Plaza Vieja in Albuquerque in Bernalillo County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
La Jornada
Driving thousands of sheep, pigs, goats, cattle, mules and horses before them, men, women, and children overcame the hardships of the next seven months on the jornada. Scouts wandered far ahead of the wagon train searching for a route with adequate water and pasturage. For months on end, the desert air resounded with sharp cracks from whips of drovers who pushed the caravan farther into the tierra adentro. In late April, as they approached the Rio Grande near a place they called El Paso, light snow fell and a cool wind swept the Chihuahuan desert.
By mid-June, the Spanish frontiersmen had reached Socorro, where, in need of food, they traded with the Pueblo of Teypana. Slowly, their carretas rolled northward, passing through the valley of present-day Albuquerque, along the route that became El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Royal Road of the Interior, which originated in Mexico City.
Over seventy-five miles in advance of the wagon train, on July 4, 1598, Oņate and sixty horsemen reached San Juan Pueblo. Nearby, they established the first capital of New Mexico, which they named San Juan de Caballeros. By mid-August, the rest of the founding settlers of New Mexico arrived with sixty-one carretas. That summer, the first of many Hispanic settlements in New Mexico had been established. The heroic Jornada of 1598 to New Mexico is an important part of our national story.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 26, 1598.
Location. 35° 5.878′ N, 106° 40.046′ W. Marker is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in Bernalillo County. It is in Plaza Vieja. Marker is at the intersection of Mountain Road NW and 19th Street NW, on the right when traveling east on Mountain Road NW. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Albuquerque NM 87104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Cuarto Centenario Memorial (here, next to this marker); Founding Women of Albuquerque (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to Patio Escondido (about 600 feet away); Dominguez y Escalante Expedition (about 600 feet away); Albuquerque POW / MIA Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Public School in Albuquerque (approx. 0.2 miles away); Albuquerque (approx. 0.2 miles away); Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Albuquerque.
Regarding La Jornada. On June 15, 2020 a crowd came to this site to remove the Juan de Oņate statue. The statue was protected by a New Mexico citizen "militia". A protester was shot by a militia member. On June 16, the Oņate sculpture was removed by authorities.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,387 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 2, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.