Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-15
Gran Quiuira Highyay Touches
Extremes of American Culture
m. r. I.ane In AmerIcan MolorIst.l

assets she possesses in her numerous
Indian and cliff dwellings, prehistoric
ruins, modern pueblos and all the
other remains and survivors Of that
period IN the past when she was sole
seat in North America of n ciNtliZa.
ton. These things have attracted
tourists who have returned east and
raved about them, which In turn has
attracted other tourists to come ana
rave. The problem has resolved IT.
self into two things. advertising and
communication, the supply of which
VIII enable the state to gain great
number of visitors, and, perhaps,
some of those permanent settlers
whom she is so earnestly seeking
In the Gran Quivira highway the two
essentials are blended. Not only does
the highway Itself form a main ave
nue. Of traffic from railroad termini
TO points of the greatest historic ana
romantic interest, but II is possessed
Of title which Is a distinct advertise
ing feature In itself. The highway
was designed To supply an easy and
practicable means whereby the Wis
itor OF the state might get around
from cliff dwelling to prehistoric ruin
and modern hotels To Indian pueblos
II does these things, but the men
who originated the idea were not con-
tent with that. They We're impelled
TO tack on name for their new road
which would be attractive to people
who had never heard OF II aud which
TO the initiated would fairly drip with
romance. while in all events it would
be distinctive Of New Mexico.
Gran QuiviraH' THE Great
Quest" TO put il into English, Is a
thing that must forever remain asso-
ciated with the entrance of the con-
quistadores into the empire OF the
southwest over three centuries ago,
for first Of all their journey into the
northern portions of the continent
was a quest. a great quest for gold.
They did not find the gold as they eX-
pected to find IL, In masses and de-
posts like those of the lncas, but they
found fair land whose fertility at
traeted settlers, so that though they
came for personal gain they added q
province to the domains of their
king
Gran Quivira is a name much later
history has attached to some remark
able ruins on the east slope OF the
Manzano mountains and ii is from
those that the highway takes It's
name. The ruins themselves have a
romantic. yet pathetic story, Tor
they. with others in the same region,
were abandoned by their inhabitants
because Of long series of raids by
the Apaches and Comanches, natural
enemies of the Pueblo peoples, who
were finally driven out of the state
as a result, with one exception.
o a
curious example of the meeting of eX-
tremes.
Its northern end is in Santa Re. the
capital Of New Mexico and the Oldest
seat of government in North America,
while it's southern end is in Roswell,
a modern hustling city of the Peeos
valley, where irrigation by electricity
is the principle interest. Halfway,
more or less, between these two points
lie the group of ruins of greatest in
terest, since it is one of them which
stands godfather to the road. In
Santa Fe the salient Characteristic is
antiquity. OF all the wonders there,
not one is of the present era. Next
to antiquity comes the characteristic
sentiment of POGO tempo" Tin a
minute) which is encountered in the
Latin countries. OF all the land OF
manana north of Panama, this Is the
capital and hest example. The place
is surrounded by the most interesting
country in the southwest. and that
means in America. For score or
more Of miles In each direction from
Santa Fe is something which has
come down the ages, ranging from the
comparatively modern pueblo of San
Cristohal, which the Apaches de-
stroyed over a century ago, back to
the cliff dwellings of the Paiarito and
Puye canyons, whose age no one has
even dared estimate.
The long arm or the Gran Quivira
highway reaches only so far as the
capital, but there are a dozen roads
that stretch beyond, finger-lilSe. to
touch each spot whittier the tourist
might wish to go. Most of them are
entirely practical for motors and some
of them are as good as the highway
itself beyond Santa Zee is the pueblo
Of Taos, greatest example of Pueblo
architecture and the one from which
the buildings of the state university
were designed; also beyond the capt.
tai are the other pueblos of san Juan,
Poioaque, san Ildefonso and dozen
Others the ancient cliff dwellings and
b the more llbQtIh Nnii Twill
ings. almost like the pueblos of today,
which succeeded them in the Puye,
Rito de los Friioles and Pajarito can
vons. Within easy reach of Santa Fe
nre the ruins Of the pueblo of Pecos,
once largest Of an New Mexican COM
I mnities, whose seventeen surviving
inhabitants abandoned it six decades
AGO. the san Crisi obal pueblo ruins
/ and the cliff dwelling ruins within a
/ mile Of them which antednte them I'M
measured centuries; the craven rocks
( where the people of both coinmunl-
ties sought to leave the story of their
I lives. the ancient turquoise mines at
/ Cerrillos. where Tiffany has Obtained
/ most of the blue stone in recent years,
not to speak Of the many points OF
I interest o the tourist or student WIN
I In the town itself.
Sonth from Santa ZEE the road pass
I es through Lamy, an historic town
/ named for an archbishop of the early
days to Galisteo. Galsteo WAS an
I advance post of Santa Fe in times
past, a sort of outer redoubt which
afforded refuge to the settlers in the
/ valley roundabout when the Indians
I rose. From 6ialisteo the highway
! trayerses the Estaneia valley TO. the
I town Of IEstancia, passing out OF the
valley near the historic old Estancia
springs. which were the most import
ant spot IN central New Mexico Of the
old days, the principal watering place
\ of vast land grant Many events
prominent in the history OF the Span
/ ish occupation are connected in one
way or another with these springs.
( There is near them an adobe house so
I old that the date of its erection, by
/ Indians or their predecessors, is en-
/ tirely lost. It is entirely possible that
( this house may antedate even the