Roque Tudesqui House - Historic Santa Fe Foundation

In 1854 Head led about 50 families north to found a settlement
in
the San Luis Valley, then still within the boundaries
East De Vargas ca. 1884
of the New Mexico
territory. He became a citizen ofCo1orado when that territory was created
in 1861 and its southern
.".
~ border with New Mexico es-
"-
~ tablished to include the San
~ Luis Valley. He was later
OJ
~
elected to the Colorado ter­
~ ritorial council (1873) and
~ was Colorado's fIrst lieuten-
Cl
] ant-governor after statehood
Q.., in 1876.
There is no evidence that Head actually occupied the house on
East De Vargas Street. In 1850 he was living in Rio Arriba County, and
most of his career was in northern New Mexico. Ifhe was speculating, he
did welL Having paid $180 for fIve rooms in January 1850, he more than
doubled his money 17 months later when he sold the property, now containing
six rooms, for $400.
From 1851 until 1865 the property was owned variously by the
prominent merchant and rancher Manuel Salustiano Delgado and his equally
illustrious children: Simon, Pablo, Fernando, Felipe S., Josefa, and Estefana,
with their respective spouses. For much of the 1850s, it was Pablo
Delgado's home. Manual Salustiano apparently purchased the property
from Lafayette Head for one of his sons, as within a few months it was
referred to as the house and lot occupied by Pablo Delgado. Like his
brothers, Pablo (1822-1873) was a Santa Fe Trail merchant and a politician,
serving in the territorial legislature and as territorial treasurer.
After Manuel Delgado died in 1854, the property was divided
among his children, four of whom sold their interest to Pablo and Fernando.
In 1857 Pablo sold his interest to Fernando, who in 1865 sold the property
and its six rooms to Francisco Lopez and Figenia Sandoval for $1,000.
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