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84-744: Old Town is a popular tourist destination with a large number of restaurants, shops, and galleries, and is also home to the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History . The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and the Explora science center are located a short distance to the northeast. Old Town is known for its luminaria displays during the holiday season, particularly on Christmas Eve . Old Town occupies an area of about 0.8 square miles (2.1 km), roughly bounded by Rio Grande Boulevard, Mountain Road, 19th Street, and Central Avenue . At

168-566: A U.S. Army post near the plaza, which brought an influx of goods and people over the next twenty years. The 1860 Census showed a population of 1,608, of which the army garrison made up about a third. During the U.S. Civil War , Confederate troops under Henry Hopkins Sibley captured the town in March 1862 but were later forced to retreat back to Texas after losing most of their supplies at the Battle of Glorieta Pass . Albuquerque saw minor action when

252-662: A bond issue to fund construction of a new, permanent location on the site of a former truck terminal in Old Town . The building was designed by local architect Antoine Predock and opened in 1979. A major expansion designed by Rohde May Keller McNamara Architecture (RMKM) was completed in 2005. The museum's permanent exhibits are dedicated to art in New Mexico, and the history of Albuquerque include early maps, conquistador armor, weavings, and other artifacts of colonial life in New Mexico. The museum also hosts changing exhibits,

336-572: A bid by Juan Bautista de Lomas y Colmenares, and subsequently rejected by the King, on September 21, 1595 Philip II 's Viceroy Luís de Velasco selected Oñate from two other candidates to organize the resources of the newly acquired territory. The agreement with Viceroy Velasco tasked Oñate with two goals; the better-known aim was to explore and colonize the unknown lands annexed into the New Kingdom of León y Castilla (present day New Mexico ) and

420-616: A brutal retaliation against Acoma Pueblo . The pueblo was destroyed. Around 800–1000 Ácoma were killed. Today, Oñate remains a controversial figure in New Mexican history: in 1998, the right foot was cut off a statue of the conquistador that stands in Alcalde, New Mexico , in protest of the massacre, and significant controversy arose when a large equestrian statue of Oñate was erected in El Paso, Texas , in 2006. On June 15, 2020,

504-479: A central plaza surrounded by houses, government offices, and a church. For much of the 18th century, the homes around the plaza were inhabited only on Sundays as the residents spent the rest of the week on their farms. It was not until the late 1700s that a permanent population was established at the plaza. With the Possession of Albuquerque, along with the rest of New Mexico, passed to Mexico in 1821 following

588-473: A chief named Catarax ( Caddi was a Wichita title for a chief), the description of their granaries, and their location all are in accord with Coronado's earlier description of the Quivirans . However, they were probably not the same people Coronado met. Coronado found Quivira 120 miles north of Oñate's Rayados. The Rayados spoke of large settlements called Tancoa —perhaps the real name of Quivira—in an area to

672-547: A final policy decision has not been made about the Oñate statue other than its removal today to protect it from damage or destruction. The County Commission welcomes a respectful and civil discussion from its residents about the future of the Oñate statue." A memorial for Oñate was created for the New Mexico Cuarto Centenario (the 400th anniversary of Oñate's 1598 settlement). The memorial was meant to be

756-624: A grassroots effort organized by the Old Albuquerque Historical Society. The historical society also oversaw construction of a new bandstand, new landscaping, and installation of 16 wrought iron benches purchased from Chihuahua, Mexico . At the east end of the plaza is a display of two replica M1835 mountain howitzers . During the civil war, the guns originally belonged to the Union until the Confederacy captured

840-519: A guide and hostage, although " treating him well. " Caratax led Oñate and the Escanjaques across the river to Etzanoa , a settlement on the eastern bank, one or two miles from the river. The settlement was deserted, the inhabitants having fled. It contained " about twelve hundred houses, all established along the bank of another good-sized river which flowed into the large one [the Arkansas]....

924-471: A hill. The Rayados advanced, throwing dirt into the air as a sign that they were ready for war. Oñate quickly indicated that he did not wish to fight and made peace with this group of Rayados, who proved to be friendly and generous. Oñate liked the Rayados more than he did the Escanjaques. They were " united, peaceful, and settled. " They showed deference to their chief , named Caratax, whom Oñate detained as

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1008-465: A large river a few miles away and he became the first European to describe the tallgrass prairie . He spoke of fertile land, much better than that through which he had previously passed, and pastures " so good that in many places the grass was high enough to conceal a horse. " He found and tasted a fruit of good flavor, possibly the pawpaw . Near the river, Oñate's expedition party and their numerous Escanjaque guides saw three or four hundred Rayados on

1092-528: A late 18th-century house in Corrales, New Mexico , called Casa San Ysidro . The house features a recreation of a 19th-century rancho, including a family chapel, a central plazuela and an enclosed corral area. 35°5′51″N 106°40′4″W  /  35.09750°N 106.66778°W  / 35.09750; -106.66778 Atrisco Heritage Academy HS , Kirtland Air Force Base , and National Museum of Nuclear Science & History are adjacent to but outside of

1176-465: A massive photo archive, art galleries, and maintains an outdoor sculpture garden on the grounds. The museum's collections include 10,000 artworks, 35,000 historical objects, and 130,000 photographs in the photo archive. The museum has three permanent exhibits: Located in the sculpture garden is the sculpture La Jornada , which was removed from public view in 2020 and later restored to the museum garden. The Albuquerque Museum also operates tours for

1260-552: A skirmish erupted when a squad of Oñate's men stopped to trade for food supplies at the Acoma Pueblo . The Ácoma themselves needed their stored food to survive the coming winter. The Ácoma resisted and 11 Spaniards were ambushed and killed, including Oñate's nephew, Juan de Zaldívar . In January 1599, Oñate condemned the conflict as an insurrection and ordered the pueblo destroyed, a mandate carried out by Juan de Zaldívar's brother, Vicente de Zaldívar , in an offensive known as

1344-412: A symbolic reminder of the foot-amputating Acoma Massacre . A local filmmaker, Chris Eyre , was contacted by one of the two perpetrators, saying "I'm back on the scene to show people that Oñate and his supporters must be shamed." The sculptor responded that chopping feet "was the nature of discipline of 400 years ago." In 2017, the statue's left foot was painted red and the words "Remember 1680" (year of

1428-554: A tone for Spanish-Indigenous relations throughout New Mexico which carried on into the founding of Albuquerque. The Spanish first had contact with the Pueblos in the area that would become Old Town Albuquerque when in 1540 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado ’s expedition searching for the Seven Cities of Cibola lead him to the Pueblos. Coronado was able to peacefully trade small gifts and items with them at first, but as winter overtook

1512-444: A tri-cultural collaboration (Hispanic, Anglo, and Tewa Pueblo Native American), with Reynaldo "Sonny" Rivera, Betty Sabo , and Nora Naranjo Morse . Because of the controversy surrounding Oñate, two separate memorials and perspectives were created. Rivera and Sabo did a series of bronze statues of Oñate leading the first group of Spanish settlers into New Mexico titled "La Jornada," while Naranjo-Morse created an abstract land art from

1596-456: A village 131 miles northeast of Albuquerque. The spread led into the development of five distinct language groups and many more dialects based on those languages. Today, because of the combination of smaller and larger pueblos due to colonization by both the Spanish and Anglo Americans, there is a total of nineteen pueblos which are recognized as sovereign nations in and around Albuquerque. When

1680-525: A whole foot left the prisoners useful as servants. In Onate's personal journal, he specifically refers to the punishment of the Acoma warriors as cutting off "las puntas del pie" (the points of the foot, the toes). In 1601, Oñate undertook a large expedition east to the Great Plains region of central North America. The expedition party included 130 Spanish soldiers and 12 Franciscan priests—similar to

1764-412: Is a 1991 bronze statue dedicated to Oñate. In 1998, New Mexico celebrated the 400th anniversary of his arrival. Shortly before (December 29, 1997), and the close dates are no coincidence, unknown perpetrator(s) cut off the statue's right foot and left a note saying, "Fair is fair." Sculptor Reynaldo Rivera recast the foot, but a seam is still visible. Some commentators suggested leaving the statue maimed as

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1848-443: Is one of the first Spanish conquistadors to travel to and settle in the New Mexico territory. However, much of Oñate's success were at the expense of Indigenous peoples, most notably the Acoma people, who he tortured and massacred. Oñate was later removed and prosecuted by the Spanish crown in 1614, however, the pain and generational trauma he has inflicted on many Indigenous peoples in New Mexico have caused continuing controversy around

1932-465: Is proven to date to the Spanish colonial period. During the 20th century, many of the buildings were remodeled to facilitate modern commercial use, often including historically insensitive conversion of authentic vernacular and Victorian architectural details to a more idealized Territorial or Pueblo Revival style. Other buildings have been better preserved. Five properties in Old Town are listed on

2016-676: Is sometimes referred to as "the Last Conquistador ." Oñate is honored by some as an explorer but vilified by others for his cruelty to the Keres people of Acoma Pueblo . Oñate Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico was named after Juan de Oñate and is currently the only public school in New Mexico carrying Oñate's namesake. Oñate High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico was also named after Juan de Oñate, but in 2021,

2100-583: Is unknown approximately how long the area has been inhabited by indigenous peoples, their long-standing presence in the Albuquerque area is exemplified by the thousands of years old Petroglyphs found in the Sandia mountains to the Acoma pueblo which is still inhabited by the Acoma tribe today. During this time, the region that is now known as Albuquerque was known as Paak'u. The indigenous peoples residing in

2184-636: The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History , is a public art and history museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico . It is located in the Old Town area and is operated by the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture. The Albuquerque Museum is dedicated to preserving the art of the American Southwest and the history of Albuquerque and the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico . The museum also contributes significantly to

2268-594: The Canadian River into the modern state of Oklahoma . Leaving the river behind in a sandy area where his ox carts could not pass, he went across country, and the land became greener, with more water and groves of Black walnut ( Juglans nigra ) and bur oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ) trees. Jusepe probably led the Oñate party on the same route he had taken on the Umana and Leyba expedition six years earlier. They found an encampment of native people that Oñate called

2352-458: The Escanjaques . He estimated the population at more than 5,000 living in 600 houses. The Escanjaques lived in round houses as large as 90 feet (27 m) in diameter and covered with tanned buffalo robes . They were hunters, according to Oñate, depending upon the buffalo for their subsistence and planting no crops. The Escanjaques told Oñate that Etzanoa , a large city of their enemies,

2436-498: The Great Plains and Lower Colorado River Valley, encountering numerous indigenous tribes in their homelands there. Oñate founded settlements in the province, now in the Southwestern United States . Oñate is notorious for the 1599 Ácoma Massacre . Following a dispute that led to the ambush and death of thirteen Spaniards at the hands of the Ácoma , including Oñate's nephew, Juan de Zaldívar , Oñate ordered

2520-810: The Mexican War of Independence and later to the United States of America in 1846, during the Mexican American war (1846-1848), when General Stephen W. Kearny took control of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe trail in 1846. The territory was officially recognized as US territory on February 2, 1848 under the signature of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , representing yet another change in the power dynamic for Indigenous people and Hispanics (Mexican) living in New Mexico alike. Kearny's troops established

2604-569: The National Register of Historic Places : Atrisco Heritage Academy HS , Kirtland Air Force Base , and National Museum of Nuclear Science & History are adjacent to but outside of the city limits. Rio Grande HS and Sandia Peak Tramway are near but not in the city limits. 35°05′46″N 106°40′11.5″W  /  35.09611°N 106.669861°W  / 35.09611; -106.669861 Albuquerque Museum of Art and History The Albuquerque Museum , formerly known as

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2688-551: The Pueblo Revolt ) were written with paint on the monument's base. The county of Rio Arriba temporarily removed the statue on June 15, 2020, which followed wider efforts to remove controversial statues across the United States . It is unknown whether the statue will be returned to its place in the future, with a statement from Rio Arriba County Commission stating: "Rio Arriba County residents need to understand that

2772-481: The Rayado Indians , was located only about twenty miles away. It seems possible that the Escanjaques had gathered together in large numbers either out of fear of the Rayados or to undertake a war against them. They attempted to enlist the assistance of the Spanish and their firearms, alleging that the Rayados were responsible for the deaths of Humana and Leyva a few years before. The Escanjaques guided Oñate to

2856-648: The Salton Sink . They mistakenly thought that the Gulf of California continued indefinitely to the northwest, giving rise to a belief that was common in the 17th century that the western coasts of an Island of California were what was seen by sailing expeditions in the Pacific. Native groups observed living on the lower Colorado River, were, from north to south, the Amacava (Mohave) , Bahacecha , Osera (Pima) , at

2940-561: The Spanish colonists arrived, their relation with the existing indigenous peoples in the Albuquerque area were complex and violent. In New Mexico, the first interaction that Puebloans had was at the Zuni pueblo of Vacapa when the Spanish explorer Frey Marcos de Niza sent his black African slave Estaban to interact with the Zuni people . Estaban was subsequently killed by the Zuni, establishing

3024-698: The Viceroyalty of New Spain . His second goal was to capture Capt. Francisco Leyva de Bonilla (a traitor to the crown known to be in the region) as he already was transporting other criminals. His stated objective otherwise was to spread Catholicism by establishing new missions in Nuevo México . Oñate is credited with founding the Province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México , and was the province's first colonial governor, acting from 1598 to 1610. He held his colonial government at Ohkay Owingeh , and renamed

3108-845: The confluence of the Gila River with the Colorado, in a location later occupied by the Quechan , Alebdoma . Seen by Oñate below the Gila junction but subsequently reported upstream from there, in the area where Oñate had encountered the Coguana , or Kahwans, Agalle, and Agalecquamaya, or Halyikwamai , and the Cocopah . Concerning areas that the explorers had not observed directly, they gave fantastic reports about races of human and areas said to be rich in gold, silver, and pearls. In 1606, Oñate

3192-422: The Ácoma Massacre . An estimated 800–1,000 Ácoma died in the siege of the pueblo. Much later, when King Philip III of Spain heard the news of the massacre, and the punishments, Oñate was banished from New Mexico for his cruelty to the natives, and exiled from Mexico for five years, convicted by the Spanish government of using "excessive force" against the Acoma people . Oñate later returned to Spain to live out

3276-652: The Catholic calendar day of Ascension , April 30, 1598, the exploration party assembled on the south bank of the Rio Grande. In an Ascension Day ceremony, Oñate led the party in prayer, as he claimed all of the territory across the river for the Spanish Empire . Oñate's original terms would have made this land a separate viceroyalty to the crown in New Spain; this move failed to stand after de Zúñiga reviewed

3360-527: The Indies . Cuervo's account had been exaggerated in order to offer a centralized Villa to better serve the already existent Hispano and Pueblo communities. Those communities included Barelas , Corrales , Isleta Pueblo , Los Ranchos , Sandia Pueblo , and others along the Rio Grande rather than a centralized settlement. After a formal investigation, the villa was allowed to keep its title, especially as it

3444-468: The Middle Valley which was the area south of the Sandia and Alameda pueblos. The settlement grew progressively to encompass around forty-five Spanish estate and what is known as Old Town Albuquerque was established in 1702 and recognized by Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, the governor of Spanish New Mexico, as a municipality in 1706. In 1784, over 3500 Spaniards and 600 Indigenous people were recognized by

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3528-405: The Old Albuquerque Historical Society was established in 1946. Old Town was annexed by the city in 1949, bringing municipal improvements like paved streets and sidewalks for the first time. Since then, Old Town has developed into a popular tourist attraction, with most of the adobe houses re-purposed into shops, restaurants, and galleries. Old Town Plaza dates to the original founding of the city in

3612-487: The Oñate expedition proceeded onward for another eight miles through heavily populated territory, although without seeing many Rayados. At this point, the Spaniards' courage deserted them. There were obviously many Rayados nearby and soon Oñate's men were warned that the Rayados were assembling an army. Discretion seemed the better part of valor. Oñate estimated that three hundred Spanish soldiers would be needed to confront

3696-560: The Paak'u region engaged in subsistence farming and hunting, managing complex, intertwined systems of government and religion. The Pueblo peoples of modern Albuquerque originally stemmed from one tribe called the Tamayame or Santa Ana tribe. As they discovered the resources that the Sandia mountains and the Rio Grande had to offer, they slowly spread into different pueblos as far as Angostura,

3780-445: The Rayados, and he turned his soldiers around to return to New Mexico. Oñate had worried about the Rayados hurting or attacking his expedition party, but it was instead the Escanjaques who repelled his men on their return to New Mexico. Oñate described a pitched battle with 1,500 Escanjaques, probably an exaggeration, but many Spaniards were wounded and many natives killed. After more than two hours of fighting, Oñate himself retired from

3864-722: The Walnut River site. A minority view would be that the Escanjaque encampment was on the Ninnescah River and the Rayado village was on the site of present-day Wichita, Kansas . Authorities have speculated that the Escanjaques were Apache, Tonkawa , Jumano , Quapaw , Kaw , or other tribes. Most likely they were Caddoan and spoke a Wichita dialect. We can be virtually certain that the Rayados were Caddoan Wichitas. Their grass houses, dispersed mode of settlement,

3948-472: The agreement. All summer, Oñate's expedition party followed the middle Rio Grande Valley to present-day northern New Mexico , where he engaged with Pueblo Indians . Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá , a captain of the expedition, chronicled Oñate's conquest of New Mexico's indigenous peoples in his epic poem Historia de la Nueva México . Oñate granted land to colonists on the expedition, and empowered them to demand tribute from Native Americans. In October 1598,

4032-490: The battlefield. The hostage Rayado chief Caratax was freed by a raid on Oñate and Oñate freed several women captives, but he retained several boys at the request of the Spanish priests for instruction in the Catholic faith. The attack may have arisen from Oñate's kidnapping of Caratax and the women and children. Oñate and his men returned to San Juan de los Caballeros , arriving there on November 24, 1601 without any further incidents of note. The path of Oñate's expedition and

4116-508: The census to be residents of Old Town. However, for many of the Indigenous tribes living around Old Town, the rapid growth of Old Town served as a reminder to the continuing conquest of their people. Cuervo reported that the new settlement was home to 252 residents and had been laid out with streets, a plaza, and a church in accordance with the town planning regulations set forth in the Laws of

4200-440: The center is Old Town Plaza, surrounded by approximately ten blocks of one- and two-story buildings. The central plaza layout was favored by Spanish colonial authorities and is found in many other cities and towns throughout New Mexico, including Santa Fe , Taos , Las Vegas , and Mesilla . The area around Old Town was originally acequia fed farmland, but it has been covered over by 20th century urban development, however, land to

4284-404: The city limits. Rio Grande HS and Sandia Peak Tramway are near but not in the city limits. Juan de O%C3%B1ate Juan de Oñate y Salazar ( Spanish: [ˈxwan de oˈɲate] ; 1550–1626) was a Spanish conquistador from New Spain , explorer, and viceroy of the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México in the viceroyalty of New Spain . He led early Spanish expeditions to

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4368-574: The cultural and educational programs in the city of Albuquerque. The museum features art of the Southwest and its global influences, as well as 400 years of Albuquerque history with permanent installations and special exhibitions of national and international origin. The museum opened as the Museum of Albuquerque in 1967, operating out of a temporary location in the recently vacated Old Albuquerque Municipal Airport Building . In 1975, voters approved

4452-641: The death of their husbands. Those who were designated heads of households were able to inherit land as a result of Spanish law and became the breadwinners for their families. The twenty women who are known to have helped colonize Old Town have come to be acknowledged as the "founding women of Albuquerque" and are listed on a plaque in Old Town Plaza provided by the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Program. Like other Spanish colonial settlements, Albuquerque consisted of

4536-490: The desert itself of a large dirt spiral representing the Native American perspective titled "Numbe Whageh" (Tewa interpretation: Our Center Place). It is located at the Albuquerque Museum . In 1614, Oñate was exiled from what is now New Mexico and charged with mismanagement and excessive cruelty, especially at the Acoma massacre in Acoma . In 1599, after killing 500 warriors and 300 women and children, he ordered

4620-612: The early 1700s and remains the center of Old Town. It was originally larger than today, extending to the south and east, but was reduced to its present size by the late 1800s. In the 1850s, a 121-foot (37 m) flagpole was erected in the center of the plaza by the U.S. Army. The adobe wall surrounding the plaza was replaced with a picket fence in 1881 and then a stone wall built by the Works Progress Administration in 1937. The WPA's walls and bandstand were unpopular and were removed just eleven years later through

4704-508: The eighteen ton , 34-foot-tall (10 m) statue in a ceremony on April 21, 2007. Oñate is mounted atop his Andalusian horse and holds the La Toma declaration in his right hand. It is one of the tallest statues in the United States. According to Houser, it is the largest and heaviest bronze equestrian statue in the world. The statue precipitated controversy due to Oñate being tried and convicted for many crimes including brutality against

4788-567: The expedition of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire —and a retinue of 130 American Indian soldiers and servants. The expedition possessed 350 horses and mules. Oñate journeyed across the plains eastward from New Mexico in a renewed search for Quivira , the fabled "city of gold." As had the earlier Coronado Expedition in the 1540s, Oñate encountered Apaches in the Texas Panhandle region. Oñate proceeded eastward, following

4872-508: The expedition was to locate a port by which New Mexico could be supplied, as an alternative to the laborious overland route from New Spain. The expedition to the lower Colorado River was important as the only recorded European incursion into that region between the expeditions of Hernando de Alarcón and Melchior Díaz in 1540, and the visits of Eusebio Francisco Kino beginning in 1701. The explorers did not see evidence of prehistoric Lake Cahuilla , which must have arisen shortly afterwards in

4956-518: The group did not have the right to act in the capacity as law enforcement or national guard as well as barring them from having any law enforcement powers independent of the state government of New Mexico. As of 2024, the statue was on view in the East Garden of the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History . Most of the historic buildings in Old Town were built between 1870 and 1900, though some are older. Only one building, San Felipe de Neri Church ,

5040-460: The guns and used them against the Union. Retreating Confederate forces buried eight howitzers near the plaza in 1862 to prevent them from falling into Union hands. The guns were rediscovered in 1889 with the help of the former Confederate artillery commander, who still remembered their location. Two of the howitzers were put on display in the plaza but were later moved to the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History and replaced with replicas. Accompanying

5124-644: The guns is a plaque that is controversial for having pro-confederate sentiments, mentioning the name of a Confederate Major Trevanion Teel. The plaque was partially funded by his ancestors, however, Teel was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle , a group like the Ku Klux Klan , that sought to conquer territory in Latin America with the purpose of establishing an empire based on slavery. At

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5208-455: The high school's name was changed to Organ Mountain High School. Juan de Oñate Elementary School in Gallup, New Mexico , was merged with another school to become Del Norte Elementary School in 2017. The street that runs through the historic central business district of Española, New Mexico , is named Paseo de Oñate. In the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center (until 2017 the Oñate Monument and Visitor Center) in Alcalde, New Mexico ,

5292-400: The identity of the Escanjaques and the Rayados are much debated. Most authorities believe his route led down the Canadian River from Texas to Oklahoma, cross-country to the Salt Fork , where he found the Escanjaque encampment, and then to the Arkansas River and its tributary, the Walnut River at Arkansas City, Kansas where the Rayado settlement was located. Archaeological evidence favors

5376-416: The north and south of the plaza continues to operate for agricultural purposes with the acequia traditions, including Los Ranchos , Corrales , South Valley , and Isleta Village Proper . Prior to 1706, indigenous tribes traveled through and inhabited the land on which Old Town Albuquerque now stands. These indigenous peoples include the Anasazi , Diné , Pueblo , Apache , and Tiwa communities. While it

5460-420: The north. Thus, the Rayados were related culturally and linguistically to the Quivirans but not part of the same political entity. The Wichita at this time were not unified, but rather a large number of related tribes scattered over most of Kansas and Oklahoma, so it is not implausible that the Rayados and Escanjaques spoke the same language, but were nevertheless enemies. Oñate's last major expedition went to

5544-484: The other, further contributing to negative relations between the Spanish and Indigenous peoples of Albuquerque. This paved the way for the violent conquest of Juan de Oñate , and his ouster from New Mexico by the indigenous Pueblo people during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 . In 1693, Albuquerque began to be resettled by a group of people traveling in the Spanish “Reconquista” led by Don Diego de Vargas . Several families in this group split off and asked permission to settle

5628-579: The portrayal of events, that commemorated the Skirmish of Albuquerque and buried Confederate soldiers respectively were also removed at that time. At this time, the plaque that accompanies the howitzers remains intact. A controversial statue known as La Jornada featuring the Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate formerly sat in the middle of Old Town Plaza. The statue was commissioned by the City of Albuquerque in 1998 and created by New Mexico artists Betty Sabo and Reynaldo "Sunny" Rivera. It depicts several Spanish settlers and an Indigenous guide led by Oñate who

5712-448: The pueblo there 'San Juan de los Caballeros'. In late 1595, the Viceroy Gaspar de Zúñiga followed his predecessor's advice, and in the summer of 1596 delayed Oñate's expedition in order to review the terms of the original agreement, signed before the previous Viceroy had left office. In March 1598, Oñate's expedition moved out and forded the Rio Grande (Río del Norte) south of present-day El Paso and Ciudad Juárez in late April. On

5796-430: The railroad and was incorporated as the City of Albuquerque in 1891. The original town, now called Old Albuquerque, entered a decline as businesses and institutions moved to New Town. The county courthouse was moved in 1926, and by the 1930s barely any businesses were still operating around the plaza. Old Town's fortunes began to improve in the 1940s as Albuquerque citizens began to take note of Old Town's historic value, and

5880-444: The remainder of his life. Of the 500 or so survivors, at a trial at Ohkay Owingeh , Oñate sentenced all men and women older than 12 to twenty years of forced "personal servitude". In addition, men older than 25 (24 individuals) were to have a foot amputated. According to recent research, there is no evidence of this happening and that, at most, the prisoners lost some toes. This latter theory makes sense, for losing toes rather than

5964-471: The remainder of his life. 2014 marked the 400th anniversary of Juan de Oñate's exile from New Mexico. Despite his atrocities, Oñate is still celebrated today at the Española Valley Fiestas. In 1997 the City of El Paso hired the sculptor John Sherrill Houser to create an equestrian statue of the conquistador. In reaction to protests, two city council members retracted their support for the project. The $ 2,000,000 statue took nearly nine years to build and

6048-437: The retreating Confederates were involved in a skirmish with Union troops in the Battle of Albuquerque . For the most part, however, the town remained a quiet agricultural community. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached Albuquerque in 1880, building a depot about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the plaza. This led to the creation of a rival "New Albuquerque" (now Downtown Albuquerque ) which quickly boomed thanks to

6132-414: The right foot be chopped off of all surviving 24 Acoma warriors. Males between the ages of 12 and 25 were also enslaved for 20 years, along with all of the females above the age of 12. When King Phillip of Spain heard the news from Acoma, Oñate was brought up on 30 charges of mismanagement and excessive cruelty. He was found guilty of cruelty, immorality, and false reporting and was exiled to Spain to live out

6216-417: The royal court of Spanish monarchs from the late 1300s to the mid-1500s." She was of Spanish ancestry and descended from conversos , former Jews , on at least several branches of her family tree. Among these converso relatives was her paternal grandfather, the royal physician Doctor Guadalupe de Salazar. Other family members became Christians in the 1390s, around 160 years before Oñate's birth. Her father

6300-466: The settlement of the Rayados seemed typical of those seen by Coronado in Quivira in the 1540s. The homesteads were dispersed; the houses round, thatched with grass, large enough to sleep ten persons each, and surrounded by large granaries to store the corn, beans, and squash they grew in their fields." With difficulty Oñate restrained the Escanjaques from looting the town and sent them home. The next day

6384-759: The statue of Oñate in Alcalde, New Mexico was temporarily removed by Rio Arriba County workers at the direction of officials. Civic institutions will make the final decision on the statue's future. Oñate was born in 1550, at Zacatecas in New Spain (colonial México), to the Spanish-Basque conquistador and silver baron Cristóbal de Oñate , a descendant of the noble house of Haro . Oñate's mother, Doña Catalina Salazar y de la Cadena, had among her ancestors Jewish-origin New Christians who "served in

6468-573: The statue. In the wake of the George Floyd murder, during a protest that rose at the site of the statue, a gunman opened fire on the protesters, prompting the Albuquerque mayor Tim Keller have the statue removed the next day. The incident occurred when armed counter protesters from the New Mexico Civil Guard, a paramilitary group, attempted to act in a law enforcement capacity, trying to detain protestors. A judge later ruled that

6552-579: The unprepared conquistadors, they steadily became more and more violent with the Pueblo peoples, demanding more food and supplies and progressively conquering a few of the Puebloan’s smaller villages. The Tiwa people of Albuquerque fought back against the Spanish until they left to return to Mexico in the Spring of 1541. However, the violent interactions between the two parties gave each a long-lasting impression of

6636-417: The west end of the plaza is a display of various flags which have flown over the city, including those of Spain, Mexico, and the United States. There was also a Confederate flag reflecting the brief occupation of the city by Confederate forces, but it was removed in 2015 amid the ongoing controversy surrounding such symbols. Two other plaques, both which have created controversy due to their historical flaws in

6720-779: The west, from New Mexico to the lower valley of the Colorado River . The party of about three dozen men set out from the Rio Grande valley in October 1604. They traveled by way of Zuñi , the Hopi pueblos , and the Bill Williams River to the Colorado River, and descended that river to its mouth in the Gulf of California in January 1605, before returning along the same route to New Mexico. The evident purpose of

6804-561: Was Gonzalo de Salazar , leader of several councils that governed New Spain while Hernán Cortés was traveling to Honduras in 1525–26. Juan de Oñate married Isabel de Tolosa Cortés de Moctezuma , who was the granddaughter of Hernán Cortés , the conqueror of the Triple Alliance , and the great-granddaughter of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin . They had two children: In response to

6888-528: Was established to serve those communities as an outpost on Camino Real de Tierra Adentro . Women also played an overlooked role in Old Town Albuquerque. At least twenty women are known to have been a part of the Spanish colonization of Albuquerque and the subsequent founding of Old Town. While many were subjugated to more traditional colonial roles like cooking, cleaning, and homemaking, some quickly became heads of their respective families due to

6972-410: Was kept in the sculptor's Mexico City warehouse. The statue was completed in early 2006, transported in pieces on flatbed trailers to El Paso during the summer, and installed in October. The controversy over the statue prior to its installation was the subject of the documentary film The Last Conquistador , presented in 2008 as part of PBS 's P.O.V. television series. The City of El Paso unveiled

7056-493: Was recalled to Mexico City for a hearing regarding his conduct. After finishing plans for the founding of the town of Santa Fe , he resigned his post and was tried and convicted of cruelty to both natives and colonists. He was banished from New Mexico for life and exiled from Mexico City for five years. Eventually Oñate went to Spain, where the king appointed him head of all mining inspectors in Spain. He died in Spain in 1626. He

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