In the peaceful village of Corrales, New Mexico, centuries of rich cultural heritage remain embedded in the soil and stories of this historic community. Situated along the Rio Grande, this picturesque settlement holds secrets dating back nearly 1,500 years, representing a continuous thread of human habitation that spans multiple civilizations and eras. Today’s residents walk the same lands once cultivated by ancient peoples, creating an unbroken chain of agricultural tradition that defines the character of this unique community.
Early Settlement: The Tiguex Indians
The story of Corrales begins around 500 A.D., when the Tiguex Indians first established pit house settlements along the sandy slopes above the Rio Grande valley floor. Archaeological evidence reveals that these early dwellings eventually evolved into more sophisticated pueblo structures, featuring multiple above-ground rooms strategically positioned closer to the river. These indigenous communities were pioneers of agriculture in the region, developing advanced farming techniques that allowed them to cultivate corn, beans, and squash in the fertile floodplain, supplementing their diet with wild game hunted in the surrounding wilderness.
Pueblos, Agriculture, and Ancient Traditions
Two unexcavated pueblo ruins within village boundaries stand as silent witnesses to this ancient occupation, while numerous pithouses and artifacts discovered in modern residents’ backyards provide tangible connections to this distant past. The Tiguex people thrived in this region for centuries, but by the late 1600s, their communities had largely disbanded, and their pueblos stood abandoned. This vacancy in the landscape coincided with the permanent settlement of Spanish colonists in New Mexico, marking a significant transition in the area’s cultural development. The agricultural foundation established by the Tiguex, however, would continue to influence land use patterns for centuries to come.
Spanish Arrival and the Alameda Land Grant (1710)
Spanish influence in Corrales formally began in 1710 when Corporal Francisco Montes Vigil, a soldier in the Spanish army, received the expansive Alameda Land Grant encompassing 106,274 acres. This royal grant established a clear title of ownership that continues to provide a legal foundation for property within Corrales today. Unable to fulfill the settlement requirements mandated by Spanish law, Vigil sold the grant in 1712 to Captain Juan Gonzales Bas, who was then residing in nearby Bernalillo. The land changed hands again in 1718 when Gonzales sold a portion to Salvador Martinez, who had family connections through marriage to Gonzales’ oldest daughter, creating a web of family relationships that would characterize the community’s development.
Corrales in 1776: A Village of Two Sections
By 1776, when Franciscan friar Francisco Dominguez documented the missions of New Mexico, he described Corrales as having two distinct sections. Lower Corrales consisted of 26 families totaling 160 people living on ranchos scattered across the fertile floodplain. Upper Corrales, situated opposite the Sandia mission and the site of the present village center, was smaller with just 10 families comprising 42 individuals farming “not very good lands.” The Spanish archives from 1713-1821 record family names that have endured through generations—Gonzales, Martínez, Baca, Gutierrez, Armijo, Montoya, Silva, Chaves, Perea, Leal, Sanchez, and Martin. After 1812, the names Sandoval, Candelaria, and Garcia appear in historical records. Remarkably, these same surnames remain common among Corrales residents today, demonstrating a notable continuity of family heritage spanning three centuries.
