Taos County, New Mexico
Fernandez De Taos
The fertile valley of Taos naturally attracted the Spanish colonists who
came to New Mexico and the officials who, from time to time, had occasion
to visit the pueblo, and history informs us that at the time of the
Revolution of 1680, there were about seventy Spaniards who had settled
there. At the uprising they were attacked by the Indians from the pueblo
and also by the Apaches who were sojourning there, and all but two were
killed. These were Sergeant Sebastian de Herrera and Don Fernando de
Chaves, who, leaving their dead wives and children, worked their way along
the mountains to the south until they came within sight of Santa Fe, and
finding that the Spaniards there were besieged on all sides, continued
their journey toward the south until finally, after ten days of danger and
hardship, they succeeded in joining the Spaniards who had gathered near
Isleta under Lieutenant Governor Garcia.
After the reconquest new settlers were attracted by the beauty and
fertility of the valley, and the town of Don Fernandez grew during the
eighteenth century to considerable proportions. About 1806, or perhaps
somewhat earlier, the large church was
erected, which until very recently was the religious center of the
community, and of which we are glad to be able to present an excellent
picture from a photograph. Many years ago the rear wall showed signs of
weakness and quite a dangerous crack was developed, but by inserting a
stone foundation and building two massive buttresses of adobe it was made
secure. These buttresses formed a conspicuous feature when viewed from the
rear, but do not show in the photograph here presented, which gives a
direct front view.
This church was the scene of the pastoral labors of the celebrated Padre
Martinez for many years. He became pastor in 1826 and continued in charge
until 1856. During this long period he was not only parish priest, but he
conducted the most important school which then existed in New Mexico,
brought a printing press to Taos, established the first newspaper in the
Southwest, and published several school-books and manuals of devotion. A
full generation of the youth of northern New Mexico was educated under his
personal instruction, and he thus exercised a very important influence in
molding the sentiment of that section for many years. When, as a result of
the inevitable clash between the old Mexican ecclesiastical methods and
the new ones introduced by Bishop Lamy and the French priests, he was
superseded as pastor of Taos by Rev. Damaso Taladrid, he continued to hold
regular services in a chapel erected for that purpose, and fully half of
the people of Taos refused to be separated from
their old pastor until his death. This chapel is still standing, but has
been used for other purposes since the death of Padre Martinez. It is
forty-eight feet long by twenty-five feet in width and was entered by a
large square door five and a half feet wide.
Some years ago a movement was started for the improvement of the old
parish church and the introduction of some modern features; and this
finally resulted in an effort to erect an entirely new edifice. The latter
project was warmly supported by the "Revista de Taos," and a number of
public spirited citizens, and at length was crowned with success. The new
structure, which was dedicated in 1914, is a very creditable building,
thoroughly abreast of the times as to modern conveniences and
ornamentation; but it is a subject of regret that it could not have been
built on some other piece of ground, so that the venerable building which
was associated with the lives of the people throughout such a long period
could have been preserved as an enduring monument to the Christian zeal
and devotion of the generations that are passed.
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© Karen Mitchell