El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-04-27

able now shOw-first to give the name
Of FL Paso TO the gateway or the south
west. Securing IN 1889 a contract for
the conquest and settlement Of New
Mexico and surmOunting all obstacles
placed in his w=y py jealous rivals, in
1897 he set out upon his mission Leav-
ing the old ConchOs river trail to his
right he selected q new and more di-
rect route due north from Santa Bar
on April 90. 1898, he reached the Rio
del NOrte in latitude 81 deg, 30 min,
a place afterward known as La Toma;
and on April 80, the day OF the ascen-
sion Of the Lord" he took formal pos
session of New Mexico, at a place
three leagues aoOve the point where he
first touched the river
Continuing up stream five and one
half leagues, on May 4, 1898, Don Juan
the ford which became the gateway
into New Mexico and the site Of the
metropolis Of the southwest
Onnte's- Journey.
Proceeding northward TO the pueblo
region, Onate conquered the native
tribes and planted a mission and a set
Element at San Juan de los Caballeros,
on the Chama river, which. being aban-
doned while he was away on an eN-
ploring expedition, he reestabIished in
1903 at Santa Fe, the first permanent
settlement in New Mexico. The work
Of Onate fittingly closed the century
OF exploration and attempted settle
ment. and opened the new century OF
colonization and expansion by laying
the cornerstone Of Spanish occupation
in New Mexico.
Though the first quarter Of the 18th
century was occupied largely In Chris
thanking the pueblo indians and plant
ing Spanish settlements among them, it
Initiated the policy Of expansion which
was to give direction to the zeal or
priest and military leader during the
remainder Of the century. And though
part OF this expansive energy was eN-
pended in q northeastWard search for
Gran Quivira, by Tar the greater part
OF IL was directed toward the region
now embraced in western Texas, part
y for exploration and partly for
Outstanding the indians and open
ing up trade with them
The most noteworthy expeditions IN
to Texas were three missionary jour
neys Of father Juan de Salas and other
relgionists between 1911 and 1892, TO
the Jumano country, variously esu-
mated at from 112 10 200 leagues TO
the southeast. on the Rio de las Nueces,
which has been identified with the
Conchos OF Colorado river Of Texas;
the military expedition OF Alfonso Nacs,
about 1854. the military expedition OF
Capts Martin and Castillo TO the Ju-
mano country in 1880, and the eNplor-
ing party Of Guadalajara TO the Ju-
manO country In 1854 These move
ments eastward eliminated in the eX-
petition Of Juan Dominguez de Mendoza
from FL Paso 20 the JumanO country
in 1883 and 1884.
Spanish Expansion Into Nuevn Visenya.
While New Mexico was feeling her
way into the plains OF western Texas
Nueva Vizcaya-or Chihuahua-was
extending her settlements up the val
ley Of the Conchos. and along the foot
hills Of the Sierra Madre, and slowly
filling in the uninhabited area Of some
500 or 500 miles that separated Nueva
Vizcaya from the infant colony Of New
Mexico The Franciscan missionaries
worked among the Conchos indians IN
the COnchos valley and the Jesulls
worked among the Tarahumares Of the
Among other establishments a Span
ish settlement and a garrison were
planted at Parral in 1631-32. Though
two indian wars, one among the
Conchos in 1914 and one among the
Tarahumares in 1915 came near effac-
ing the work Of the two brOtherhoods,
both reOccupied their abandoned estab-
lishments and extended their Work
nearer FL Paso-
convent at ParraI in 1856, and before
1857 added Is new missions and con-
versions and selected the sites TOT
eight more The Jesuits by 1855. had
each with a priest in CHARGE, and three
new missions at Natividad- San Mateo,
and San IgnaciO: and by 1873 they had
extended their field to the northwest
TO Mission san Bernable, with its three
villages OF CuitZocnlci Cusihulriachlcr
and COrachic.
The Franciseans.
or more immediate Importance TO
the history OF the FL Pas0 district was
the work OF the Franciscans among the
Julimes, Janos Sumas and other tribes
who dwelt north Of the Conchos and
Tarahumares- and nearer TO FL Paso-
A mission at san Antonio de Casas
.Grandes. in 1868: two others At Tor
'reon and Carretas. about the same
time: Santa Maria de Ia Natividad In
1860; san Pedro NamiQuipa- IN 1855
Santiago Babonyaba, in 1865; santa
Ysabel Torcimares, in 1868; and san
Andres, in 1884. were among the new
Franciscan conversions In this region
Before 1854 there were established
along the Rio del Sacramento,
tributary OF the Conchossthe pueblo a.
San Antonio de JuIImes ana four or
five opulent haciendas; indeed, the en-
tire region between FL Rio del Sacra-
mento. Casas Grandes. and FL PasO was
thinly sprinkled over with Missions
estancias and haciendas-
CTo Be Continued Tomorrow