Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-05-27
HISTORIC AND
ANCIENT TOME
Its Settlement in the Seven.
tsenth Century...The Romance
OF Beatriz Baca.
MANY INDIAN FIGHTS
News Of the Partial Destruction Of the
Tswn by the Flood Waters of tho
Rio Grande Creates Much
Sorrow.

The old timers throughout the Ter.
ritory will learn with sincere sorrow
of the destruction of the town of
Tome by the food waters of the Rio
Grande as announced in the New Mex
ican of Thursday Tome was one of
the Oldest Of the Spanish settlements
in New Mexico, and for many, many
years was the leading town. 1t was
settled in the 18th century by colony
that came direct from Spain to Mexico
and from there to the then province
of New Mexico. The colony consisted
of seventy families under the leader
ship of Spanish grandee by the
name of Don Ignacio Baca. The set
tiers were very proud of their origin
and descent and it was a great privil-
ege for the best young men of the
province to secure wives in that his
toric aristocratic town. The inhabi-
tants of Tome celebrated as their an
nual feast the Sth day of September
each year. The fiestas were famous
throughout the province and were
very well attended. Hundreds of fam
lilies would visit Tome on the occas-
ion of the annual feast. For over a
week there were amusemenls
of all kinds, including horse-races and
bull fights. Fire works, the best of
that period, were features of the feast.
In those days, gambling in races was
very much in vogue and the best hors-
es in the province were sure to be
found at Tome on the 9Th of Septem
ber each year. 1t became custom to
have family reunions in Tome each
year. When families became separat
ed by marriage or otherwise they
would make it rule to meet at the
feast of Tome. 1t was impossible to
accommodate the crowd in the houses
of the town so hundreds of tents
would be used on that occasion. Many
pretty jacales of evergreen would be
constructed for the use of the visitors.
The Home of the Flower of the Aris-
tocracy.
There lived there then the flower of
the aristocracy of New Mexico, the
Bacas, Castillos, Oteros, Chaves, Sala-
zares, Lunas, Romeros, Jimenez, NAL
donados, Vallejos, Sanchez, and many
others. The lands granted by the
Spanish crown to the settlers of Tome
were of the very best and it soon be-
came rich community. 1t was GUS
tomary for the farmers to go to the
staked plains or Llanos estacados to
the east every year in the fall to hunt
buffaloes and to bring the meat dried |
for winter uses and the hides nicely |
tanned by the Comanches to be taken
to Mexico where they were sold for
fancy prices. Each family had one es-
pecial fast horse reserved for the buf |
falo hunting service. Many were the |
fights that the people Of Tome had |
with the many savage and hostile In
dians to the east and west of them |
and could their history be written it |
would be full of the most romantic in
A Romance With Sad Ending.
One of the most pathetic of |
such incidents took place about two
hundred years ago. During the annu-
al visits of the Spaniards to the Co.
manche country in the staked plains
Don Ignacio Baca became great
friend of the then principal chief OF
the Comanches, who was known as
Cuerno Verde, a lineal descendant of
the original Cuerno Verde who was
famous in those times for his bravery
and sagacity. Don Ignacio was ac-
customed to take his Indian friend
many presents each year and the Co
manche used to reciprocate by pre-
senting to Don Ignacio hundreds OF
buffalo skins beautifully tanned and
painted on the inside in the character
istic Indian fashion. On one occasion
the chief visited the town of Tome
during the annual feast and took
many presents to his Spanish friend.
He was accompanied by hundred of
his warriors and they were royalty re-
ceived and entertained by the inhabi-
tants of the town. Many presents
were made to them and at the end of /
the feast they returned homeward
very much pleased with the treatment
they had received. During that visit
the Indian became acquainted with all
the family of Don Ignacio Baca. One
of the children was little girl named
Beatriz Baca, then about ten years old.
The chief proposed to Don Ignacio that
when Beatriz should be fifteen years
of age she should become the wife of
his son, who was destined to become
the great chief to succeed his father.
Promises His Daughter to the Chiefs
Son.
Don Ignacio said that 1t should be so.
not meaning It, of course, but the
Indian chief was in dead earnest. AZ
ter that, the Comanche used to send
many presents to the chosen sweet y