A visit to La Bajada, New Mexico to meet a long long cousin & reconnect with the land our Montoya line resided at between the early 1800's to 1869.
Around 25 years ago I started research into my husband's New Mexican families. I had little information to go on and struggled with techniques to locate migration patterns and sourcing facts to further the tree. The Catholic church provided details with baptism, marriage and death records but this provided another hurdle, they are cursive and in Spanish! History and Spanish lessons were in order. I had little knowledge of the southwest as like most Americans my education led me to believe that there is some magical stop to anything south of the border having any connection to our makeup.
I quickly learned that New Mexico has a rich history which created the unique but yet distinct mold, the creation of our New Mexican Family Tree. The mold including a mix of Spanish, splashes of other cultures that came over to avoid the Inquisition including Sephardic Jew among others; Native American and a small strand of French coming from his Gurule line. The story from La Bajada is a story of a Spanish settlement among Pueblo Indians.
La Bajada dates back to the 1680s when the road went up the side of the mountain, part of the corridor, referred to as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (El Camino Real), translated as “The Royal Road of the Interior Lands.” El Camino Real was a major transportation network between Mexico City and northern New Mexico and was the main corridor used by the Spanish while founding the colonies.
La Bajada, the descent, was there for travelers to rest and gather supplies. The harrowing hairpin path up the side of the mountain was part of El Camino Real, changing to the Santa Fe Trail and later in the 20th century, the trail became New Mexico Highway 1, becoming part of Route 66 in 1926 until 1932. A post office was established in 1870, closed in 1872. Our Montoya family left shortly afterwards heading east to Las Tuzas, just northwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico to meet up with their mother's Mares line.
The trip to La Bajada led us down a road less travelled, adobe walls crumbling from years of forgotten need of shelter surrounded the few occupied homes. The road is not maintained due to conflicts with the State of New Mexico and neighboring Cochiti Pueblo on who should pay for improvements, be ready for a bumpy road. Today few make La Bajada home and at one time many generations of the Montoya family called this land home. One of the most interesting structures at La Bajada is the adobe Catholic Church, San Miguel Mission. The wooden fences and crosses of long-neglected graves greet you while walking up to the church. Many souls are buried here, most graves unmarked. These graves contain ancestors of our Montoya Family. One of these ancestors being Tomas Montoya whose father, Joaquin Montoya brought the family to La Bajada from the Jemez area in the early 1800's.
My husband's family stems from two Montoya women who resided here. One of which I was able to locate her baptismal record associated with St. Miguel Catholic Mission in La Bajada. This woman, Maria Livrada "Albina" Montoya is my husband's second great grandmother. She was born August 25, 1841 and on her baptismal record her residence is listed as La Bajada. Her older sister, Maria Dolores Montoya had a daughter around 1864 named Maria Reyes Montoya who is the other Montoya in my husband's line. To this date I have not been able to locate her baptismal record but I know the mother to Maria Livrada and Maria Dolores (Maria de la luz Mares) took her family across the mountains over to Las Tuzas around 1870 to meet up with her family, the Mares after her husband passed away in La Bajada. The Montoya's presence was confirmed after locating baptismal records where the Priest wrote their home location under their name. Thank you Father!! Maria Livrada "Albina" Montoya died in 1936 and is buried in the potter's field in Bovina, Texas, her grave unmarked. I've spent countless hours researching branches from Tomas Montoya and Maria de la luz Mares and am happy to know which Montoya family was ours.
In 2019 we visited La Bajada on Easter and for the Feast of San Miguel in late September. Easter Mass was in Pena Blanca where afterwards we met with Patricia Montoya, the last remaining Montoya in La Bajada. When we arrived to La Bajada, she gave a tour of the church and spoke with passion about her father, Eloy Montoya who poured his blood and sweat into restoring San Miguel Mission. Eloy's picture is displayed at the church. If not for the Montoya's who stayed in La Bajada, especially Eloy this mission would be nothing more than a ruin. The mission is older than the Cathedral in Santa Fe.
The La Bajada Trail
The road is now closed at the request of the Cochiti Pueblo. You can access the top half of the trail by accessing it and exiting on the top of the mesa. The views from the top of La Bajada are breathtaking.
Feast for San Miguel - La Bajada 28 September 2019
Celebration of the Feast for San Miguel brought out neighbors and those with a connection to the area. We attended the evening celebration. The church peaceful, piñon wood burned in cast iron stove situation in the middle of the church. The air cool and crisp brought out the vivid sunset of the dessert showing all of its fiery orange with deep purple sky. The following day, Mass was held and afterwards, a pot lock luncheon with of course red and green chile, and homemade tortillas. Families who have made La Bajada home take care of each other and cherish the significance of La Bajada.
La Bajada Residents circa 1880-1910
Patricia provided a few pictures of those before us she located in the 250 year old home her grandmother once lived in. Surnames on the back of these photos included Montoya and Dimas.
A Visit ~ I drive the lonely highway, Each long and empty mile. And feel myself well paid, just to sit with you awhile. To feel your friendly hand clasp, and to see again your smile. When my place on earth is empty. When I've driven my last mile. When I've gone to meet my Judge and my soul is there on trial. Even then it will be a help if you remember me and smile. Vernon A. Spain
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