Bernalillo in Sandoval County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Agricultura Pueblo
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Pueblo Agriculture
Photographed by James Hulse, April 9, 2025
1. Agricultura Pueblo / Pueblo Agriculture Marker
El Pueblo del Río Grande tenía una larga tradición agrícola. Su práctica agrícola estaba bien adaptada al paisaje desértico. Comunidades enteras limpiaban, araban, y cultivaban campos cerca del río. Usaban el sistema de riego por inundación y solían poner piedras o adobe en los jardines y campos para retener el agua. Se sembraban maíz con frijoles trepando por los tallos y calabazas cuyas enredaderas cubrían el suelo.
"La gente paresçe buena mas Como labradores que/ gente de guerra tienen mucha comyda de mays E/Frisoles y melones y gallinas en gran(d) Abun-/dancia."
Captain Hernando De Alvarado | 1540
[Subtítulos:]
Acequia Madre, Pueblo Ohkay Owingeh alrededor de 1880.
Cuidando de los jardines, Pueblo Zuni, alrededor del año 1915.
Recogiendo agua del Rio Grande, Pueblo de San Ildefonso, 1905.
The Rio Grande Pueblos had a long tradition of farming. Their techniques were well adapted to the desert environment. Whole communities helped clear, break, and plant fields near the river.
this page online
The people seem good, more given to farming than war. They have provisions of maize, beans, melons, and turkeys in great abundance.
Captain Hernando De Alvarado | 1540
[Captions:]
Acequia Madre, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, circa 1880. Willam Henry Jackson. Courtesy of the Palace of the Governors Photo Archive, Negative No. 43767
Tending the gardens, Zuni Pueblo, circa 1915. Jesse Nusbaum. Courtesy of the Palace of the Governors Photos Archive, Negative No. 008740
Collecting water from the Rio Grande, San Ildefonso Pueblo, 1905. Edward S. Curtis. Courtesy of the Palace of the Governors Photo Archive, Negative No. 144547
Erected by Coronado Historic Site Kuaua Pueblo and New Mexico Historic Sites.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1540.
Location. 35° 19.78′ N, 106° 33.402′ W. Marker is in Bernalillo, New Mexico, in Sandoval County. It is on Kuaua
Photographed by James Hulse, April 9, 2025
2. Pueblo Agriculture Marker (right side)
Regionally, this marker is in the San Juan Basin and in Greater Albuquerque. It is also in the American Southwest and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cultivos y animales nativas / Native Crops and Animals (here, next to this marker); Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (a few steps from this marker); Recursos del desierto / Desert Resources (a few steps from this marker); Was Coronado Ever at Kuaua? (a few steps from this marker); El Pueblo de Kuaua / Kuaua Pueblo (a few steps from this marker); Las Montañas / The Mountains (a few steps from this marker); El Bosque / The Bosque (a few steps from this marker); Cultivos y animales no nativos / Non-Native Crops and Animals (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bernalillo.
More about this marker. There is a small fee to visit the Kuaua Ruins (Coronado Historic Site).
Also see . . .
1. Coronado Historic Site. New Mexico Historic Sites
Coronado Historic Site and the ancient Kuaua Pueblo are located just minutes north of Albuquerque (off of I-25, Exit 242) in Bernalillo. In 1540, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—with 500 soldiers and 2,000 Indigenous allies from New Spain—entered the Rio Grande valley somewhere(Submitted on May 26, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)near this site. Coronado was searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold.Photographed by James Hulse, April 9, 20253. The view of the marker with the other markersThe marker is the second marker from the left side.
2. Hernando de Alvarado: Key Figure in the Coronado Expedition. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)
Hernando de Alvarado, captain of artillery on the Coronado expedition, saved the life of his commander during the storming of Hawiku pueblo. On August 29, 1540, he commanded a side expedition commissioned to explore the region to the east and the north for eighty days and to investigate the reports of cows or buffalo. Alvarado's command passed the Acoma pueblo, the land of the Tiguex Indians, and at the Pecos pueblo acquired El Turco as a guide to the cow herds. El Turco's tales of gold and silver caused the group to lose interest in cows, but the Spaniards continued until buffalo herds had been sighted, thus becoming the first known Europeans to visit the High Plains.(Submitted on May 27, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 133 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 27, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
