Anton Chico, New Mexico

Last updated

Anton Chico, New Mexico
USA New Mexico location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Anton Chico
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Anton Chico
Coordinates: 35°12′00″N105°08′32″W / 35.20000°N 105.14222°W / 35.20000; -105.14222
CountryUnited States
State New Mexico
County Guadalupe
Area
[1]
  Total1.79 sq mi (4.63 km2)
  Land1.79 sq mi (4.63 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
5,253 ft (1,601 m)
Population
 (2020) [2]
  Total161
  Density90.15/sq mi (34.81/km2)
Time zone UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
87711
Area code 575
GNIS feature ID903205 [3]

Anton Chico, or Anton Chico Abajo or Anton Chico de Abajo, is a census-designated place in Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 188 as of the 2010 census, of which 167 were Hispanic in origin. [4] Anton Chico has a post office with ZIP code 87711. [5] [6] New Mexico State Road 386 passes through the community. Anton Chico is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Contents

Geography

Anton Chico is located at 35°11′42″N105°08′38″W / 35.194866°N 105.143895°W / 35.194866; -105.143895 . According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has an area of 1.784 square miles (4.62 km2), all land. [7]

In 1958 tin roofs rather than adobe were on the majority of houses. [8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020 161
U.S. Decennial Census [9] [2]

History

Prior to 1786, when a peace treaty was concluded with the Comanches, Spanish settlements in New Mexico were confined to the Rio Grande valley and nearby. The reduced threat from the Comanches, the most numerous and dangerous of the Indian peoples surrounding the New Mexican settlements, permitted the expansion of the Spanish eastward into the Pecos River valley and onto the Great Plains. The motivation for the Pecos Valley settlements was the growing population of New Mexico plus the need to defend the Spanish and Puebloan settlements in the Rio Grande valley from raids by Apache and other Indian peoples. [10]

In 1822 the government of New Mexico created the Anton Chico Land Grant, 378,537 acres (153,188 ha) in size. [11] Salvador Tapia and 36 others petitioned the government for the grant. In exchange they promised to take up residence in the grant area, to hold the land in common for themselves and future settlers, and to obtain firearms and bows and arrows to defend the settlement against Indian attacks. The initial settlers came to Anton Chico from La Cuesta (now called Villanueva), 20 kilometres (12 mi) upstream on the Pecos River. However, Indian raids caused the abandonment of the settlement in 1827. Anton Chico was resettled in 1834, this time with success [12]

Seven settlements grew along 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of the Pecos River. From north to south (upstream to downstream) they were Tecolotito, Upper Anton Chico, Anton Chico, Llano Viejo, La Loma, Llano del Medio, Dilia, and Colonias. [13] Anton Chico is the largest settlement of the seven. It was described in 1841-1842 as having a population of 200 to 300 people and built around a plaza designed for defense. The houses, surrounded by high walls, were described as follows:

"The little village of Anton Chico is built in a square, the houses fronting on the inner side, although there are strong doors, on the outer. The houses are of one story only, built of adobe...while the tops are flat. They have neither windows nor floors, and in point of comfort and convenience are only one degree removed from the modest wigwam of the Indian." [14]

As one of the closest New Mexican settlements to the Great Plains with its bison herds and Plains Indians, many Ciboleros (bison hunters) and Comancheros (traders with the Plains Indians) originated from Anton Chico and other Hispano communities along the Pecos River in the 19th century. [15]

Anton Chico achieved its maximum prominence about 1890 when it had a population of 900 people, all or nearly all Hispanic, and was a mercantile center for much of eastern New Mexico. Subsequently, with out-migration the population and economic activity declined. [16] A factor in its decline was the re-routing of Route 66 which before 1937 crossed the Pecos River near Anton Chico. Subsequently, Anton Chico was distant from major transportation routes. [17]

Climate

Anton Chico has a cold steppe climate (BSk) under the Köppen Classification of climates. Under the Trewartha climate classification the climate is a cold steppe with hot summers and cool winters (BSak). Most precipitation is received in the warmer six months of the year.

Climate data for Anton Chico, New Mexico, USA. 35.195 -105.144. Elevation: 5,353 feet (1,632 m).
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)11.7
(53.0)
13.9
(57.0)
17.8
(64.0)
22.2
(72.0)
26.7
(80.0)
31.7
(89.0)
32.8
(91.0)
31.7
(89.0)
28.3
(83.0)
22.8
(73.0)
16.1
(61.0)
11.7
(53.0)
22.3
(72.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)3.1
(37.5)
4.7
(40.5)
8.3
(47.0)
12.2
(54.0)
16.9
(62.5)
21.9
(71.5)
23.9
(75.0)
23.1
(73.5)
19.4
(67.0)
13.3
(56.0)
7.2
(45.0)
3.1
(37.5)
13.1
(55.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−5.6
(22.0)
−4.4
(24.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
2.2
(36.0)
7.2
(45.0)
12.2
(54.0)
15.0
(59.0)
14.4
(58.0)
10.6
(51.0)
3.9
(39.0)
−1.7
(29.0)
−5.6
(22.0)
3.9
(39.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)15
(0.6)
13
(0.5)
18
(0.7)
20
(0.8)
33
(1.3)
41
(1.6)
66
(2.6)
66
(2.6)
48
(1.9)
30
(1.2)
18
(0.7)
20
(0.8)
390
(15.3)
Source: "Anton Chico, NM," [18]

National Register of Historic Places

In 1986, the village of Anton Chico was added to the National Register of Historic Places. [19]

Education

Its school district is Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools. [20] It operates Rita M. Marquez Elementary School and Anton Chico Middle School in Anton Chico. Santa Rosa High School is the district's sole comprehensive high school. [21]

Prior to 1973 the school district closed the junior high school in the Anton Chico area and began sending middle school students to Santa Rosa. This in turn made the Anton Chico residents upset at the school district. The West Las Vegas School District offered to have school bus transportation from Anton Chico to its schools and asked the State of New Mexico to pay for the transportation costs, but in 1973 the New Mexico State Board of Education denied the request to pay. In 1973 the Anton Chico elementary, which covered Kindergarten through grade 6, had 154 students. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico</span> Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States

Tierra Amarilla is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Miguel County, New Mexico</span> County in New Mexico, United States

San Miguel County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,201. Its county seat is Las Vegas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guadalupe County, New Mexico</span> County in New Mexico, United States

Guadalupe County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,452. Its county seat is Santa Rosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnuel, New Mexico</span> Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States

Carnuel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,232 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. Robert Julyan theorizes that name of the community, which has been spelled both Carnuel and Carnué, derives from the Tiwa word for "badger place."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tijeras, New Mexico</span> Village in New Mexico, United States

Tijeras is a village in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 541 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Albuquerque metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Rosa, New Mexico</span> City in New Mexico, United States

Santa Rosa is a city in and the county seat of Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,848 at the 2010 census. It lies between Albuquerque and Tucumcari, situated on the Pecos River at the intersection of Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 54 and 84. The city is located on the western edge of the Llano Estacado or "staked plains" of eastern New Mexico and west Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pecos National Historical Park</span> National Historical Park of the United States

Pecos National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in San Miguel County, New Mexico. The park, operated by the National Park Service, encompasses thousands of acres of landscape infused with historical elements from prehistoric archaeological ruins to 19th-century ranches, to a battlefield of the American Civil War. Its largest single feature is Pecos Pueblo also known as Cicuye Pueblo, a Native American community abandoned in historic times. First a state monument in 1935, it was made Pecos National Monument in 1965, and greatly enlarged and renamed in 1990. Two sites within the park, the pueblo and the Glorieta Pass Battlefield, are National Historic Landmarks.

Villanueva is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Known as La Cuesta until 1890, it is located along the Pecos River and New Mexico State Road 3. Villanueva has the ZIP code 87583. The 87583 ZIP Code Tabulation Area had a population of 234 in the 2010 United States census, compared to 267 in 2000. A total of 211 residents of Villanueva in 2010 identified themselves as Hispanic.

Land grants in New Mexico and Colorado were awarded to individuals and communities by the Spanish and Mexican governments to encourage settlement and expansion of the Territorio de Nuevo Mexico, which included southern Colorado. Land grants by the Spanish and Mexicans between 1692 and 1846 numbered 291 in New Mexico, four partly in New Mexico and partly in Colorado, and three in Colorado. The land area of grants totaled tens of thousands of square miles. "The two major types of land grants were private grants made to individuals, and communal grants made to groups of people for the purpose of establishing settlements. Communal land grants were also made to Pueblos for the lands they inhabited." The majority of the land area within grants was designated as common land for residents. Common land was mostly used for grazing cattle and sheep. Smaller acreages within the grants were devoted to irrigation agriculture and home sites. The principal objectives of the land grants were to encourage the foundation of new communities and to expand the settled area on the frontiers of New Mexico for defense from Indian raids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villanueva State Park</span>

Villanueva State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, located on the banks of the Pecos River. The park features red and yellow sandstone cliffs, cottonwood trees, and other native plants. Villanueva State Park's elevation is 6,110 feet above sea level. The park sits in the shift from The Rocky Mountains and The Great Plains. The park is located southwest of the town of Las Vegas, 35 miles (56 km) New Mexico. While on the lookout trails of Villanueva State Park, one would be able to view the Pecos River. Water in the Pecos River south headed to Villanueva State Park, there are showed signs of base metals and mercury. Elevated levels of copper, lead, and zinc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Miguel del Vado, New Mexico</span> Unincorporated community in New Mexico, United States

San Miguel del Vado is an unincorporated community in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Miguel del Vado Land Grant</span>

The San Miguel del Vado Land Grant is one of the Spanish land grants in New Mexico. On November 24, 1794, 53 men submitted a petition for land and were granted temporary possession on November 24, 1794, pending satisfaction of prescribed criteria. A second grant was obtained by 58 men and their respective families on March 12, 1803. Two days later, the procedure was repeated at San José del Vado, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of San Miguel del Vado, distributing farm land to an additional 47 heads of household, including two women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tome, New Mexico</span> Census-designated place in New Mexico, United States

Tome is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. It is located in the Rio Grande valley near the foot of Tome Hill, a notable Catholic pilgrimage site. The village lies along New Mexico State Road 47 and is neighbored by Valencia to the north and Adelino to the south. It is the location of the Valencia Campus of the University of New Mexico. Tome has a post office with ZIP code 87060. The population was 1,867 as of the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Cerrito, New Mexico</span> Village in New Mexico, United States

El Cerrito is a village in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. The village is located in the upper Pecos River valley and was founded in 1824 by settlers from Villanueva, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) upstream. The majority of the population is Hispanic.

San Jose is a census-designated place in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 137 as of the 2010 census. San Jose has a post office, with ZIP code 87565. Exit 319 of Interstate 25 serves the community.

Sena is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. It is located along the Pecos River and New Mexico State Highway 3.

Slavery in New Mexico existed among the Native American (Indian) tribes prior to the arrival of the first Europeans. In 1542, the Spanish king banned the enslavement of the Indians of the Americas in Spanish colonies, but the ban was mostly ineffective. The enslavement of Indians was common during the Spanish exploration and colonization of New Mexico from 1540 to 1821. Slaves of the Spanish included a few of the Pueblos living in the Spanish colony, but most slaves were captured from other Indian tribes in the region. Women were more valued than men as slaves. Slaves were not only valued for their labour, but were also a prestige item among the more prominent and prosperous of the Spanish colonists. Enslavement of an individual was not always permanent. Slaves, especially women, often gained kinship relationships with their owners. The offspring and descendants of enslaved persons were called genizaros and made up one-third of New Mexico's population in the early 19th centuries. In the Spanish caste system genizaros had low status, but were important for frontier defense and cultural contacts with Indian tribes. Forced labor and debt peonage were also features of slavery in New Mexico. Some Indians captured and enslaved in New Mexico were sent south to work in Mexican mines or even to distant places like Cuba to work on sugar plantations.

Llano del Medio is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Guadalupe County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 118 as of the 2010 census, of which 111 people were Hispanic in origin. New Mexico State Road 119 passes through the community.

Tecolotito is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. The word "Tecolotito" has its origin in the Nahuatl language. Adopted into Spanish it means "small owl." The population of the community was 232 as of the 2010 census, of which 213 people were of Hispanic origin.

Santa Rosa Consolidated School District, also known as Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools (SRCS), is a school district headquartered in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

References

  1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  3. "Anton Chico". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  5. "Postmaster Finder - Post Offices by ZIP Code". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  6. United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code" . Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files: Places: New Mexico". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  8. Bryan, Howard (October 16, 1958). "Off the Beaten Path". The Albuquerque Tribune . Albuquerque, New Mexico. p. 6. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  10. Ebright, Malcolm, "The Villanueva State Park," pp. 13-14, 19, Archived 2019-04-11 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 17 Mar 2019
  11. "Land Grants," New Mexico in Maps, http://online.nmartmuseum.org/assets/files/Maps/LandGrants.pdf, accessed 11 Apr 2019.
  12. Ebright, Malcolm, "The Villanueva State Park," pp. 22-23, 26. Archived 2019-04-11 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 17 Mar 2019
  13. Google Earth
  14. National Register of Historic Places Inventory,' National Park Service: Department of the Interior, p. 2, 6, , accessed 11 Apr 2019
  15. "The Cibolero Trail: Across the Plains of Eastern New Mexico." Archived April 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine .
  16. "National Register," pp. 3, 10
  17. "Description and Historic Context for Pre-1937 Highway Alignments," , accessed 17 Apr 2019
  18. www.google.com https://www.google.com/search?q=anton+chico%2C+nm+climate . Retrieved April 12, 2019.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ title missing ]
  19. "National Register," , accessed 12 Apr 2019
  20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Guadalupe County, NM" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  21. "Home". Santa Rosa Consolidated Schools. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)- See drop-down menu that lists the schools - Ghost Archive
  22. Feather, Bill (January 6, 1973). "Board Denies West Las Vegas Busing Request". Albuquerque Journal . Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press. p. B-12. - Clipping from Newspapers.com. Text detail A and text detail B.