[EasyGallery id=’elviandante(thetraveler)’]<\/p>\n
\nFrom the sfnfsitestewards newsletter 2002–<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nContributed by Paul and Linda McClendon<\/span><\/div>\n
\nAs Site Stewards for the Hacienda, also known as
\nEl Viandante, We have been involved in an ongoing
\nresearch project into the who, what, when and why
\nof this site. The Hacienda site is a 75 acre parcel of
\nland on a larger 26,000 acre tract that became a part
\nof the public domain in 1939 after it was sold by
\noriginal Anton Chico Land Grant to the Gross Kelly
\nCompany in 1930. The Forest Service took over
\nmanagement of the 26,000 acres in 1947<\/span><\/div>\n
\nThe improvements on the site include an 8 room,
\ncut stone house, stone corrals and thousands of feet
\nof stone walls, along the north bluffs overlooking
\nthe Pecos River between El Cerrito and Tecolotito.
\nA house this large is very unusual for the area as
\ntypically the little subsistence ranches observed in
\nthe area have only two or three room dwellings.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nOur research leads us to believe that the buildings
\nwere probably built in the late 1860s or early 1870s,
\nas two early books from the 1865 era discuss the
\nford on the river where the Hacienda is located but
\nmake mention only of a rancher that lived two miles
\naway. The oral history investigation gave us the
\nname of the Jaramillo Family who occupied the site
\nas a commercial venture. With their oxen, they
\nassisted wagons in fording the Pecos River. These
\nwagons were carrying supplies to the traders and
\nranches to the south and then bringing wool north
\nacross the river to Las Vegas or the railhead. With
\nthe many corrals we assume that herds of sheep and
\nthen later cattle were also brought across the river at
\nthis location. The northern terminus, at its heyday
\nfrom 1880 to about 1902, was probably the Santa
\nFe railhead at Bernal and the wagons carried
\nsupplies south as far as Lincoln County. There is a
\nsimilar site across the river that was occupied by the
\nBaca Family, relatives of the Jaramillos, that we
\nfeel was part of the overall picture. Some
\nspeculation has been given to use by the
\nComancheros during their later period but there is
\nno good evidence to support this thought.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nAn interesting sidelight, three different sources all
\ntold us about the \u201cladies of the evening\u201d that were
\nat the Hacienda to entertain the wagoneers. From
\nnearby old-timers, we learned that the site was
\nabandoned prior to the mid 1930s.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nThere have been four PIT projects for this site, the
\nfirst for historical research and the last three out at
\nthe site doing stabilization and some archeological
\n\u201cdigging\u201d. While we are blessed with an abundance
\nof surface litter, due to funding, forest fires and
\ntime constraints, little has been done in the way of
\nidentifying or dating the bulk of the artifacts
\ncollected. What we have done so far though, does
\nsupport the time frame that was established through
\nthe historical research.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nSadly, we have not been able to locate any
\ndescendants of either the Jaramillo or Baca families
\nthat were connected with the site but maybe
\nsometime\u2026\u2026someone\u2026\u2026. somewhere<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[EasyGallery id=’elviandante(thetraveler)’] From the sfnfsitestewards newsletter 2002– Contributed by Paul and Linda McClendon As Site Stewards for the Hacienda, also known as El Viandante, We have been involved in an ongoing research project into the who, what, when and why of this site. The Hacienda site is a 75 acre parcel of land on a … Continue reading El Viandante~The Traveler<\/span>