Take a Journey along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail

Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! My name is Brooke Safford and I’ll be taking you on a short journey along the oldest Euro-American trade route here in the United States, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail. I am standing outside of the El Camino Real International Heritage Center; a New Mexico State Monument located 30 miles south of Socorro. This center offers a variety of award-winning exhibits on the Camino Real and also overlooks a pristine and historic section of this national historic trail.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, Spanish for the Royal Road to the Interior Lands, was one of many roads supported by the Spanish Crown to link Old Spain, which is Spain in Europe to New Spain, which is now present-day Mexico and New Mexico. 

Extending over 1,500 miles, this Royal Road began in Mexico City and continued north through Zacatecas, Chihuahua onto the region of El Paso and Las Cruces, making its way up the Rio Grande Valley, through the historic Santa Fe Plaza and eventually to Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo for the first 10 years and then finally to Santa Fe for the remainder of its lifespan. 

For more than 300 years, the trail served as a major artery for trade, commerce, and settlement. Lured by potential riches and territorial expansion, Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate led the first recorded expedition up this route in 1598.

Sections of the Camino Real already existed as a series of Indian footpaths and trade routes among native tribes. Oñate followed many of these footpaths as he made his six month journey into unfamiliar territory and eventually to the confluence of the Rio Grande and Chama Rivers where he established the first Spanish settlement at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. 

Over the next three centuries, thousands of merchants, soldiers, friars, women, and children traveled along this route looking to settle in new territory, establish missions or simply to make more money. Occasionally, American Indians familiar with the area would accompany them and serve as guides.

Goods moved up and down this route. Some of the most common items included: corn, sheep, cattle, woven goods, hides, salt, piñon nuts, and cow and antelope hides. Luxury goods such as satin sheets, beds, silk, musical instruments, chocolate, and precious stones were also transported or sold.

In addition to exchanging material goods, the trail was a primary conduit for change, introducing new cultures, ideas, materials and conflict with the American Indians who had inhabited areas along the route for thousands of years.

You may be lucky to travel in a car today but back then the main mode of transportation along this route was via the two-wheeled carreta, the four-wheeled carro or by horse, mule, or foot. 

A yoke of oxen would typically pull the vehicle — averaging around 10 to 15 miles per day. A typical caravan consisted of 20-30 wagons followed by mule trains and flanked by thousands of pigs, sheep, horses, and cattle.

We are now walking along a dreaded yet unavoidable section of El Camino Real. This section is called the Jornada del Muerto or Dead Man’s Journey. Due to rugged and impassable terrain along the Rio Grande, the caravans were forced to leave the comforts of the river and tread across this 90-mile stretch of waterless and desolate terrain. 

As you can see the land is parched, it’s exposed and there’s really nowhere to hide from the elements. The travelers likened this to traveling across a barren sea. The temperatures were extremely hot in the summer time and bitterly cold in the winter time.

For days on end, the air resounded with the screeching of wagon wheels as the drivers pushed the caravans further into Tierra Adentro. 

It took about two to three days to traverse the Jornada before travelers could quench their thirst at the first paraje or campsite located at the end of this no man’s land.

The arrival of the railroad in 1880 eventually replaced the need for wagon transportation and ultimately the use of El Camino Real.

Physical traces of this trail provide a tangible link between our modern times and the historic people, places, and events that are associated with this ancient transportation corridor.

What we’ve seen today is just a glimpse of what El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail has to offer.  Although much of the trail has been replaced by modern roads, the trail corridor is still remains alive today. There is much to see and do along the trail. Come and travel the trail and experience firsthand the people, plaes and culture, and events that have shaped this part of the United States.

The past—touching your life today.

See you on the trail!

National Park Service
National Trails Intermountain Region
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, administered by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management

This film made possible through a grant with the National Park Foundation.

Writer-Presenter-Producer-Editor
Brooke G. Safford

Videographer-Editor
Lynne Mager

Film Assistant
Lance Winebrenner

Partners
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
Trail Association
El Camino Real International
Heritage Center

Still images and illustrations
courtesy of:
Pecos National Historical Park
Spanish Colonial Art Museum
Palace of the Governors
El Camino Real International
Heritage Center

Additional sites to visit:
Palace of the Governors,
Santa Fe, NM
Coronado State Monument,
Bernalillo, NM
Casa San Ysidro,
Corrales, NM
Gutierrez-Hubbell House,
Albuquerque, NM
El Rancho de las Golondrinas,
Santa Fe, NM
Fort Craig National Historic Site
near Soccoro, NM
Fort Selden State Monument,
Radium Springs, NM
Mesilla, NM
San Elizario, TX

The Children of Spanish Colonial Times

Along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro during Spanish Colonial times—from the late 1500s to the early 1800s—what were children doing to contribute to their community; and how did they have fun?

At El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a Spanish Colonial ranch from the 1700s, life as it was then is still alive in the setting, the buildings, and the activities that take place here. Several times a year, children come to the Ranch of the Swallows to experience and to perform the duties of the children from the 1700s.

They learn that Churro sheep were brought up El Camino Real from Mexico City in the late 1500s — and that the wool of the sheep became invaluable to everyday life. Once sheep were sheared, the wool needed to be washed to get it ready to be dyed with brilliant colors. To wash the wool, the family dug up a yucca plant and used the root to obtain soap.

They would take the bark off the root with a mano and metate or a knife. They squeezed the root and swished it in a pan of water to make the water soapy. Swirling the wool in the water cleaned off all of the oil. Now it was ready to be dyed.

Hand spinning of the wool turned it into yarn for Colcha embroidery. Children as young as 6, 7, or 8 learned this skill. Mothers would teach the girls to embroider blankets, bedspreads, and rugs. Colcha embroidery is easy. It’s just one stitch repeated over and over.

Corn had long been an important crop for pueblo Indians and Spanish people. Children shucked the corn and used a mano and metate to grind the corn, which was then made into cornmeal for tortillas.

The people who settled here didn’t have stores along El Camino Real to buy sugar. They made their own sweetener by boiling down sorghum cane. The sorghum mill you see here is from the 1900s. In the 1700s, children would take a mallet and pound the sorghum cane in a trough to squeeze juice out of the cane. The juice was boiled for 5 or 6 hours to make sorghum molasses, which tasted very sweet and a bit smoky.

Children also helped make rope — and bake bread in a traditional adobe oven called an horno.

But what did they do for fun? Fun then and fun now are relatively different. In the 1700s, chores and free time were interwoven in every day life. Boys may have enjoyed hunting but it was also essential to survival.

Some activities included spiritual beliefs. Ojo de Dios or the Eye of God is a weaving made across two sticks. The spiritual eye has the power to see and understand things unknown. They were placed in places where people worked or where they walked along a trail — where the eye can watch you do your work or inspire you. Today children place Ojo de Dios by their homework so they’re inspired to do good schoolwork.

During down time in the winter, girls might make ramilletes, a beautiful bouquet of paper flowers. Cutting vibrant patterns of paper into various shapes, the ramillete was layered and secured. This was an excellent chore to achieve good hand and eye coordination.

The children of Spanish Colonial times were intimately involved in daily family life. Bring your family to El Rancho de las Golondrinas and many other points along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail. You may be surprised to find family traditions that look and feel familiar. The past—touching your life today.

National Park Service
National Trails Intermountain Region
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, administered by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management

This film made possible through a grant with the National Park Foundation.

Writer-Presenter
Lynne Mager

Producer-Videographer-Editor
Lynne Mager and Brooke Safford

Partners
National Park Foundation
El Rancho de las Golondrinas

Additional sites to visit:
Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, NM
Coronado State Monument, Bernalillo, NM
Casa San Ysidro, Corrales, NM
Gutierrez-Hubbell House, Albuquerque, NM
Fort Craig National Historic Site, near Socorro, NM
Fort Selden State Monument, Radium Springs, NM
Mesilla, NM
San Elizario, TX

A Child’s Story of Socorro

Sheri Armijo

2007 Self-Published by Sheri Armijo
All rights reserved.
First Edition
Library of Sherik Cataloging-in-Publication Data

For additional copies write to:
430 Terry Street
Socorro, NM 87801
cerezaberry@yahoo.com

Characters:

Narrator
Spanish Speaking Colonists/soldiers & families
Juan de Oñate (leader of the colonists)
Indians and Slaves from Mexico
Piro People
Letoc (Leader of the Piro People)

Narrator:  Long ago the Pueblo People lived by the river in a large village called Teypana, which meant “Village Flower” in their language.

(People sit down by the river.)

Narrator:  In June of 1598 a group of over 500 Spanish speaking people, including Indians and slaves, came from Mexico.

There were 130 soldiers & families.

Oñate knew they would find Indios de los pueblos because of the records of the Rodríquez-Chamuscado Expedition in 1581.

(Hold up pictures of Fray Rodríquez and Francisco Chamuscado.)

(Oñate looks at his records)

(More colonists and others cross stage with horses and other props.)

Narrator:  They had traveled hundreds of miles on El Camino Real. They would walk or ride horses. Some of the men, women, and children got sick and some died. (Pause to elicit sadness.)

They brought horses, cows, oxen, mules, donkeys, goats, pigs, Churro sheep, dogs and a cat.

(More movement on stage: more props)

They brought 83 wagons loaded with armaments, tools, hoes, axes; velvet and silk; seeds, seedlings, herbs, and spices.

Foods like wheat, barley, chickpeas, pomegranate, cherries, apricot, peppers, peas, coriander seeds, cilantro leaves, cumin, coffee, chile tomatoes, onions, garlic, grapes, and sugar.

(Oñate holds up a banner)

Narrator:  Their leader Juan de Oñate carried a banner of “Nuestra Senora de los Remedios  Our Lady of Succur* - one who gives spiritual or physical relief.

(Characters act hungry, thirsty and tired)
 
Narrator:  They were ragged after coming out of the Jornada del Muerto, a 90-mile stretch of land without water. They were hot and tired and hungry and thirsty. They thought they were going to die. They prayed for help.

Colonists and Others: Socorro! Socorro! Socorro!

Narrator:  They stopped and camped near Qualacu on the east bank of the Río Grande. 

Qualacu was a Piro-speaking pueblo settlement. The people there were farmers. The people of Qualacu were not certain they wanted anything to do with newcomers. They fled from their pueblo.

(Piro leave area)

(Onate sends gifts to the Piros)

Narrator: The Piros heard them speaking a different language. They didn’t understand Spanish but they could tell that the Spanish speakers needed help.

The Piro crowded on the rooftops of their houses to see the strangers.

They believed these strangers to be “children of the Sun”.

The leader Letoc was not afraid. Through signs with his hands, he showed that he wanted to be friendly. He offered them a huge gift of com.

They gave them water to drink.

(Pass around the water jugs)

They also had squash and pumpkins.

(The Piros present plants)

The Piros showed them plants for making dyes for cloth and herbs for medicines.

The Spanish speaking people were so happy to be helped. They gave the Piro people the wonderful things they brought with them.
They gave them sheep and lambs.

(Bring in props)

Narrator:  They showed them how to make cloth out of the wool from the sheep. They also brought leather boots, jewelry, linen handkerchiefs, ruffled shirts, silk stockings, embroidered shawls, and rosaries to trade.

(Colonists and others playact religious motions)

Narrator:  They acted out a play for the Piro People to teach them different ways to pray.

(Bring in Santos or other religious items/crucifix)

(The Piros kiss the crucifix)

Narrator: They taught them how to speak Spanish.

Colonist/Piro: (Converse in Spanish) Cómo estas? Muy bien gracias. (How are you? Very well, thank you.)

Narrator: The Spanish speakers played new kinds of music.

(All listen to music)

Narrator:  The Spanish speakers taught the Piros how to build a church.

Narrator:  They named the church*Nuestra Señora de Socorro de Pilabo, because of the relief that they received.

(All put arms around each other and looked relieved)

Narrator: The colonists and Piros learned from each other. New ideas, new foods, new ways to farm helped both cultures achieve succor.

All: Relief!

Narrator:  And everyone learned to be friends in Socorro.