 Excerpts from the introduction:
"San Miguel del Vado (Bado) is located in central
New Mexico on the Pecos River. It served as a ford on
the Pecos River and was the eastern entrance to the capitol
of New Mexico, Santa Fe. During the late Spanish and Mexican
periods, San Miguel del Vado was the gateway from the
eastern plains into Hispanic America. San Miguel was ranked
as fourth in size in population in New Mexico in the early
1800s, during the late Spanish and early Mexican periods."
"The earliest church record extant at San Miguel
del Vado begins January 1829. Prior to that time some
of the sacramental records for the area were either in
Galisteo or in the church of Pecos Pueblo, which dates
from the early 1600s. The Pecos Pueblo remained the focus
of Indian life until it was abandoned in 1837."
The first indications of village life for San Miguel
came from records kept by the Catholic Church either at
the Pecos Pueblo -- Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
de Galisteo. The first recorded baptism for San Miguel
del Vado took place on 27 May 1799 at Pecos (AASF reel
#6, frame 346). The first wedding was recorded at Galisteo
28 November 1798. (AASF Reel #27, frame 230). The first
burial was recorded 9 September 1799 at Galisteo. (AASF
Reel #35, frame 594.)
"San Miguel was the principal Hispanic village
on the Pecos River until the advent of the railroad in
the 1880s -- well into the American period beginning in
1846. San Miguel del Vado lost its prominence to the newly
formed town of Las Vegas as the center of San Miguel County
with the coming of the railroad." [The
introduction continues, and names numerous towns and placitas
in the area.]
Included are lists of abbreviations and phrases
used in the publication, and a name index.
Names
are indexed in four lists: by name of groom and deceased
husbands, by name of wife and deceased wives, by names of
parents, and by names of godparents, witnesses and others.
Extracted by Eloise Arellanes. Compiled by Margaret Leonard
Windham and Evelyn Lujan Baca. Introduction by Jose Ricardo
Gonzales. Map by Ernie Jaskolski. A publication of the
New Mexico Genealogical Society. |
