Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-07-17
SANTA FE.
If IsTHE OLDEST TOWN IN THE
UNITED STATES.
II Comains the Oldest House and the
Oldest Church i'm America, and
Perhaps the oldest Palace
fnthe World.


centre and until recently the military
headquarters of the Southwest. 1t is the
oldest civil and religious Government on
American soil. When CAbeza dc Blca
penetrated the valley of the Rio Grande
in 1888 he found Santa Fe nourishing
Pueblo village. The history of its first
European settlements was lost with most
of the early records ofthc Territory by the
destruction of all the archives in 1880
but the earliest mention shows it then
to have been the capital and the centre
of commerce, authority and influence.
In 1904 came the first venturesome
American trader-the forerunner Of the
great line of merchants who have made
traffic over the "Santa Fe" worldwide
in its celebrity.
In the city of Santa Fc, previous to
1888, dwelt a race dissimilar to any now
existing They were neither Aztec nor
Indian, nor yet were they Mound Build
ers. Houses built by these people are
standing as a conclusive evidence that
they built not for one generation, but for
centuries. Their manners and customs
were like those races who occupied the
mountainous regions of Northern and
Western Mexico. Resembling the Indian
in physical appearance, yet they lived
and constructed houses after the manner
of the earliest Aztec civilization.
In the southeastern part of the ancient
village of Santa Fe just across the Santa
Fe River, stand two monuments OF pre-
historic architecture, the oldest house
and the oldest church In America. Their
exact age is unknown. They stand as
enduring monuments to a race of people
extinct, not Of any intention or wanton
neglect on their part, but for the con-
tinued wars waged by savage Spanish
explorers and still more savage bands Of
hostile Indians.
After driving the last inhabitaut from
the village, the conqueriug Spaniaris set
up a government of their own, and in
1850, after the close OF the conquest,
built many houses that are to-day stand
ing in various sections OF the city. On
the south side of the Plaza Juan de
Otermin, the first Spanish Governor
built his palace, the only one ever erected
in America. For many generations the
palace was occupied by the Spanish Gov
ernors and Captain Generals until forced
or driven out by the Indians in 1850
after besieging the city for nine days.
Remaining in the hands Of the Indians
Tor many years, it was finally retakcn by
the Mexcans. The palace was again
occupied by the Mexican Governor and
had been continually until taken by the
American forces in 1916 and 1S4S. Thus
we have in the Executive Mansion OF
New Mexico perhaps the oldest palace in
the world. As 1t stands to-day, CON
plete and perfect in all its appointments,
with proper care thousand years may
glide swiftly by, and in its grandeur, +,
outshining the ruins of Babec or OF
Tyre, the American people will rejoice in
the antiquities they possess, founded
centuries before the birth of the grandest
republic that ever governed a people.
On account of its antiquity and of its
position as the most northern outpost of
Spanish American civilization, Santa Fc
claims our attention to-day. 1t is of
another civilization, and one feels as in
foreign land. The historic old churches
of San Miguel and Guadaloupe were
erected by the Franciscan Fathers, who
accompanied the Spaniards into the
country as missionaries, the first about
1850. the second some fifty or seventy
five years later. In 1850 the Indians re-
belled against the Spaniards and drove
them from the country. They at once
burned down the chapels and other pub
lie buildings aud residences; collected
the church saints on the piazza and
burned them; forbid the use Of a word
of the Spanish language and swore their
intention to wash away the baptism oil
the Catholic priests, and allowed those
who had been married by them to put
away their wives and take others. They
utterly destroyed everything pertaining
to the Spaniards. Twelve years later the
Spaniards returned aud again reduced the
Indians to submission. The men were
sent to the forests aud the churches we're
soon rebuilt.
Until within few years all the houses
of Santa Fe were made of mud pressed
and n-bakcd in form resembling our
unburnt brick, though far less symmetri-
cal.
Adobe is the name applied by natives
to this class of building material, and
house built of this always has an ap-
pea-ance of great antiquity aud also Of
impending dissolution. To convince ono
of the great age Of civilization found here
he has but to glance at the native built
houses with their accompanying outdoor
bake-ovens. No one but Pueblo Indian
could have devised anything so deter
minedly ugly, aud sometimes ono is
tempted to believe that the old Aztec
deities must have assisted in their con-
struction, just to show how hideous a
place man could build and still call it