\ ` End of Trail Chapter June, 2016 this adventurer. Unfortunately, the historic record remains pretty sparse. The presenter CHATAUQUA PRESENTATION ON JAMES OHIO shared his belief that Pattie actually came to PATTIE by Stephen Dixon New Mexico to mine, eventually hitting the Attendees at the March 19th meeting Jemez Mountains, and possibly the Zuni Salt were treated to Stephen Dixon’s rendering of Lakes. writer James Ohio Pattie, one of the early The back and forth banter added to the travelers of several trails of note. Steven used discussion about both Pattie and what it would Pattie’s journal as a springboard for discussion of have been like living out West so early in the what life was like in the early 19th century. He century. At one point the group had a good came equipped with an array of period items laugh over a question from Phyllis Morgan and did a nice job of explaining the use for a regarding the veracity of some of the journal’s number of them. content. Pattie was known to add a few Pattie had quite the life, to put it mildly. flourishing details that stretched his credibility. Born in 1804 in Kentucky, he went West with his Stephen spends most of his time these father, Sylvester Pattie at the age of 21. His days working at El Rancho de las Golondrinas as travels took him from beaver trapping along the a living history presenter. He started out as a Gila’s riverbanks to gold panning in California. volunteer, and really enjoyed the gig. The state His panning forays there bought him jail time in a eventually hired him on full-time as part of the Mexican prison. When he got out 3 years later, Golondrinas programs. Next time you are Pattie spent his time going up and down the visiting the living history museum and run into coast immunizing the native Californios. At that Stephen, be sure to stop and chat. His insights time, inoculation against smallpox was unknown into James Ohio Pattie are worth the effort. south of the border and the disease was rightly feared. Pattie made an impact on the health of communities he traveled to, using both the Camino Real and the Old Spanish Trail as he went. We know he got to the Grand Canyon as well. Of note, Pattie’s journal includes a reference to Hugh Glass’ mauling and the man’s offer of $1.00/day’s pay to any man who would stay with him to help tend his wounds. The experience of seeing Glass’ wounds in person would have shaken any man as it did the Stephen Dixon maintains a diary/journal akin to what journalist. Pattie would have written back in the day. Pattie was last seen 1830. Researchers are not quite sure what eventually happened to downtown was just too far to attend Mass on a regular basis so the decision was made to build a community mission. Catholic rituals and celebrations were a central part of the fabric of community and continues to this day. These included the lighting of luminarias for processions around the church as well as vespers with the priests. Interestingly, the church remained a mission of the larger Our Lady of Gaudalupe parish housed in Santa Fe until the 1970’s. Melinda shared how Franciscan friars would arrive on mules once a month in the 1920’s and 30’s to perform Mass and other services. The friars would sleep on cots in the church and tether their mules in stables adjacent to the church. When Archbishop Lamy took over the Catholic diocese, many of the original bultos and Dixon explaining the purpose of the various items Pattie statues carved by local artists were literally would likely have used in camps. tossed out or burned and replaced with French- made statues which Lamy felt were more refined HISTORY OF THE SAN ISIDRO CHURCH AND than what the community had created. This VILLAGE OF AGUA FRIA - presentation by naturally created quite a bit of animosity from Melinda Romero Pike. the village who treasured the carvings. On Saturday, May 21st , Melinda Romero Another memory Melinda shared was Pike, a long-time resident of the Agua Fria watching the Natives from the Rio Grande Historic Village, located just south of Santa Fe, Pueblos traveling through the village en route to shared some of her extensive knowledge about the pueblos up north for ceremonies. You could the history of the San Isidro Church and the role always identify the Natives by their blue colored, of the village in the history of both the Camino government-issued Conestoga wagons which Real and the Santa Fe Trail. Despite the inability were of a much better grade than what the of coordinators to get the church doors open, locals were building with local materials. Cars the impromptu outdoors talk by Melinda was didn’t arrive in northern New Mexico until much fascinating and well-received. later, and during the 1920’s & 30’s both wagons Her experience as a native of the village and bicycles were common means of travel for added a dimension to her research and families in the pueblos as well as the village. information that otherwise would be missing. Yet another perspective Melinda shared For example, Melinda shared how the damming was the frustration of Village inhabitants with of the Santa Fe River in the late 1890's impacted the reluctance of accepting New Mexico as a the largely agricultural community. Six hundred state. She attributed the lengthy delay to fears people signed a petition in an effort to convince of the Catholic religions as well as Native the state to keep the river flowing, all to no avail. Americans and Hispanos. Predominately The damming of the river in many ways was the Caucasian legislatures at the Federal level felt death knell for the community who still relied the region “not worthy” of becoming part of the heavily on farming for sustenance. United States. San Isidro Church was built by the Melinda continues to work as a hostess Gallegos family – many of the family members at the Tortilla Flats Restaurant. are buried in the church cemetery and grew up in the surrounding area. La Parroquia She is always willing to take a moment to chat with folks about her extensive knowledge and first-hand experiences growing up in the village. The gravestone maker decided to use metal as a means to outlast the concrete marker of a now anonymous person buried below. Participants listen as Melinda shares her extensive A HIKE INTO HISTORY By Inez Ross knowledge of the role of the village with Trail history. Twenty years ago a few women met in Santa Fe to walk on the Santa Fe Trail Street to see where it led. Their curiosity and love of hiking influenced them to follow the trail outside of town for the next weekend, and the next, and the next, until they decided to hike the entire trail - even though their research told them their goal would lead them almost a thousand miles across five states! Their travels would take them to the little town of Franklin, Missouri where the Trail began in 1821. The rest is history. It took the group eight years to reach their goal, but the women’s travels led to the creation of a photo journal of their adventures. Inez Ross first published the journal as a trail book in 2004. That first printing has sold out, but the second edition is here with a better map and a The San Isidro Church has been a vital part of the reunion photo of the five women hikers. Their community since its founding as a mission in 1835. adventures along with their collection of original songs and poems became the photographic journal titled Without a Wagon: Hiking into History. Inez Ross brought copies of the book to the last EoT meeting, and was kind enough to hand me a copy. I hadn’t seen the first version The wheel at the mill continues to turn, thanks to the of the book so her gift was gratefully accepted. flowing Mora River. I’ve enjoyed looking at the numerous (and I mean numerous) photos included. Although some are a bit fuzzy, they really do add to an armchair traveler such as myself. This gives somewhat of an idea how extensive the buildings are at the La Cueva mill site. Three of the five Without a Wagon sojourners: Phyllis MAP MANIA Morgan, Inez Ross and Carolyn Robinson. This new section of the newsletter permits me to share one of my passions. Maps Ed. Note: Inez is also the author of Perilous in general fascinate me, but maps that correlate Pursuit on the Santa Fe Trail. to historical journals and information are tops in my list of reading material! A variety of map HIDDEN GEMS AT THE END OF THE TRAIL – LA resources will be featured here – some you may CUEVA MILL AND SALMAN RANCH already be familiar with and worth a second For those of us who are familiar with look, while others may prove to be worth the these two places that are passed en route to time and effort to get your hands on. Mora, the article might be a nudge to take a day Technology today allows maps to be trip back up there. For folks who don’t live in the published with an unprecedented amount of area and haven’t had the pleasure yet, this will accurate detail and information, much to our be another nudge to put on your agenda next benefit.