By Mark Henderson and Rachel Preston Prinz
National
Register Criteria
Criterion A. Property is associated
with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of
our history;
The Cañada de Apodaca is documented to
be the primary link between the northeastern Mexican frontier portal settlement
of Taos, the core weaving settlements in the Española Basin, governmental
administration in Santa Fe, and the northwest portal for the California trade
at Abiquiu. The role of the Cañada de Apodaca trail was not to transport
fabrics to California, which probably did not occur on the “North Branch” of
the OSNHT. Rather, Taos was the source
of guides, scouts and traders who had geographic knowledge required by the
merchants and packers, or arrieros, transporting woven woolen goods through the
northwestern frontier portal at Abiquiu to California. By 1829 “Americano” expatriate trappers and
traders had also placed their imprint on the commercial interests of the Taos
Valley, and through the isolation afforded by the treacherous route to Santa
Fe, could manipulate government permits, licenses and taxes administered from
the government center there. The route
of the Cañada de Apodaca Trail -through fantastic colorful rock formations
between the choked “Embudo” of the Rio Grande - avoided the nearly impassable
Rio Grande Gorge - offering both an obstacle and an asset for the Taos
entrepreneurs. The Cañada de Apodaca
provides an outstanding opportunity to see a
landscape largely unaltered since the mid-19th Century, through which passed the people with technical expertise to negotiate for the permits and licenses obtained in Santa Fe and who could also guide the mule caravans loaded with woven woolen goods from Abiquiu to California, passing through a wilderness occupied by sometimes predatory natives, returning to New Mexico or travelling on to Missouri with horses and mules that could be sold for huge profits
landscape largely unaltered since the mid-19th Century, through which passed the people with technical expertise to negotiate for the permits and licenses obtained in Santa Fe and who could also guide the mule caravans loaded with woven woolen goods from Abiquiu to California, passing through a wilderness occupied by sometimes predatory natives, returning to New Mexico or travelling on to Missouri with horses and mules that could be sold for huge profits
Criterion D. Property has yielded, or
is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
The Segment 2 spur is likely to yield
additional archeological information about placement and erosion processes for
pedestrian and pack trails. The association of aboriginal (snake) and historic
(Christian cross) petroglyph elements on basalt rocks presents opportunities
for independent dating of human travel through the area with emerging XRF (X
Ray Fluorescence) methods. Detailed examination of soil compaction, chemistry
and vegetation growth may be able to reveal changes that to the sediments that
still are measurable as a result of trail use.
Reconnaissance level surface observations have located few, if any
artifacts that may be associated with the period of significance, but metal
detection and detailed mapping of surface artifacts on trail alignments near
the Taos Overlook (Hawk 2009) could be applied to the Cañada de Apodaca route
segment and might reveal objects that would be associated with the Old Spanish
Trail period of significance.
Period
of significance
By the early 19th century, the Espanola
Valley had become the most populous settled region in Mexican Territorial New
Mexico and developed the only significant craft manufacturing workshops of
exportable goods in the territory: woolen serapes (woven outer garment) and
fresadas (woven blankets for bedding).
Meanwhile Taos, on New Mexico’s northeastern frontier, had continued to
evolve as a major source of geographic knowledge based on the exploits of
trappers like Kit Carson and Indian traders like Antoine Robidoux. Trade in
hides, mules, horses and woven woolen goods connected the Great Basin fur trade
with the US and Santa Fe commercial markets.
Significant
dates
In 1847, Fredrick Ruxton documented his
journey along the Apodaca trail of what would later become known as the “North
Branch” of the Old Spanish Trail. For many years following the Old Spanish
Trail’s official period of significance, the Apodaca trailserved to connect
Santa Fe, the Espanola Valley, Taos, the northern frontier of Mexico, and the
US commerce center at Saint Louis.
Areas
of significance:
COMMERCE
/ ECONOMICS / SOCIAL HISTORY / CULTURAL AFFILIATION
The Cañada de Apodaca trail exemplifies
both isolation and connections through Taos as the “port of entry” to Indian
trade and the development of Mexican and American manufacturing on New Mexico’s
northeastern frontier between 1829 and 1848.
EXPLORATION
/ SETTLEMENT / TRANSPORTATION
The Cañada de Apodaca trail section
reveals the extent to which steep dissected terrain can shape the nature of
networks of information flow, trade and commerce.