My Book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I" Now on Sale!

 

Hello, dear readers!

My book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I: The Baca Family and Their Descendants" is now on sale at Amazon.com!

After over 25 years of research, my efforts are finally realized. This book includes genealogies of 35 out of 66 founding families of the Socorro Land Grant. In the future, I will publish genealogies of the remaining families.

This is a valuable resource for family historians and the general public who are interested in families of the area of Socorro, New Mexico. Follow this link to purchase a copy of the book.

Using the Native Bound Unbound Database to Find Our Native Ancestors

 If you haven't heard of the of the "Native Bound Unbound" Project and Database, you are missing out on an important resource for New Mexico genealogy and history. As a Hispanic New Mexican, I know that my ancestry is complicated. I am descended from both Spanish enslavers and indigenous enslaved. The project's goal is to identify enslaved Native people who are not normally mentioned in historical records. Their names are out there; often they are given Spanish names rather than their original birth names. But they are out there and need to be recognized and celebrated. 

Doing a cursory review of the database, I have already found a number of my ancestors who enslaved people. And I found at least one ancestor who was once enslaved. 

I have written about Jose Tomas Candelaria before on this blog. He is my fifth great grandfather on my Grandmother Maria Teresa (Torres) Baca's side of the family. Apparently, according to my uncles, my great grandmother Juana Andrea Montoya (Teresa's mother) indicated that she was Apache. Although my research does show that she has a number of "Spanish" ancestors, her 2nd great grandfather is Jose Tomas Candelaria, a genizaro. Genizaros were de-tribalized Natives who often were captured as children and put in Spanish households. Many received their freedom as adults and often received land, usually in the outskirts of communities in order to be a buffer against raids from certain tribes. 

Jose Tomas Candelaria was listed as a "genizaro" in the 1790 Spanish census of the 4th plaza of Alburquerque. He is one of a few Candelaria people listed as genizaros, indicating that a few of these citizens were probably raised in one or more Spanish Candelaria households. In entry # 155, 20-year-old Jose Tomas Candelaria is listed with his 15-year-old mestiza wife Ana Maria Gallego. In the Spanish caste system, mestizos were people of mixed Spanish and Native parentage. 

Review an image of the actual census record as well as a translated transcription of the records. The Candelaria/Gallego household is entry # 155 on the page.

Jose Tomas Candelaria entry in the 1790 Census

Once again, this is a great resource for research. Although the transcriptions are only for the household that include Native peoples, images of the entire census are there to peruse. This is a free resource that genealogists should use.

Let us honor all of our ancestors, especially those who were silently ignored over the years. 

Book Signing and Presentation: "Baca Family Connections to the Socorro Land Grant"

 Yay! The time is nearly here. I will have my first official book signing at the Albuquerque Genealogy Center (Albuquerque Main Library), 501 Copper NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2nd Floor, on November 22, 2025, between 10:30 and Noon. 

My book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I: The Baca Family and Their Descendants" will be on sale on Amazon.com on November 3rd. I'll put a link on this blog on that date. Retail price is $50.

I'll be reading from the book and answering questions.

I will sell and sign the book at the event for the discounted price of $40. Please bring cash or check. Cards will not be accepted.

Click on this Link to See or Print out the Flyer.

Robert's updated Ancestry.com DNA results

 

Ancestry recently updated its DNA results. I don't completely agree with the current results. The last results showed that I had about 50% Iberian Peninsula results. The current results show that I only have about 38%. I do like the Native American breakdown - it's more specific, and similar to what I had before - around 25%. The other European results confuse me though (not shown in the picture above, click on the link below.) There's a lot of Great Britain percentages: Southeastern England & Northeastern Europe, East Midlands, Northern Wales, and Central Scotland & Northern Ireland. There are also results in Denmark, Southern Germanic Europe, and Sicily. There is even some French Canada: Quebec and Acadia. There is also two separate Sephardic, and one Ashkenazi Jewish results that add up to a total of 6%.

What I know about my ancestry is that I have Spanish and Mexican ancestry. Basically, Iberian Peninsula/ Native America admixture. I also have two great-grandfathers who were from Germany and Switzerland, separately - which should be around 6% of my DNA for each of those ancestors. 

With my Iberian ancestry, there is no doubt some Jewish mixture, and possible mixture from other nearby European countries. For instance, the Pino family which is in my bloodline were from Italy. My German ancestor, Philip Bourguignon, may have also been part French, based on his surname. However, he himself identified as German and was from the Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt. 

One last possibility: my Y-DNA results from FamilyTreeDNA are often seen as a Celtic variation. It was once known as R1b1b2 but is now known as R-M269. The Celtiberians were an ethnic group in early Iberia. I do have a few matches in my Y-DNA of people with Irish ancestry.

See my full ancestry results in the link below:

Robert's Ancesty.com DNA results

"History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I" Book Available November 3rd!

 If you follow me on Facebook, you may have learned that I'm publishing my book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I: The Baca Family and Their Descendants". It will be available on November 3rd on Amazon.com.

Below is an image of the proof copy of the book.

Last week I did a final edit of the book and submitted the final draft to Amazon. 

The book details the genealogies of 34 descendants of the Baca family who were among the founders of the Socorro Land Grant in 1815. These are not just people with the Baca surname, but also the Abeyta, Chaves, Gallegos, Garcia Jurado, Padilla, Sanchez, Tafoya, and Trujillo families, among others. The genealogies begin Cristobal Baca and Ana Ortiz, who arrived in New Mexico with their family in 1600, and continues another 8 generations. The descendant narratives extend into the 1800s, and in a few cases into the early 1900s. Additionally, I've included one other Baca family, the descendants of early Socorro settler Juan Dionisio Baca. He was not actually descended from the Baca family, but rather from Petronila Garcia Jurado and an unknown father. Juan Dionisio Baca was the ancestor of famed lawman Elfego Baca, New Mexico Archbishop Robert Fortune Sanchez, and many other Socorro residents.

Other sections of the book explore a brief history of the Socorro Land Grant, five-generation pedigree charts for each of my four grandparents, and a series of vignettes. These stories highlight the connections between the Torres and Baca families, the role of the Cabeza de Baca lineage in the Socorro Land Grant, the Montoya family as defenders of the grant, and the legacy of María Guadalupe Torres, a matriarch whose descendants include many prominent members of the García and Baca families of Socorro.

Lastly, within the descendant narrative, you will find transcriptions of census records, obituaries, and even short family histories. It's not just names and dates - I flesh out many of these families' stories.

The book is over 550 pages, with extensive citations, and a name index of over 3,000 people. I have been researching my family for over 25 years, which includes many founders of the land grant. You will find this book to be the most extensive Socorro Hispanic family history, and I'm just beginning! There are another 31 founders who I will profile in subsequent volumes. 

When it is released, it'll look a little different from my proof copy: it'll have a green cover! The cost is $50, which is a bargain for a genealogy like this. If you are interested in New Mexico genealogy and history, you'll find this book to be just what you are looking for!

Two Recent Passings in Nancy's Family

 Recently, my wife Nancy lost an aunt and an uncle. Her aunt Joyce Darlene (Douglas) Seitz was her father's sister, while Richard Dunn was her mother's brother. Nancy and I attended Aunt Joyce's service. Unfortunately, we will not be able to attend Uncle Richard's service.

Both were good people. We stayed with Aunt Joyce a couple of times, including just a couple years ago. 

Below are their obituaries:

Joyce Seitz

April 27, 1932 — July 19, 2025

Joyce Darlene Seitz, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 93.

Born on April 27, 1932, in Hindsboro, Illinois, Joyce was the cherished daughter of Ralph Douglas and Ethel Hanks. She was one of seven children and grew up in a close-knit family filled with love, laughter, and the values that would guide her life.

Joyce graduated from Hindsboro High School and pursued her passion for caring for others by attending nursing school. Her kind heart and steady spirit made her a natural in the profession, and she touched many lives through her work and her quiet strength.

A longtime member of the United Methodist Church of the White Mountains, Joyce found joy and purpose in her faith and her church community. She had a special love for life's simple pleasures - spending time in her garden, working through intricate jigsaw puzzles, and savoring a Milky Way candy bar now and then.

Joyce was known for her strong will, boundless kindness, and warm heart. She was a devoted mother to four children: Ed Seitz, John Seitz, and the late Tom Seitz and Larry Seitz. She was a loving grandmother to five grandchildren and took great pride in her role as a great-grandmother to two. Her family was the center of her world, and her strength and compassion left an indelible mark on all who knew her.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Russell B. Seitz; her sons, Tom and Larry Seitz; her grandchildren, Marie Dine Seitz and Russell Lee Seitz; and her parents and several siblings.

Joyce's legacy is one of enduring love, resilience, and generosity - a life well lived and deeply treasured.

A viewing will be held at Owens Livingston Mortuary, 320 N. 9th Ave., in Showlow, Arizona, on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM, followed by a Funeral Service at 2:00 PM. Graveside services will be held at Show Low Cemetery at 3:00 PM.

Joyce Darlene Seitz will be forever remembered, deeply missed, and always loved.

- "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Richard L Dunn

June 20, 1938 – September 3, 2025

Obituary of Richard L Dunn

IN THE CARE OF Aycock-Riverside Funeral and Cremation Center

Richard Livingston Dunn, 87, of West Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Redmon, Illinois, died September 3, 2025. He was born on June 20, 1938; the son of Carroll Livingston and Viola Fern (Poole) Dunn.

Richard earned BS and MS Degrees from Eastern Illinois University and completed post-graduate studies at Indiana State University. He served in the US Army Air Force three years and the Illinois National Guard eighteen years. After several years teaching, he was named Regional Planner of Coles County, Kankakee County, Arlington Heights, and Glen Ellyn in that order.

Richard and Jane were married October 11, 1986 in Paris, Illinois. After retirement, they relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida. Richard was an active parishioner of various United Methodist churches where he lived. He and Jane served thirty-two mission trips sharing God’s love and helping improve the lives of those in underserved communities and countries.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents and three siblings, Elaine Dunn, Joseph Leon Dunn and Barbara Jean Dunn.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Gard Rizk Dunn; siblings, Carroll Thomas Dunn (Evelyn) of Paris, Illinois and Sharon Dunn Douglas (Ed Bramel) of Sierra Vista, Arizona; brothers-in-law, James Gard (Karen) and Richard K. Gard; step-children, Richard Rizk (Jill), Mark Rizk (Nataliia) and Jamila Rizk Farid; grand-children, Gina Rizk, Amanda Rizk, Samuel Rizk, Julia Farid and Ava Farid; nieces, Nancy Douglas de Baca, Amanda Douglas Lewis, Brittany Dunn Kingery and Kristy Dunn Bettenhausen; nephews, Andrew Douglas, and Brett, Brian, Brice, and Kevin Dunn; as well as many great-nieces and great-nephews.

Memorial services are scheduled at the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches, Florida on September 12, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. with reception to follow. A graveside service will occur at Mount Church Cemetery, E 700th Road, N 250st, Clark County, Illinois (south of Casey, Illinois) on September 18, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow at The First United Methodist Church of Paris, Illinois. For those inclined, memorials may be sent to a charity of choice or to the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches.

Juan Baca y Luna and Carolina Bourguignon in Magdalena, NM

 

Juan Baca y Luna and Carolina (Bourguignon) Baca with their grandson Michael Baca, c. 1938. Photo credit: Edward Baca (Michael's brother.)

Sometimes by posting on social media, a genealogist can correct mistakes in his or her research. Friends online can help by offering information unknown to the researcher. This certainly occurred after I posted on Facebook information I found about my great-grandparents’ property in Magdalena, New Mexico.

On March 6, 1916, my great grandfather Juan Baca y Luna purchased property in Magdalena, New Mexico from Telesfor Chavez y Castillo and his wife Maria Manuela Chavez. He paid $140 for the property. [Socorro County (New Mexico). County Recorder. Image Group N.] Magdalena is a community about 20 miles from the county seat of Socorro, New Mexico. It is located east of the Socorro Mountains. I’ve traveled to that village many times. It’s a pathway to get to Southern Arizona to visit my mother-in-law, as well as a way to get to the Alamo Navajo Reservation where my sister once worked and lived. The reservation is about 20 miles north of the village. 

My great-grandfather Juan was the son of Martin Baca and Maria Rita Luna. [Baptism: Juan Vaca] Through his father, he was a descendant of Luis Maria Cabeza de Baca; Martin being one of around 100 grandchildren of my fourth great-grandfather. Martin had moved from Peña Blanca [Windham, p. 157] to Lemitar, New Mexico with his brothers [1860 U.S. Census] between 1850 and 1860, and married into the Luna family [Matrimonios, p. 53] who had also set up roots in the little hamlet of Lemitar. 

Juan Baca y Luna married Carolina Bourguignon on April 23, 1900 in Socorro [AASF # 16997]. She was the daughter of a German immigrant, Philip Bourguignon, who fought in the American Civil War. [1890 U.S. Special Census] Her mother was Maria Tomasa Gonzales, a daughter of a family with deep New Mexican roots. [Microfilm #16994, Baptism: Maria Tomasa Gonzales] Philip and Maria Tomasa married on October 27, 1857 in Socorro. [Matrimonios, p. 20]

On April 8, 1919, my great-grandparents Juan and Carolina sold the Magdalena property they owned to Martiniano Chavez y Castillo for $500. The document indicated that Juan and Carolina were living in Magdalena at the time. [Socorro County (New Mexico). County Recorder, images 360 & 361] Until finding the warranty deed that conveyed this property, I didn’t know that my great grandparents owned property in Magdalena. The 1910 and 1920 census records both indicated that Juan lived with his family in Lemitar [1910 & 1920 Lemitar Censuses], not Magdalena. Lemitar is 7 miles North of Socorro, and so, following present-day freeways, it is nearly 30 miles distant from Magdalena. It would be interesting to find out whether they would have taken the same paths or would have found a more direct pathway to that area.

My dad’s cousin Edward Baca had a possible explanation of what was going on regarding my great-grandparents’ property in Magdalena. On a Facebook post, Edward stated that 

“My dad (Lorenzo Baca) told me that when he was a boy on the farm in Lemitar, he would accompany Papa Juan (Baca y Luna) on a wagon drawn by a team of horses to Magdalena to sell produce. Magdalena was a good market at that point in time because the Kelly mines were in full operation and the economy was booming there. The journey would take two days, with them camping on the first night out. On the second day they would arrive in Magdalena and sell their produce, then return to the farm by the same route. On one trip, they took a pig with them, which they sold to a rancher. When they got back to the farm in Lemitar, they were surprised to learn that the pig had gotten back before them. Evidently, he escaped from his new owner and made a beeline back to familiar surroundings. There was no school in Lemitar at that time, so when my dad was 11 or 12 years old and your grandfather Robert was around 9, Juan took them to Magdalena, found them a place to live and enrolled them in school there. When not in school, my dad recounted that he and Robert earned money by cleaning businesses after hours and doing other odd jobs. I don’t know how long they stayed in Magdalena, but my dad told a couple of interesting stories: One Saturday night they heard a series of gun shots coming from a nearby saloon. They ran over to see what the commotion was and learned that several drunken miners were killed in a gunfight! The other story that my dad told me was that a son of the famous sheriff Elfego Baca stole all their firewood one night. So, this is all to say that maybe the property that Juan sold in 1919 was the place where my dad and his brother, Robert, were staying when they lived in Magdalena.” (Edward R. Baca, 2025)

My great-uncle Lorenzo was born on August 17, 1904 (AASF # 16994.), while my grandfather Robert was born on May 11, 1907. (AASF # 16994.) Lorenzo would have been 11 years old when the property was bought, while Robert would have been 8. When the property was sold, they would have been 14 and 11 years old, respectively. Regardless if they actually lived on Juan and Carolina’s property in Magdalena, that property was in their possession during the early school years of their two oldest boys.

So, who is this Chavez y Castillo family that my great-grandparents bought and sold their property to? The first property document I found was the quit claim deed for my great-grandparents’ sale of the property in 1919. It listed the grantee as Martiniano Chavez y Castillo. Originally, I thought that this man was Martiniano Chavez, married to Magdalena Castillo [Belen Marriages, 1873.] However, the standard Spanish naming practice is that a man includes both his father’s and mother’s surnames. Martiniano's parents were Chavez and Baca; he would have had the surname Chavez  y Baca. A relative of this family, Kathy Sanchez Avila, commented on my Facebook post that the Martiniano mentioned in the deed was actually a son of Jose Mauricio Chavez y Baca. [Sanchez Avila, 2025]  His mother’s surname is Castillo, so his full name would be Martiano Chavez y Castillo. [1885 U.S. Census, Jarales] He was the nephew of the previous Martiniano. Juan  Baca y Luna bought the property in 1916 from his brother Telesfor [proof of relationship: 1885 U.S. Census, Jarales and the Marriage Record of Telesfor Chavez and Maria Manuela Montoya.]

Kathy Sanchez Avila also posted on Facebook that her 2nd great-grandfather Jose Mauricio Chavez y Baca owned property that eventually became the Alamo Navajo Reservation. [Sanchez Avila, 2025.] Jose (Mauricio) Chavez y Baca’s family can be found in a community called Santa Rita in the 1900 census. [1900 Santa Rita Census] According to place name historian, Robert Julyan, Santa Rita is a community later known as Riley, which was 20 miles north of Magdalena, near the Rio Salado. [Julyan, pp. 290-291] A Google Map search indicates that Riley is indeed near the Alamo Navajo Reservation and the Rio  Salado. [Google Maps, 2025]

There is quite a lot more that can be written about Jose Mauricio Chavez y Baca and his family. For example, they are descended from founders of the Socorro Land Grant. However, I will leave that family history for a later post.

As I was writing this post, I found one more property transfer. Apparently, Martiniano Chavez y Castillo and his wife sold property to Juan Baca y Luna 10 days after they bought property from Juan, for the price of "one dollar & other valuable considerations...."   [Socorro County (New Mexico). County Recorder, images 377 & 378] I have not yet found the deed that later transferred this property to someone else.

Follow this link to view images of the three deeds mentioned in this article. I've also included 9 generation ancestral narrative reports for both my grandfather Robert Bourguignon Baca and Martiniano Chavez y Castillo.

Works Cited

Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Roll # 16994.

Archives of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Roll # 16997.

Baca, Edward R. Facebook, Comment on Robert James Baca's September 1, 2025 Facebook post, "Baca Family sells property in Magdalena, New Mexico", 2 September 2025, www.facebook.com. Accessed 7 September 2025.

1885 U.S. Census, Valencia County, Territory of New Mexico, population schedule, Jarales, enumeration district (ED) 37, p. 2, dwelling # 14, family # 14, Jose Baca y Chavez; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 July 2021).

1890 Special U.S. Census: Surviving Soldier, Sailors and Marines, and Widows, Etc., Socorro County, Territory of New MExico, special schedule, Precinct No. 4, enumeration district (ED) 83, p. 1, house # 291, family #291, Philip Bourguignon; digital images,.

1860 U.S. Census, Socorro County, New Mexico, population schedule, Town of Lemitar, p. 63, dwelling # 648, family #580, Louis Baca; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 March 2010).

Family Search (www.familysearch.org : accessed 2 September 2025), image, "Marriage Record: Telesfor Chavez and Maria Manuela Montoya, 30 July 1902," image # 121.

Google Map search: Riley, New Mexico.” Google Maps, 7 September 2025, https://maps.app.goo.gl/X6zknd5pVRV4rDWt7. Accessed 7 September 2025.

Julyan, Robert. The place names of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, 1996.

Margaret Leonard Windham editor, New Mexico 1850 Territorial Census, Vol. II: Rio Arriba and Santa Ana Counties (Albuquerque: New Mexico Genealogical Society, 1976.).

Matrimonios: San Miguel del Socorro, 1 January 1854 - 31 December 1900; San Ignacio y San Cristobal, 1 March 1869 - 31 December 1900; San Marcial, 26 March 1883 - 31 December 1902; Our Lady of Sorrows of La Jolla, 1 January 1872 - 31 December 1900 (Alburqu.

Microfilm # 16734, Belen Marriages 1856-1911, 1917-1956," Family Search, FamilySearch.org (www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 July 2021), digial image, "marriage record: Martriano Chavez and Magdalena Casatillo, 10 February 1873," image # 90

“Microfilm # 16994, Church Records 1821-1956, Catholic Church. San Miguel (Socorro, New Mexico)," Family Search, FamilySearch.org (www.familysearch.org : accessed 21 May 2018), digital image, "baptism: Juan Vaca, 11 February 1871," image # 82.

Microfilm # 16994, Church Records 1821-1956, Catholic Church. San Miguel (Socorro, New Mexico)," Family Search, FamilySearch.org (www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 June 2021), baptism, "Carolina Bourguignon, 13 July 1882, image # 233.

1900 U.S. Census, Socorro County, New Mexico, population schedule, Precinct No. 31, Santa Rita, enumeration district (ED) 151, sheet 5A, dwelling # 49, family # 52, Jose Chavez y Baca; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 July 2021).

1910 U.S. Census, Socorro County, Territory of New Mexico, population schedule, Precinct No. 2, Lemitar, enumeration district (ED) 243, sheet 5B, dwelling # 77, family # 79, Juan Baca; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 November 2.

1920 U.S. Census, Socorro County, New Mexico, population schedule, Precinct No. 2, Lemitar, enumeration district (ED) 150, sheet 4 B, dwelling # 83, family #84, Juan Baca; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 November 2019).

Sanchez Avila, Kathy. “Comment on Robert James Baca's September 1, 2025 Facebook post "Baca family sells property in Magdalena, New Mexico."” Facebook, 1 September 2025, www.facebook.com. Accessed 7 September 2025.

Socorro, New Mexico, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https:// www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK6-245G?view=fullText : Aug 27, 2025), image 360 and 361 of 1594; Socorro County (New Mexico). County Recorder. Image Group Number: 00814.

"Socorro, New Mexico, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://

www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK6-2WD1?view=fullText : 

Sep 9, 2025), image 377 & 378 of 1594; Socorro County (New Mexico). County Recorder. Image Group Number: 008148668

Socorro, New Mexico, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https:// www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK6-DS4D-Z?view=fullText : Sep 7, 2025), image 1277 & 1278 of 1598; Socorro County (New Mexico). County Recorder. Image Group N.

Video: Don Pedro Antonio Baca, Ep. 1, "L&D in Small Town NM"

 

I began a new series on my "Socorro Genealogist" YouTube channel called, "Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico." 

This video is the first of a series of vignettes on people who lived in and surrounding Socorro, New Mexico. My first vignette is about Don Pedro Antonio Baca. I read from his obituary published in the November 12, 1887 “Socorro Bullion” newspaper. He was the husband of my 4th great grandmother Maria Guadalupe Torres, although he was not my direct ancestor. Maria Guadalupe’s first husband Francisco Antonio Garcia was my direct ancestor. This obituary gives a great insight into the history of the Socorro Land Grant, its founders, and late 19th century small town New Mexico history.

LINK

Video: Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico (Socorro County Historical Society)

 

On July 19, 2025, I made a presentation for the Socorro County Historical Society titled "Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico". I recorded a video of the presentation and posted it on my "Socorro Genealogist" YouTube station.

In my talk, I profiled four Socorro County 19th Century residents. Eutimio Montoya was a staunch defender of the Socorro Land Grant, taking the U.S. Government to court to fight for the grantees' rights. His father Estanislao Montoya was a brigadier general in the New Mexico militia during the Civil War, a businessowner, and a politician. Samuel Zimmerly was a California Column Civil War soldier and prominent miller in Park City. Samuel's wife Maria Pabla Torres was a descendant of an old New Mexico Spanish family, who ran her husband's business after his death and whose children started six prominent families in Socorro County.

I had a great audience that asked good questions and provided stories of their own during the presentation. I shared binders and folders of genealogy with members of the audience, and a few audience members shared their family history with me, too.

I very much appreciate the reception I received from the Socorro County Historical Society and their members. For more information about the society, click on this link.

To view the video, click on this link

July 19, 2025 SCHS Presentation: "Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico"

Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico

The Personal Histories of Socorro and Surrounding Communities

A new presentation by Robert J. C. Baca

Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 2 PM

at The Socorro County Historical Society annual meeting

City of Socorro Convention Center

1220 Hwy 60 West
Socorro, New Mexico

(The old National Guard building.)

There are thousands of stories in New Mexican small towns. Socorro is not different. From its beginnings prior to Spanish exploration, through Spanish colonization in 1598 and up until the present, many families have lived and died in this town. These are the stories of a few notable, but maybe not lauded, residents of the area. These are "personal histories" of the local folk.

Robert J. C. Baca is a former president of the New Mexico Genealogical Society. For the past quarter century, he has been researching Socorro genealogy and history, focusing mostly on the Socorro Land Grant. He has presented before NMGS, The Historical Society of New Mexico, the Socorro County Historical Society, and many other organizations. Robert and his lovely wife Nancy live are teachers living in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Robert invites you to bring photos, documents, and your own personal family histories to the presentation to share. This will be an interactive event. Portions of the presentation will be filmed and streamed on YouTube and social media after the event.