NMCentennialBlueBook

*1810
Shrine-Santuario de Chimayo. Legend has it that Bernardo Abeyta, a member of the
"Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno," discovers a crucifix while performing
customary penitential penances in the hills of El Potrero. Abeyta suddenly sees a light emanating
from one of the slopes and he goes to investigate. The light is coming from the ground so he digs
the spot with his hands until he finds a Crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipulas. Not knowing what
to think, he goes to the village and tells his neighbors of the find and someone is sent to inform
Father Sebastián Álvarez at Santa Cruz. Father Sebastián quickly goes to the spot, picks up
the Crucifix and in a joyous procession takes it to the church where he places it on the main altar.
But the next morning the Crucifix is missing and can't be found until someone finds it where it
was originally discovered. It is returned to Santa Cruz, disappears again and is returned and again
disappears to be found in the hills for the fourth time. It is decided that the Crucifix of Esquipulas
definitely wants to remain in Chimayo. Santuario de Chimayo is built on the spot.
José Manrique is governor.
*1812
Pedro Bautista Pino, New Mexico's representative to the Spanish Cortés (parliament), writes
his "Exposición Suncinta y Sencilla de la Provincia de Nuevo Mexico." It is published in Cádiz
and relates:
"There are about 40,000 people in New Mexico, living in 3 villas, 102 plazas, and 26 Indian
Pueblos. There are public schools in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, Belén, San Miguel, and Santa
Cruz. There are 22 friars in the province. No bishop has visited the province in over 50 years.
There is only one physician in New Mexico. Medicinal herbs are widely used by Natives and
Hispanos alike. New Mexican spirit and loyalty have endured continuous warfare with 33 hostile
tribes for 118 years and New Mexico has not lost one span of land from its original boundaries.
After acquisition of the Louisiana Territory the United States has tried to win over New Mexico.
They have built forts on New Mexican frontiers and given firearms to hostile tribes opposed to us
in order to break us. To no avail."
The Los Trigos Grant is made in the Pecos area, followed by the Cañón de Pecos Grant in 1815.
*1815
The settlement of Arroyo Seco and Arroyo Hondo are founded.
*1818
Bartolomé Baca received the Torreón Grant in the Manzano Mountains, south of Chilili.
Antonio Ortiz receives the Gallinas Grant, southeast of Las Vegas.
*1821
*In 1821 trade fairs at Taos, Pecos, Jémez and other outlying communities begin to decline.
Because of commerce arriving over the Santa Fe Trail and heading towards Chihuahua, the main
centers of commerce become Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and El Paso. On January 11, 1821, the
office of Protector of the Indians is abolished by royal decree.
On September 16, 1821, New Spain gains independence from Spain and becomes the sovereign
state of Mexico. As of September 27, 1821, New Mexico is a part of Mexico.
The Treaty of Córdova officially recognizes all Native Americans as citizens of Mexico.
*1822
Francisco Xavier de Chávez is governor.
F. X. Chávez, from Bélen, is the first native New Mexican ever to serve as governor. He is married to
Ana M. Castillo, also from Bélen, and they have nine children. Two of their sons, Mariano and José,
later serve as New Mexico governors and four grandsons are elected Delegates to the U.S. Congress.
The "Penitente Brotherhood," more correctly referred to as the "Pious Fraternity of our Father
Jesús of Nazareth," is an important part of New Mexico village life.
A building called the morada is the meeting place for the Brotherhood. It contains, at least, two
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