Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-09
The Third Centennial Celebration.

The celeDratlOn OF bne 5OutH dlnllNtl-
sarv of the first permanent settle
ment made in New Mexico by Euro
peans, which will be held at Chamita
next Wednesday, July 13, promises to
be one of the most interesting anniver-
saries ever observed in New Mexico.
The Importance of the event is fraught
with great historical interest and will
bring to the minds of men of today the
many pcrilous trips made through an
unknown country by the early explorers
of the great southwest in search of the
famed wealth of the Seven Cities of
Cibola. 1t must be confessed that the
willy aborigines OF the 10Th century
shrewdly used the greed of the white
invaders to their advantage in attacks
upon hostile tribes. but these happen
ings all led to the final result, the set
Element and civilization of the fertile
valleys of the Rio Grande and tributary
streams. With that matter the celebration
of next Wednesday has nothing to do.
1t is of the expedition of Juan de Onate
and his achievements that the Booth an
niversarv deals.
The earliest history of America gave
room for the widest flights of fancy.
Vast realms of the new world waited to
be discovered. Wealth untold would re-
ward the brave and hardy explorers of
regions that unknown races had occr-
pied for centuries, while the civilized
and enlightened Kingdoms of Europe did
not dream of their existence. The first
European to set foot on New Mexico
soil was Cabeza de Vaca, but he came as
a refugee from mishaps by sea and land,
not as a %onouero Worn out by many
months of travel, naked and half fam
ished, he passed through the unknown
country in search of his countrymen,
whom he knew were somewhere to the
southwest of where the Inflated expedi-
ton of Pamphilo de Narvaez went to
wreck on the coast of what is now Flor
ida, observing the land and people. On
reaching New Spain (Mexico) his ac-
| counts of the land through which he
had travelled attracted widespread at
tention, and a desire to explore the
country to the north took possession of
| the yenturesomc men of that age.
The first European to follow de Vaca
into the golden land of promise and
| Journey far into the interior, was Friar
Marcos de Mia. The good fatherdid not
attempt a conquest, but passed through
the country with a view of opening the
way to the establishment of his church.
Whatever the results of his trip, they
were soon forgotten on his return in the
universal desire to possess the gold and
precious stones reported to abound In
the uncxplored country. This desire
led to the expedition of Francisco Vas
ouez de Coronado, then governor of
New Galicia." Coronado was in turn
followed by Juan de Onatc. AS a resi-
dent of Zacatecas, a a of wealth, and
a son of a lieutenant in Nuno de Guz-
mans army, his application for permis-
sion to invade and colonize New Mexico
was granted by the viceroy, Don Luis
de Valesco, and on the 18th Of Deem
Der. 1897, he started on his enterprise
accompanied by 400 persons. including
the families of the %colonists, and 700
head of cattle. On the 4th of May, fol-
lowing, he crossed the Rio Grande at
what is now Ell Paso. Continuing his
journey northward he reached San
Gabriel, now Chamita, on July ID, 1898,
and established the first European set
Element in New Mexico. The first camp
was at San Juan Baptista, the present
pueblo of San Juan, across the Rio
Grande from where the town was es-
tablished. The subsequent trials and
troubles of the settlers under Onate and
the removal Of the capital of the new
province to Santa Fe in 1905, are mat
ters Of history, and in due time
the latter event will be celebrated in an
appropriate manner.
The celebration has been arranged
with especial reference to the camp at
San Juan and the permanent settlement
of Chamita, and the exercises Of the day
will, SO far as possible. restore the days