonization of newspaper, Saturday, July 14, 2012. the northern frontier of New Spain — today’s New Copyright: © 2012 by Paul Harden. Article may be cited with proper Mexico. Led by Juan de Oñate, the colonization credit to author. Article is not to be reproduced in whole or placed on expedition consisted of soldiers, settlers (many the internet without author’s permission. with their families) and 10 Franciscan friars, for a total of about 500 people. By Paul Harden In October 1597, those who were approved to For El Defensor Chieftain participate began their travel from Mexico City [email protected] and Zacatecas to Santa Barbara, near Chihuahua, the official start of the expedition. With all assembled at Santa Barbara, the expedition The beginnings of Socorro is history most of us departed on Jan. 15, 1598 with a caravan of 83 know. In 1598, Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate carretas (ox carts), 24 supply wagons, and 7,000 and his caravan of colonists arrived in the region. head of sheep and cattle. Once on the trail, the Thirsty and hungry from months on the trail, they caravan extended several miles in length. arrived at a Piro Indian pueblo on the Rio Grande. On April 21, 1598, after 800 miles and 86 days There, the Piro people gave the starving Spaniards on the trail — an average of 9 miles per day — the food and nourishment. For the life-saving first of the colonists arrived at the Rio Grande near assistance they received, Oñate named the pueblo today’s El Paso, Texas. It took several days for the “Socorro,” the Spanish word for “help” or “aid.” entire caravan to emerge from the desert. The rest is history. Once the colonists were assembled on the banks Except, there’s a little more to the story. It is of the Rio Grande, looking into New Mexico, Fray well documented that today’s Socorro is built on Alonso Martinez offered Mass on April 30, top of an old Piro pueblo named Pilabó. However, followed by a large feast to give thanks for their Oñate clearly recorded that the pueblo he renamed Socorro in 1598 was originally called “Teipana.” The relationship between these two pueblos — and two Socorros — has confused historians for years. Spanish documents, and the fairly recent discovery and excavation of a Piro pueblo near Luis Lopez, have clarified this once murky chapter of Socorro’s history. This two-part article is the story of how Teipana became the first Socorro, and how and why it moved to the town of Socorro we know today. Courtesy Texas History Oñate and 500 settlers were the first Europeans to EARLY SPANISH EXPLORATION colonize New Mexico in 1598. Their first encounters with The Spanish Crown sent a series of expeditions native people were the Piro Indians along the Rio Grande in today’s Socorro County. Teipana pueblo was into New Mexico during the 1500s for exploration renamed Socorro, the name later being carried to the — but not for colonization. It was not until 1595 pueblo of Pilabó – today’s Socorro. safe deliverance to the abandoned. The “New World.” This horses, oxen and feast is recognized by wagons of the caravan many as the first kicked up dust that "Thanksgiving” in could be seen for North America — 22 miles. The historical years before the record tells us that the Pilgrims arrived at squeaking wood axles Plymouth Rock. of the wagons and carretas could also be 1598 ENTRADA heard for miles. DE OÑATE The Piro Indians On May 4, the saw, and heard, the entire caravan caravan approaching crossed the Rio their villages. The Grande into New sight of the wagons, Mexico. Oñate hundreds of unknown formed a party of 60 men and women, and conquistadors, conquistadors on including his their horses, must nephews Vicente and have been Juan de Saldivar, frightening. Many of Capitan Diego de the Piro fled their Zubia, and Father pueblos to seek Martinez, for the refuge. As a result, the forward march into colonists arrived only New Mexico. This advance scouting party to find some of the pueblos deserted and their searched for trails, campsites, and water for the storerooms of food empty. colonists and wagons to follow. Contrary to wisdom, Oñate and his party ARRIVAL AT TZENOQUÉ suddenly departed the refreshing water of the Rio By late May, Oñate and his party approached Grande to enter a waterless desert — later to be Mesa de Contadero, or Black Mesa, near San known as the Jornada del Muerto. This has led Marcial. They passed the southernmost Piro historians to believe Oñate was being led by Pueblo, called San Felipe, which was abandoned. Indian guides — likely from the Mansos villages This pueblo was named 17 years before by explorer near El Paso — who knew the short cut. Francisco Chamuscado. Located on the Rio Oñate’s advance guard, and the wagon train Grande near Milligan Gulch, this pueblo has since behind them, blazed a trail along these old Indian been inundated by the waters of Elephant Butte foot paths. This trail became El Camino Real de Reservoir. Tierra Adentro — the Royal Road to the Interior Circumventing Mesa de Contadero, the caravan Lands of New Mexico. Miles of this famous trail crossed the river to the west bank at Valverde and remain through Socorro County to this day. entered the inhabited pueblo of Tzenoqué. Here Traveling through the winter and spring were the long-anticipated Piro Indians, the months, the colonists found little to help them original inhabitants of today’s Socorro County. “live off the land.” They emerged from the 90-mile Tzenoqué — more commonly known as Senecú long Jornada del Muerto sick, (Sen-a-COO), is one of the missing exhausted and in a desperate need of Piro pueblos located somewhere food. As they rejoined the Rio near San Marcial or Tiffany. Its Grande, they knew the Piro pueblos exact location remains unknown, ahead would be a welcome sign of likely claimed by a Rio Grande flood relief. long ago. Since the pueblo has never However, as they approached the been found, archaeologists can only first Piro pueblos, they found them guess at its size or other details. It must have been a large Today, after more than 300 pueblo with a significant years of abandonment, most population, for it was here, in of the adobe rooms have 1626, that the Franciscans melted. Only remnants of the built a large mission church. once majestic Piro pueblo Early documents tell us the remain. mission was well adorned, had a large vineyard, and the ARRIVAL AT QUALACÚ Christianization effort was Oñate’s party continued up highly successful. The church the river another three leagues Photo by Paul Harden also had the only organ in New The majesty of the Abo pueblo still stands — about 10 miles. On May 28, Mexico at the time, which was due to the timeless rock construction. they arrived opposite the transported up the Camino Unfortunately, Piro pueblos were made of Qualacú (Kwa-la-COO) Real by a later mission adobe. Their walls have melted into the pueblo, located on the Bosque caravan. Senecú wine, made desert, making them difficult to locate. del Apache National Wildlife by the friars, was used as Refuge, about 5 miles south of ceremonial “Blood of Christ” at mission churches today’s San Pedro. It was a large, rectangular and the conventos (convents) throughout New pueblo with two plazas. Again, the colonists found Mexico. These are all indications Senecú was a it mostly vacant as they approached, the large and viable pueblo into the Spanish colonial inhabitants had fled “to the hills.” period. Qualacú is one of only three Piro pueblos to be However, when Oñate arrived, many of the partially excavated for archaeological study. In inhabitants fled the pueblo in fear. Those who 1980, construction of a conveyance channel remained explained, through sign language, that through Bosque del Apache tore into the pueblo they had no food to spare. Oñate left empty and exposed a series of rooms along the river handed to locate the next Piro pueblo. bank. Subsequent excavation, in 1985-1986, was Across the river and within sight of Senecú was led by archaeologist Michael Marshall. the pueblo of San Pascual. Consisting of about 750 Marshall was able to map the site, which rooms, it is the largest known Piro pueblo in the revealed it was a pueblo of about 250 ground-floor Rio Abajo. Curiously, Oñate did not record and 100 second-story rooms. Carbon dating of visiting this pueblo. Whether his scouts found it samples disclosed an occupation from the early abandoned, simply missed it, or found it 1300s into the Spanish contact period. After the uninteresting, is not known. Those who followed partial excavation, the pueblo was stabilized and Oñate in later years certainly did not miss San preserved for future study. Pascual. El Camino Real, north of Black Mesa, Oñate recorded that they camped “on the runs directly past the sprawling pueblo. opposite side of the river” waiting for the rest of Author’s copy Photo by Paul Harden A photo of the Qualacú pueblo being partially excavated El Camino Real, not far from the Qualacú pueblo, as it in 1984 after a conveyance channel cut through one of appears today. This stretch is near the old village of the room blocks. Guadalajara, south of San Pedro. the caravan. In time, most of the accounts of the pueblos and people pueblo inhabitants returned, after that lay ahead, which proved very seeing the Spaniards as no threat.