Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-30

~----- Taos, quaint old Mexican settlement,
with venerable history dating back
to the beginning of the seventeenth century. Last
Of ali is Ranches de Taos, prosperous agricultural
community, where ones interest is equally divided
between the typical old Mission church and the
LnerOus dark-eyed senoritas.
Years ago the Taos valley known the gran
airy Of the southwest; and in the days before bull
team traffic ended this important mart and
distributing point. But when the railroads were
built the change in the course of travel and
meIce left Taos hopeIessly isolated. Progress has
passed it by, and life in the dreamy fash
ion OF the old land Of POGO TEMPO, that this hus-
ting age has almost obliterated The old land
marks are still undsturbed, the vandaI passion
change and improvement is still unknown, and the
Taos CT today>is much the same as the Taos of so
or IO0 years ago. with the element of danger from
nomadic savages eliminated. But those who desire
to see Taos as it is and 1t has been must needs
make haste. The railroad builders are headed that
way; and when the Shrek of the first locomotive
dlspels the ghosts of the past, and awakens the
valley from it's agelong sumber it may be far more
busting and prosperous, but it will again be
half interesting
Taos was the farthest outpost of Spanish civiliza
ton, and continued until in very recent years to
be frontier settlement, debatable border be-
tween civilization and the savage wilderness. The
Old Pueblo communal buildings are famous as being
the most perfect remaining specimens of aboriginal
American architecture. Close by is the tall tower
of the ruined adobe church, in which the last stand
OF the Pueblo Indian race for freedom was made in
mo
archaeological riddles of the southwest
This consists of long lines of cobbIestones
mostly arranged in rectangles, with here and
there circle When one first reaches the area
thus distinguished he will hardly recognize any
thing unusual but after he has driven for miles
and miles, seeing the cobblestone squares OBJ
longs and circles in unbroken series, it begins to
dawn upon him that here is something remark
able. 1t is evident that these cobblestones were
the foundation stones of adobe buildings and
that the lapse of ages has resulted in the wear
Ing away of the sun-dried bricks until the ancient
walls OF some prehistoric city have been fncor
porated with the soil of the level plain leaving
not trace behind but the rounded stones
brought from the distant river The foundation
stones of this prehistoric and unnamed city cover
an area or more than twenty-five square miles
The pueblo of Taos has existed upon its present
site Tor at least 500 years. Yet the Taos Indians
have no legend purporting to account for This
ancient community
1t is said that the first white settler in the
beautiful Taos valley, was a Spaniard named
fernandez, who drifted north from Santa Fe
two hundred years more ago and built for
himself an adobe hut in bunch of cottonwoods
three miles from the Indian village Hence he
was called Fernandez de Taos" or Fernandez
OF the Cottonwoods, and by and by the name was
applied to the locality, as well as to the man
before long other squatters began to follow his
Iead settling in the same neighborhood The
land belonged to the Indians but they were ouite
Wiling to give liberal allowance to all white
corners In this they displayed a craft curious7v
analogous to modern European craftsmanship
winch seeks to prevent a clash between two rival
powers by the creation buffer state" to keen =
them apart.
The Taos Indians had suffered for centuries
from the 1ncursions of the Apaches. They.
shre~dy reasoned that by creating fringe of
Spanish rancherias along the borders of their
own cultivated lands, they would shift the bur
den OF defense from their shoulders to those
OF the newcomers. She scheme really worked
very Wen: and white settlers in the Taos valley,
carried their guns with them to their grain fields
less than third OF century ago in order to be
prepared to defend themselves against a sudden
attack OF the Apaches while the crafty inbah
ttants of Taos titled their fields in comparative
security and peace of mind V
IN case or attack by large war party the
Taos Indians made common cause with the white
settlers. SO that the proximity of the community
was not without its advantages to the Spaniards d
owing to the abundance Of fur-bearing animals
ana other Wild game in the adjacent mountains f
the fertility of the soil the convenience of the v
place as general distributing point and the fact
that IL was situated of the laterals of
the santa Fe trail, Taos became the home or at r
Ieast the place OF rendezvous, of the soldiers Of I
fortune VINO made the southwest the theater of +
eneT EXPLOITS Kit Carson, Don Jesus Abreu Y
Una es NiaX"ell Charles Bent, Ceran ST. Vrain S
ohaFIes beaublen and many other makers of his q
tory once made this little yilapa fboi- - - :
that II Is crowded with memorials of heroic davs
W1thin a stones throw of the plaza is the house j..
III "hlch All carson lived, prostituted to the u
osse uses OF a hay and feed warehouse Less :
than quarter OF mile distant is tfn grave in 9
which his dust lies. Close TO this ir H. -
lean soldiers, with laconic nscrIn+ion reoo-55-
the fact that they were slain by Anaches in +s
Embudo canyon, March 5. 1854 :,
~~~~~~~~o~o --~~~o~~-o->o.>o-oo-o.