The early Pojoaque Valley was first settled by Europeans shortly after Oñate came to New Mexico. The valley comprises San Ildefonso, Pojoaque, Jacona, Jaconita, Nambé, Cuyamungue and at times, Tesuque; stretching not more than 15 miles in any direction. It extends southeasterly to Camel Rock with the Rio Grande bordering the Pueblo to the west. The Pojoaque Valley is on the Camino Real between Santa Fe and Santa Cruz de la Cañada. In the Pueblo 1680 revolt, the holy temples were burned and church records destroyed. Spanish families were killed while others made their escape and headed south to El Paso del Norte. Families who survived were counted in the muster of 1680 by Otermin [Hackett:10,xxxiv].
[At this point in the Introduction, the following events are briefly discussed: The 1692 Recolonization and the 1696 Revolt, the 1700 Resettlement, 1750 Census, 1776, 1790 census, and 1798 Census.]
The sacramental records for Pojoaque and Nambé include people who lived who lived in these various communities from 1707 to 1837. Records for these two areas tend to overlap depending on the priest and the state of the mission. For instance, the Nambé books hold burials (before 1779) for Pojoaque only because Nambé attended the settlers of that area. The baptism book for Nambé from 1707-1727 is a fragment with no binding, no title or presentation. From 1771-1837, the book is made of limp brown leather with cracks, titled "San Francisco de Nambé," but records from 1784-1789 are in the Pojoaque book. The sacramental books for Pojoaque are dated 1779-1839 and are made of limp tan leather with no title or presentation.
Nambe's Mission Church- Sacrado Corazon (Sacred Heart)
Nambe's mission goes back as early as 1613. The first church was built around 1617 but was burned, then rebuilt in 1706 or under construction. The Governor Juan Domingo Bustamante built this church at his own expense in 1725. In order to celebrate the completion, comedies, laudatory speeches and Indian dances were given in it. Father Fray Juan Llanos, a native of Tolucas, Spain, wes 39 years old at Nambe' in 1776. The placement of the present day church is within 100 feet of the original one. [Salpointe: 53, Cash: 32]
The Natives of the area are Teguas who speak in their native tongue as in Tesuque. . . The church collapsed during a storm in 1908 and has been rebuilt since that time. Pojoaque settlers appear to use this church over San Ildefonso. The cemetery site in front of the church. [Adams/Chavex: 51-60]
