Atrisco Land Grant

The Atrisco Land Grant once known as El Pueblo de Atrisco is one of the few remaining land grants left in the United States and has an over 400 year history, including an over 300 hundred year history of Spanish Viceroyalty.

History

During the period of Spanish rule over the American Southwest, various monarchs of Spain would create land grants to reward their subjects or for the purpose of creating common land for settlers. In 1692 King Charles II of Spain created the Atrisco Land Grant as a reward to Don Fernando Duran y Chavez. Don Fernando Duran y Chavez was responsible for putting down an uprising of a tribe of Pueblo Native Americans.

Atrisco's Name History

Atrisco was first called Atlixco, by the Aztecs in their native Nahuatl language to describe the Rio Grande River Valley. Atlixco translates into "surface of a body of water".

ize of the Atrisco Land Grant

The Atrisco Land Grant originally consisted of convert|41533|acre|km2|0, but in 1760, an additional convert|25958|acre|km2|0 were granted in an attempt to calm land disputes. Many of the original settlers and their descendants are directly related and descended from Cristóbal Colón and also few may be descended from The Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferninand II as recorded in genealogical ancestry records.

Atrisco's Spanish Viceroyalty

Atrisco was established as part of the extension of Spain's monarchy for the area that was called "The Viceroyalty of New Spain" (Spanish: Virreinato de Nueva España), in América Septentrional (roughly, Northern America).

Atrisco's Spanish Viceroyalty is the reason why Alburquerque, (founded because of and after Atrisco) is often referred to as "Duke City".

Duke and Duchess of Atrisco

The Dukes and Duchesses of Atrisco continued to pass on their, rights, responsibilities and Royal titles, under the laws and rules of a Royal monarchy. However, after México gained their independence from Spain.

The 1st Duke of Atrisco was Joseph Sarmiento de Valladares and the 1st Duchess of Atrisco was Geronima Maria de Moctezuma Loaysa de la Cueva (Grand daughter of the Aztec King, Moctezuma II). Moctezuma II's grand children were considered Royalty under Spanish Rule.

Three hundred years of the Royal titles in North America seemed to cease or were no longer being granted. Genealogical records seem to indicate that was sometime in the early to mid 1800's. Although, there are some descendants to the Royal titles that are related to Viceroyalty of Atrisco to the present day. The Duke and Duchess of Atrisco rule was aligned with the Kingdom of Alburquerque, (Duke of Alba) and at a few Hacienda's near in location, they were the home's of other Royal relatives, like a Marquis.

One particularly worth mentioning is Casa Colorada, which had a Marquis de Casa Colorada and was once located near Atrisco. The small town is still named after the Hacienda that established it.

Casa Colorada, (named for the red colored adobe color of the structure) and other Hacienda's were once part of the great chain of Spanish Hacienda's that were along El Camino Real road and lined the Río Grande.

El Camino Real

El Camino Real in Nueva España, began in Santa Fé (The Capital, even to present), all the way south, through Chihuahua, Durango, all the way to México City.

Later the El Camino trail was also made to going west from Atrisco. The western portion of the trail is what colonized Arizona and, California. Which at the time ended in San Bernardino and eventually, ended at the city of El Monte.

The trail would continue up along the Pacific Coast, and the Spaniards established a chain of Missions and Haciendas there as well. In California there are the famous "Sheep herder hooks", (Hanging Bells) which mark the historic old Spanish Mission trail, up and down California.

Pueblo Revolt

The uprising is known in history as the Main|Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and it was considered a "bloodless reconquest", lead by Spanish Governor, Don Diego de Vargas.

A more peaceful resolution was reached through diplomatic efforts and the participation and cooperation from both sides of the dispute. Which ended up resolving the conflicts and lead to peaceful agreements being reached.

As the Spanish had introduced new farming implements and provided some measure of security against Navajo and Apache raiding parties. As a result, they lived in relative peace with the Spanish since the founding of the Northern New Mexican colony in 1598.

However, other conflicts and wars would reach the south western area and effect the people living there. These events in history were mostly unwelcome by the Spanish subjects of the Crown of Spain and the local Native Americans. As they were reluctant to be involved, because of the effects that would envelope them, the outcome and consequences.

These events primarily were, Mejico's War of Independence from Spain, 1810-1821, the American Civil War, 1861-1865, the Spanish American War in 1898 and even the raids of Pancho Villa|(Doroteo Arango Arámbula) would leave lasting effects in the area.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

America decided to continue their land acquisition policies by using force and soon after decided to use force against México. To force the country into selling the land area, which is currently the south west and western area of the U.S. in the American-Mexican War with America's declaration of war upon México in 1846.

Spanish Land Grants in the territory started to be dissolve and be assimilated into the U.S. and thus start to disappear. Often leaving the land owners with no choice, other than to evacuate their ancestral land and also leaving nothing to pass on to their descendants and heirs.

When the land owners had peacefully co-existed, farmed, lived and worked on these land grants for centuries and often working with and protecting the native tribes.

The intention of the U.S. objective was to obtain the entire area named and mapped in the treaty by forcible means. The treaty resulted in the lands being ceded to the United States and many of the Spanish Land Grants are listed by name in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Which was signed in 1848, two years later.

The Treaty's provisions that were agreed upon, stated that the Spanish Land Grants, the owners and descendants would retain their land ownership rights and cultural identities. Their rights where supposed to be respected by the United States Government. However, it clearly states in U. S. Government Records (G. A. O.), that the U. S. only confirmed 25% of the actual land owners historically and never reconfirmed those percentages since.

However, because of the language barrier, and unscrupulous government officials, many Spanish land grants were essentially stolen or owners forced out of their ancestral lands. However, throughout the Atrisco Land Grant remained intact.

Atrisco's Legal and Legislative History from the 1880's to Present

In 1888, lawsuits filed by Atrisco's heirs in order to retain their land, descendant and heir rights. The lawsuit continued for approximately thirty years.

In 1912, New Mexico was admitted into the Union and became a State.

In 1958, descendant Armijo filed a lawsuit which no longer allows the heirs to gain access to their land, descendant and heir rights. Thus, closing the loop of information to gain blood heir benefits. This results of this lawsuit, lead the way for the formation of Westland Development Company almost ten years later.

In 1967, the Legislature of New Mexico granted permission to some of the Atrisco heirs to form a private corporation and Westland Development Company was created which had managed the land. Each of the blood heirs received shares of the company and began to be designated as shareholders.

There were up to seven thousand shareholders and their shares could only be transferred among other blood heirs to become shareholders. Unfortunately, the rights of a blood heir were often not shared equally and fairly, as many others were intentionally denied information about their ancestral history.

In late 2005, Westland Development Company puts up the land grant for public bid, with the approval of the SEC. Although, without the consent, knowledge or pre-approvals of Atrisco's current shareholders at the time, before Westland Development decided to consider bidding.

In 2006, multiple bids were made on Atrisco, some of Atrisco's and an estimated 7,000 shareholders protested. While others, became confused or maintained a blind eye throughout the entire bidding process.

However, some filed lawsuits, while many others of heirs were just beginning to discover they were never included as blood heirs to begin with. Estimates are there are some 30,000 descendants of Atrisco, which means that approximately 23,000 were never included at all.

Atrisco's Future

The future of the Atrisco Land Grant is uncertain. Since Westland Development Company decided to sell of Atrisco in the manner they did. The city of Albuquerque is growing quickly, and the Atrisco Land Grant is the most desirable area for the development of new residential areas.

While many of the shareholders are enthusiastic about the sale and the income it would bring to each of the heirs, others were very reluctant to part with their 400 year old patrimony and are still very upset about the sale.

Westland Development Company finalized a sale of the land to SunCal, a Land-Development Corporation out of California in December 2006. The sale price was $315 per share and Escrow closed in late 2006.

The transfer process began in early 2007 and some shareholders have not claimed their shares, while others have cashed in their payments for their ancestral history.

The sale of Atrisco is still presently in dispute, for many factors that were and are related to the lands. Such as U.S. Government records indicate they failed to fully consider, find and identify the entire history of Spanish Land Grants, and had only verified about 25% of the "original and subsequent blood heirs" in any of them.

Some of these disputes have resulted in multiple lawsuits throughout the last two centuries, of which some have been heard and ruled on in the U.S. Supreme Court. Some have also related to past and current litigations pertaining to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848).

Historic Significance of Atrisco

The significance of Atrisco, besides it's historic aspects (one of the first Spanish Settlements in the U.S.), is also it's native cultural aspects with the various tribes and the Petroglyph National Monument, which is located inside the boundaries of Atrisco itself and once part of the Atrisco Land Grant, until it was signed over to the U. S. National Parks under an agreement to maintain it's cultural significance.

Atrisco is the central point and the cross roads to the historic "El Camino Real" Spanish trail and the Road to El Dorado. From Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, the trail turns left to a southern route and it was this trail, that went directly to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, modern day Mexico City.

Later the trail was made to the west. The western portion of the trail is what colonized Arizona, California, which at the time ended in San Bernardino and eventually the city of El Monte.

The trail would continue up along the Pacific Coast. Where the familiar "Sheep herder hook, hanging Bells" marked the old Spanish mission trails up and down California.

ee also

* atrisco.net
* caminorealheritage.org
* Land grant
* Land-grant university
* latinocongreso.org/resolutions07approved.php?id=144
* newmexicohistory.org/filedetails.php?fileID=1208
* nps.gov/petr/historyculture/atrisco.htm

pain's Royal and Government Websites

* casareal.es
* fundacionprincipedeasturias.org
* mcu.es

ources

1. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5092/is_n4_v14/ai_8484848/pg_1
2. http://www.albuquerque300.org/index.aspx?pk=208&temp=2
3. http://www.scienceviews.com/indian/pnmculture.html