Synopsis "Pasaron Por Aquí: 50 Men and Women From Guadalupe County's Past"
I have chosen the tile Pasaron Por Aquí after the Spanish "pasó por aquí" inscription left by Juan de Oñate at El Morro National Monument. He carved his message into the side of a cliff when he visited the area in 1605. El Morro, also known as Inscription Rock, is located near Zuni in western New Mexico. Literally translated into English, "pasó por aquí" means "he passed through these parts." "Pasaron por aquí" means "they passed through these parts." I have included short vignettes about fifty people who contributed to the rich history and lore of Guadalupe county. Included in Pasaron Por Aquí are the four delegates elected from Guadalupe county to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1910. The delegates of the convention were able to draft a constitution for what was then the Territory of New Mexico. The constitution they drafted led to statehood for New Mexico in 1912. Two individuals who visited the area found themselves in the county through circumstances beyond their control. One of them was Charles Lindbergh, the first aviator to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic. He was forced to land in Vaughn due to engine trouble. America's folk hero, newspaper columnist and movie actor Will Rogers, who was flying towards California, was forced to land in Vaughn because of severe weather conditions. Other vignettes include a famous outlaw, this one died of old age, and several other political leaders. A Roman Catholic nun who mentored the president of a South American country is included. Some of the vignettes are about early settlers in the area. A railroad magnate who helped build Santa Rosa, though he didn't settle here, is the subject of one of the vignettes. The founder of Santa Rosa, Celso Baca, is included. An area rancher, John Hicks, who was the role model for Owen Wister's classic western novel, The Virginian, is the subject of one of the vignettes. I have also chosen to include Virginia Pino, an elderly woman who I knew as a young boy growing up in Puerto de Luna. She truly represented the pioneer spirit of the early days of Puerto de Luna. There are several omissions from Pasaron Por Aquí. I have chosen to omit the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his venture through the area in the 1540s. I have also not included Kit Carson and the Navajo Long Walk of the early 1860s. Carson made several jaunts through the area as he escorted Navajo Indians on their way to Bosque Redondo near present-day Fort Sumner. Also omitted is the first American archbishop of New Mexico, Jean-Baptiste Lamy. Lamy made several solo trips into the area in the mid 19th century Pasaron Por Aquí has been alphabetized by surname, though some of the persons included were known only by a nickname. Those are listed alphabetically by their nickname rather than surname.
