- Introduction

This, not so small, settlement on the banks of the lower Hondo River, through its short life brought many people to Lincoln County and was the portal for countless other pilgrims. In 1870 it was the second largest population center in all of the huge Lincoln County. Here we will try and tell her story and give an idea of her legacy ~ Rich Eastwood, editor~

Many of the Hispano families came to Lincoln County from Manzano in the mid-1850s to early 1860s. It has been stated elsewhere that the Hispanos came both from Manzano, Mesilla and El Paso del Norte. But for the purposes of this view the focus is on the Manzano folks. Before the Spanish people came to what would become Lincoln County, the area was virtually unsettled and under the influence of the Apaches. All of that changed with the establishment of Ft. Stanton in 1855 to contain the Mescalero Apaches. Fort Stanton, with its several hundred troops, brought greater security and increased opportunity. A formation of troops this size required many things; farm goods, beef and horses. To support these one of the first elements needed is transportation or teamsters. Enter the Manzano connection.

The Manzano area, on the eastern slope of the Manzano Mountains comprising, roughly, the communities of: el Torreon, el Tajique, el Manzano, Quara y Cienega and Punta de Agua were resettled starting around 1815 by landowners from the Tomé area (on the Rio Grande below Albuquerque). The Luceros and the Bacas were some of the leaders of the resettlement effort. This area was first settled by the Spanish missionaries during the late 1500's and early 1600's who built spectacular churches that were later abandoned. (The site is preserved as The Salinas National Monument by the National Park Service, look it up on the web… interesting.) As the resettled area grew, getting to the market areas of the upper Rio Grande became a priority. Consequently the folks developed a freighting capacity and one of the finest roads, over Abó Pass, in the territory. Their teamsters were involved in freighting on the El Camino Real to Mexico and on the Santa Fe Trail to Kansas and Missouri.

One of the early towns of the Hondo Valley was a little settlement; known as San José de Missouri or Missouri Bottom to the Anglos, commonly called Missouri Plaza. After only a few years in existence, 1867-1872, the community disappeared. James D. Shinkle's book "Missouri Plaza" states that 30 to 40 families from the Manzano area settled the town. Shinkle offers the idea that when the Ft. Sumner to Ft. Stanton road became popular they took advantage of the opportunities. Good farming along the Hondo River system, trade with Fort Stanton and the possibility of gold brought their families and friends

La Placita, or Lincoln, farther up the Hondo on the north fork, the Rio Bonito and San Patricio on the south fork, or the Ruidoso, as well as Tularosa farther to the west, seem to have been the other main settlements in the early days. When Missouri Plaza dissolved, probably because of lack of water as the demands upstream grew, most of the families migrated up the Hondo and beyond into Lincoln County. We will try and illustrate that.

The Spanish people; from, maybe, the 1850s, until the Cowboys came after the Civil War had the land pretty much to themselves, except for the Indians. Fort Stanton brought a few traders, farmers and merchants who were the only Anglo influence for the first seven years or so. The Spanish people were the backbone of Lincoln County; serving as Justices of the Peace, Constables, Sheriff's, Deputies, businessmen, farmers, ranchers and most of all the labor force. The Manzano people had been on the frontiers of New Mexico from the beginning of the resettlement and include all of the elements of New Mexico society; Spanish, mestizo and genízaro. They were a major part of Missouri Plaza as well as the rest of Lincoln County.

The purpose of this work is to show where the people of Missouri Plaza came from and where they resettled; and thus demonstrate their Legacy.

1869 Composite Map of Missouri Plaza from the 1869 Township Plats.

1870 The citizens from the 1870 Census.

For the rest of the story you'll have to buy the book "Missouri Plaza, the Legacy" on Amazon.com