San Miguel del Vado, New Mexico
Nestled in the heart of the upper Pecos River Valley, approximately 26 miles southwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico, lies the unassuming village of San Miguel del Vado. Its name, translating to "San Michael of the Ford," hints at its historical significance as a crucial crossing point on the Pecos River. Today, the village stands as a testament to New Mexico’s rich and layered past, a place where Spanish colonial ambition, Native American interactions, and the burgeoning commerce of the Santa Fe Trail converged. The stories etched into its adobe walls whisper tales of frontier life, trade, conflict, and ultimately, decline.
The story of San Miguel del Vado begins in 1794, when Spanish Governor Fernando Chacon, recognizing the need for a fortified buffer against the nomadic Kiowa and Comanche tribes who frequently raided Spanish settlements, granted a vast expanse of 315,000 acres to Lorenzo Marquez and 51 other settlers. This land grant, also named San Miguel del Vado, aimed to establish a strategic outpost, providing both defense and a foothold for further Spanish expansion in the region. This marked the birth of the first village in this area.
The initial settlers of San Miguel del Vado were a diverse group, reflecting the complex social fabric of the time. Genizaros, individuals of Native American descent, often former slaves or their descendants, formed a significant part of the population. They were joined by Plains Indians, some of whom had converted to Christianity, Comanche individuals integrated into the community, and a contingent of Spanish military personnel tasked with maintaining order and security.
Life in the nascent village revolved around agriculture and animal husbandry. The fertile lands along the Pecos River were cultivated using irrigation techniques, allowing the settlers to grow crops and sustain themselves. Livestock, particularly sheep and cattle, also played a vital role in the local economy. While the threat of raids by Comanche and Kiowa Indians was ever-present, the settlers also engaged in trade with these tribes, exchanging goods and fostering a sometimes uneasy, but necessary, coexistence. The village also became a launching point for Comancheros and ciboleros. Comancheros were New Mexican traders who ventured onto the plains to trade with the Comanche, while ciboleros were buffalo hunters, venturing eastward to hunt the great herds that roamed the plains.
Despite its strategic importance, San Miguel del Vado was slow to solidify as a permanent settlement. Individual land allotments were not formally granted until 1803, with the remaining land held as communal property. However, the village experienced considerable growth within a year. This growth spurred the residents to petition the Bishop of Durango for the construction of a church, a request that was granted, leading to the commencement of construction on a distinctive two-towered church in 1805.
By 1811, San Miguel del Vado had surpassed the declining Pecos Pueblo in population, signifying a shift in regional power and influence. The completion of the church in the same year, coupled with the establishment of a school, further solidified the village’s position as a center of community and learning. In 1812, the Pecos Pueblo priest relocated to San Miguel, which supported 230 heads of families at that time. This move highlighted the village’s growing prominence. As news of the village’s prosperity spread, many believed that its population and importance would continue to grow.
Prior to Mexican independence, San Miguel served as a crucial lookout post, monitoring for potential incursions by French and American intruders. However, with Mexico’s liberation from Spanish rule in 1821, a new era of commercial relations with the United States began. San Miguel del Vado transformed from a defensive barrier into a commercial gateway, welcoming traders and goods from the east. The village also assumed the role of administrative headquarters for the northeastern plains region of New Mexico, further solidifying its importance.
The arrival of William Becknell, a trailblazing trader, in 1821 marked a pivotal moment in the history of San Miguel del Vado. Becknell, on his inaugural journey along the Santa Fe Trail, received a warm reception in "the village of St. Michael" after successfully fording the Pecos River. Soon after, the village was officially designated as the port of entry where Missouri merchants paid their first customs duties to Mexican officials, cementing its role as a key point of trade and commerce.
In 1824, Meredith Marmaduke, a Santa Fe trader who later became Governor of Missouri, provided a vivid description of the village: "Considerable rejoicing appeared among the natives on our arrival, and they welcomed us with the best music the place afforded. A description can best be given by comparing it to a large brickyard, where there are a number of kilns put up and not burnt, as all the houses are made of bricks dried in the sun, and none of them burnt; all of the roofs are entirely flat; the inhabitants appear to me to be a miserably poor people, but perfectly happy and contented, and appeared very desirous to make our situation as agreeable as possible."
To safeguard against Indian raids and curtail smuggling along the Santa Fe Trail, a detachment of Santa Fe Presidio soldiers was stationed at San Miguel del Vado in 1827. By this time, the village’s population had swelled to 2,893, leading to overcrowding. Father José Francisco Leyba, the parish priest, proposed that the Mexican government provide resources to settlers willing to relocate to the area of present-day Las Vegas, believing that increased settlement in the northeast would alleviate population pressures in San Miguel and protect interior settlements from Indian attacks. A vagrant law was enacted in 1828, offering vagrants three lifestyle alternatives: enlistment in the military to help retaliate against hostile Indians, imprisonment, or settlement of land on the frontier. In addition to his pastoral duties, Father Leyba operated a priest’s seminary school on the western edge of town in the 1930s.
In 1830, a fully-fledged customs station manned by Mexican soldiers was established in San Miguel del Vado. The village had flourished with the rise of commerce along the Santa Fe Trail. In 1844, Santa Fe Trail trader James J. Webb described the customs house: "When we learned the train (caravan) was past Las Vegas, Colburn and I left one afternoon intending to meet it at San Miguel sometime the next day…Messrs. Colburn and Smith took possession of the goods and wagons at San Miguel and entered them and passed through the customs house without any trouble beyond the usual small annoyances from the customs house officers, which were usually satisfied by small loans of money which were never paid or expected to be, and small presents of some kind to which they would take a fancy, generally amounting to twenty-five to one-hundred dollars according to circumstances and number of wagons entered."
In 1835, a group of 29 colonists petitioned for a land grant northeast of San Miguel. The Las Vegas Land Grant was issued that year, and people began to move. Between 1835 and 1843, the value of goods traded on the Santa Fe Trail increased from $140,000 to $250,000, and the Las Vegas/San Miguel area became the northeastern trade center and the gateway to New Mexico.
In 1841, the Republic of Texas launched a commercial and military expedition into New Mexico, aiming to assert their claims over parts of Northern New Mexico and control the lucrative Santa Fe Trail. However, 300 Texans were captured at La Cuesta (Villanueva) by the forces of Governor Manuel Armijo and held prisoner at San Miguel del Vado for a short time. Two of the Texans were executed in the San Miguel Plaza. The Texans were then forced to march some 2,000 miles to Mexico City and held over the winter of 1841-42 until United States diplomatic efforts secured their release.
During the Mexican-American War in 1846, General Stephen Kearney arrived at San Miguel del Vado. He gathered the residents in the plaza and delivered a rooftop speech proclaiming U.S. annexation. The village became the seat of San Miguel County and grew to 1,000 inhabitants in 1850.
Despite its early promise, San Miguel del Vado eventually faced a decline. The growing town of Las Vegas gradually overshadowed San Miguel, and the county seat was transferred to Las Vegas in 1864.
The construction of the railroad about one mile north of San Miguel del Vado in 1880 marked the final decline of the town. Major roads through the Pecos River Valley bypassed the town, including Route 66 in 1926 and, later, U.S. Highway 85 and Interstate 25.
Adding to the village’s woes, a smallpox epidemic prompted many residents to relocate to nearby Ribera. Others were drawn to work for the railroad and mining companies. The once-thriving sheepherding economy suffered due to competition over land ownership.
In 1884, the Sisters of Charity opened a school in San Miguel, which operated until 1904, later serving as a public school.
In 1897, a U.S. Supreme Court decision claimed that the San Miguel del Vado Land Grant was held in trust and declared the communal lands as federal property. This reduced the grant’s landholdings from over 300,000 acres to just over 5,000 acres, stripping the village of vital resources.
By 1900, the population had dwindled to 450, and by 1930, only 217 people remained in the community.
Today, the old town is a National Historic District and part of Ribera, New Mexico.
It is hard to believe that this tiny community once supported nearly 3,000 people.
Today, the old plaza is bisected by New Mexico Highway 3. The county courthouse and jail once stood directly behind the church. An old inn once stood further to the west. The convent burned down in the 1950s.
The Pecos River Ford that gave the site its name remains visible in the settlement’s southeast corner. On the northeast side of the plaza is the old territorial house, later a dancehall and saloon, now in ruins. Behind it are two adobe structures that appear to be in good condition. Across the street is the fortress-like San Miguel del Vado Church, which still holds regular services. The original 1821 bell still resides in the left tower. An old cemetery associated with the church is about 1,000 feet to the Northwest.
Though San Miguel remains a valuable part of New Mexico’s past, its heydays are long past.
The village is located on New Mexico Highway 3, about two miles south of I-25 at exit 323.
To continue on Route 66 and the Santa Fe Trail, return to I-25, travel under the interstate to the north frontage road, travel west about two miles to Road B41D, turn south, and travel about half a mile to San Jose.