A Socorro, New Mexico Reminiscence Blog

I found the blog Start Up of a Socorro Adventure a couple of months ago. I found an article that mentioned my dad, Bobby Baca. However, it seems that the page has dissappeared since then.

The blog includes stories about the author's experience in Socorro when he was growing up. I find it interesting because it mentions people that I know, including relatives. For instance, for a short time in his youth, the author lived in the home of my maternal grandfather, Santiago Baca. A few of my Zimmerly releatives are mentioned, including my great-aunt Cecelia Zimmerly. And the author notes that my father Bobby Baca had passed away.

There are some great old pictures of Socorro including the old Socorro High and a few homes. There are also pictures from various school reunions and the author's relatives.

It's a good site. I recommend it if you are interested in learning about Socorro as it was overr 50 years ago.

Link

Torres Family Reunion 5 August 2007, Albuquerque, NM

Photo of Torres Family at the reunion on 5 August 2007

The reunion was a success. My father's cousins put it together as they do every year. The only problem was that my uncles and aunts did not make the reunion because of a miscommunication. I thought someone else was supposed to inform them; she thought I was supposed to inform them. Oops.

The reunion was actually for two families -The Torres' and the Baca's. The picture above is of the Torres' only. And no, it was my Baca family. "Baca" is a very common name in New Mexico. Anastacio Torres (son of Ignacio) married a woman by the name of Piedad Baca. This is the Baca family that was invited. On the other hand, Teresa Torres married a man by the name of Robert B. Baca. These were my grandparents. As far as know, Robert and Piedad were not closely related.

In case you are wondering which people in the photograph are my wife Nancy and me, look at the photo below:

That's us!

Torres Genealogy Presentation Board

I worked on the board above for about three days. It was a hit. Everybody loved the pictures and the stories I told of them. This is the first time I've tried creating a board like this. I'll probably do it again next year.

On the left panel, I wrote an abbreviated Torres Family History based on an articles that I wrote for last year's reunion and Maurine Pool wrote for the 1992 Torres reunion in California. On the bottom of the panel I placed a photo of Crespin & Andreita's 50th wedding anniversary.

In the center panel, I placed photos of Crespin and Andreita on the top row, and photos of their children on the next two rows. I put photos that I numbered 1 -5 on the bottom two rows. I numbered those photos for a game that the kids played at the reunion. I'll talk more about that later in this post.

The right panel is barely visible in this photo, which I guess is good because Maurine did not want me to post those photos. These photos were at the 1992 Torres family reunion in California and other photos of our California kin. Many family members, especially the older ones, were very interested in these. They definitely wanted know more about their California cousins and asked me how they could contact them. They would love them to come to next year's reunion.

On the table, I also had a Genealogical Portfolio of the Torres Family. I put this portfolio is in a loose leaf binder so that I can add and subtract items as needed. I began working on it last year. The portfolio contained:

* "A Genealogy of a New Mexico Torres Family" by Robert J. C. Baca. This is the article I wrote for last year's reunion.

* "The Torres Family" by Maurine Pool. This was the article that Maurine wrote for the 1992 reunion. I inserted photos of Crespin's children within the text

* "Andreita (Trujillo) Torres' Obituary", transcribed and translated by Patrick Moore. The original was published in an August 1926 issue of the El Defensor del Pueblo newspaper.

* "Crespin Torres' Death Certificate". A copy of the original certificate from 21 October 1937.

* "Crespin Torres' Obituary", transcribed and translated by Patrick Moore. The original was published in the 22 October 1937 El Defensor del Pueblo newspaper.

* "Torres" sections from Origins of New Mexico Families by Fray Angelico Chavez. Pages 107 & 294-295.

* "Belen" entry from The Place Name of New Mexico by Robert Julyan. Page 34.

* "Belen Land Grant Petition" from El Rio Abajo by Gilberto Espinoza. Pages 245-249.

* Spanish censuses of the Juaquin Torres family (1790 and 1802, Belen, NM) from The Spanish and Mexican Colonial Censuses of New Mexico: 1790, 1823, and 1845 and The Spanish and Mexican Censuses of New Mexico: 1750-1830. Both books were transcribed by Virginia L. Olmstead. Pages 45 and 137, respectively.

* "Socorro" sections from Rio Abajo: Prehistory and History of a Rio Grande Province by Michael P. Marshall and Henry J. Walt. Pages 248-249, and 285-286.

* Mexican census records of the Santiago Torres and Anastacio Torres families in New Mexico Censuses of 1833 and 1845: Socorro and Surrounding Area of the Rio Abajo, transcribed by Teresa Ramirez-Alief, et.al. Pages 24 & 75.

* Ancestors of Igancio Torres, and ahnentafel table created by Robert J. C. Baca. From my database, printed August 2006.

* Ancestors of Andrea Montoya, and ahnentafel table created by Robert J. C. Baca. From my database, printed August 2007.

* Two charts showing the relationship between Miguel Marquez and Ignacio Torres, the two husbands of Andrea Montoya. They were first cousins, once removed. From my database.

* Two charts showing the relationship between Casey Luna, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico, and my dad Robert C. Baca. They were second cousins. From my database.

I also had activity sheets for the kids on the table. There weren't as many kids at the reunion as I thought there would be, but a few of them had fun with the activities.

One of the activities was a contest. The kids had to answer questions about the numbered photos on the board. The kids that got the most questions right received books as prizes (I found a book about what it was like for people living a century ago. I thought it was appropriate since most of the photos were from that time period.) I gave small prizes to all the kids, whether or not they took part in the contest.

The other activity sheets had the kids drawing pictures of their families and creating a pedigree chart.

I had a lot of fun at the reunion. I only wish that I had time to ask genealogical questions of family members. Oh, well, maybe next time.

More Torres Family Pictures

Here are some more Torres family photos that my cousin Maurine sent me. Our cousin Paul Green collected the photos from family members.

On the left is Apolonio Torres. On the right is his brother Ignacio Torres. But who is the man in the center? Family members argue that he is their father Crespin Torres, or possibly Canuto Torres, Crespin's brother. One other possibility is that he is Apolonio and Ignacio's brother Jose.

I'll discuss arguments for all three possibilities in a later blog.

Andreita Trujillo Torres (seated) with Juan Jose Montoya, Moises Sanchez and baby Crespin. Standing: Jose Torres and Domitila Sanchez. Photo taken about 1904.

Andreita was Crespin Torres' wife. Juan Jose Montoya is her grandson through her daughter Monica (Torres) Montoya. Moises Sanchez was married to Domatila (Torres) Sanchez, another one of Andreita's daughters. Crespin Sanchez was their son. Jose Torres was Andreita's son.

These two photos show four of Crespin and Andreita's children. The children not pictured are Rogerio Torres, Guadalupe (Torres) Olguin and Monica (Torres) Montoya. Monica Montoya probably died before these pictures were taken.

More Torres photos: here, here, here, here, and here.

Oh, and here, too.

Post revised on 6 August 2007 at 9:00 AM.

Oops!

My cousin Maurine informed me that somehow the photos she sent me got scanned in backwards. So I went back and did a mirror image of those pictures.

See the fixed up photos here.

U.S. Postal Employee Collection

As you may know, my 2nd great grandfather Philip Bourguingnon was the postmaster of the Lemitar, New Mexico post office in the late 1800s. Also, my grandfather Robert B. Baca, Philip's grandson, was an assistant postmaster of Socorro, New Mexico. Therefore, I was excited when I found the site History Kat.

The site includes a U.S. Postal Employee Collection. Below are a list of the databases currently on the site:

Index to Names, Aliases, and Histories of Postal Offenders
A list of the names and aliases of postal-law violaters of record in the Post Office Department on January 31, 1926. [BROWSEABLE]

Record Cards of Letter Carriers Separated from the Postal Service, 1863-1899
These records consist of 3- by 5-inch cards arranged alphabetically by name of post office and then alphabetically by name of letter carrier. Each card indicates the post office name, letter carrier's name, date of appointment, and date and cause of separation from employment. If the carrier was removed, the cause of removal is occasionally noted. The date of separation is noted for those separated after 1873. [BROWSEABLE][INDEXED]

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1814-1824
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters, date of appointment, and rate of pay. The ledgers are arranged alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1824-1828
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters, date of appointment, and rate of pay. The ledgers are arranged alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1828-1832
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters, date of appointment, and rate of pay. The ledgers are arranged alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of Appointment of Substitute Clerks in First- and Second-Class Post Offices, 1899-1905
This series contains the names of substitute clerks appointed from 1899-1905. Information included on the registers include name and date appointed. [BROWSEABLE][INDEXED]

Record of Appointment of Substitute Mail Carriers in First- and Second-Class Post Offices, 1885-1903
Records include name of the carrier, city where the appointment was held, and the date of appointment. [BROWSEABLE]

Record of First Returns Received from Postmasters, October 1789-July 1818
This source consists of ledgers listing the names of postmasters and the date of appointment. The ledgers are arranged by state and then alphabetically by town. [BROWSEABLE] [INDEXED]

A Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the 30th of September, 1829. Together with the Names, Force, and Condition of All the Ships and Vessels Belonging to the United States, and When and Where Built.
This source is a portion of the register dealing with military personnel and vessels, including a list of officers in the Army, Navy, and Marines. [BROWSEABLE]

A Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the 30th of September, 1831. Together with the Names, Force, and Condition of All the Ships and Vessels Belonging to the United States, and When and Where Built.
This source is a portion of the register dealing with military personnel and vessels, including a list of officers in the Army, Navy, and Marines. [BROWSEABLE]

The site also includes military, state census, and government employee databases. You must subscribe to the site in order to view the databases. The cost is $24.95 a year.

I found this site on Dear Myrtle.