SPOTLIGHT

Family History on the Trail

The following article, submitted by Louis Serna, gives insight into the first record of the Serna Family in the Cimarron area. Each issue will feature a bit of history by individuals whose family lived and worked along the Santa Fe Trail in the past and subsequently impacted life today.

Cimarron - An Historical Crossroad

By Louis F. Serna

Much has been written about Cimarron...a small community stategically located at the eastern edge of the Sangre de Cristo mountasin range centered between Raton to the north, Taos to the west, Wagon Mound to the south and Texas Plains to the east. The village as a community dates back to the early days of the Maxwell Land Grant of the mid 1800's, when Lucien Maxwell started the town as a "service" center for his huge ranch hacienda located in that place. Due to the vastness of his land grant empire, he needed the skills of many to provide him with his needs and wishes and so the town grew around his home. Thanks to the many resources that were available on his ranch, such as ranching, gold prospecting, excellent climate and the best of grazing land, the settlement of Cimarron soon became know far and wide. The fact that it was located conveniently at a place where many who were coming along the Santa Fe Trail could stop and rest and replenish supplies, made it a magnet for all travelers, including outlaws, gunfighters, and the like. Cimarron soon became a bustling community with a reputation for being able to provide whatever was needed to a great variety of travelers, good and bad. Over the next one hundred years, Cimarron lived up to it's name; "wild" and "untamed", which is what the name means in Spanish.

But what was that place like, before it was called Cimarron; before the Maxwells, Kit Carson, and before Charles Beaubien the original owner of the grant known as the Beautien - Miranda Grant? Who lived there? What was it like there?

We know that the earliest migrations of Native Americans date back some 10,000 years ago, and that one group replaced another in the valleys around Cimarron over many years. By the early 1500's, the Indian tribes we know as the Utes, the Comanches, and the Apaches were the predominant people who regularly came to "Cimarron" for the reasons given. It was a crossroad to several destinations and provided easy access to food by way of game, wild nuts, fruits, and some vegetables growing wild along its pristine streams. In spite of occasional strife among the tribes, life in the Cimarron valleys was beautiful for the natives and food was available the year around.

By the time the first Europeans passed through the area in the mid 1500's, under the leadership of the Spanish explorer, Vasquez de Coronado, the Jicarilla Apache and the Utes were using the valleys as their home lands, and more so the Jicarilla. During the Spanish colonization period of the 1600's, the Jicarilla were still known to be living in that area and even cultivating land for planting. They hunted deer, elk, mountain sheep, turkey, and even buffalo and antelope on the plains.

In 1719, perhaps the first Europeans to set foot in the place called Cimarron were Juan de Ulibarri and Cristobal de la Serna, Spanish military men under the command of the Spanish presidio at Santa Fe. Evidence of this is written in the travel log of one who wrote of the encounter with the Jicarilla chief named Ysdalnisdal, who offered them raisins and other delicacies, telling them that they were "his favorite Spaniards". Life was good for the Jicarillas.

Progress is what it is... sometimes good for some and difficult for others. In the years following the arrival of the Spanish, and later the French and "Americanos", the Indians were removed from Cimarron to make room for "progress". Fortunately, the Jicarillas found a place for themselves at the north end of the state at Dulce where they remain today. Certainly they have oral history of their early homeland at Cimarron, which today is still a small community, full of memories, history, and friendly people.

Louis Serna, October 2007 sernabook@comcast.net

If you have an interesting tale to tell about your family along the Santa Fe Trail and would like to share your story with our viewers, please email Laura at bywaynewsletter@santafetrailnm.org.

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Election of Officers

This past November, the NM Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway Alliance held elections for three positions, Vice-chair, Secretary and Trustee. Incumbants Tony Oliver and Faye Gaines were re-elected to their positions of Vice-chair and Trustee respectively. The position of Secretary was unfilled.

Heather Seward was later appointed to the board as Secretary.

Next year's election will consist of the Chair's and Treasurer's positions. If you are interested in being nominated for one of these positions, please contact anyone on the board.

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Interpretating the Trail

The alliance plans to apply for grant funds from the National Byways Organization for the installation of kiosks in key sites such as Clayton and Santa Fe. The interpretive material will tell the story of the Santa Fe Trail and local history.

The Raton Chamber and Economic Development Council applied for and has been approved for grant funds for installation of a SFT kiosk at the Visitor's Center in Raton. It will tell the story of the Santa Fe Trail, mining, cattle ranching and railroading in the area.

The Alliance will work closely with the local chambers, municipalities and other tourism organizations in order to help interpret the trail to tourists visiting the communities along the trail.

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More Byway News

The Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway Profile is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the New Mexico Department of Tourism.

For more information about the New Mexico Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway please email info@santafetrailnm.org

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