"History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I" Book Available November 3rd!

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have learned that I'm publishing my book "History and Families of the Socorro Land Grant, Part I: The Baca Family and Their Descendants". It will be available on November 3rd on Amazon.com.

Below is an image of the proof copy of the book.

Last week I did a final edit of the book and submitted the final draft to Amazon. 

The book details the genealogies of 34 descendants of the Baca family who were among the founders of the Socorro Land Grant in 1815. These are not just people with the Baca surname, but also the Abeyta, Chaves, Gallegos, Garcia Jurado, Padilla, Sanchez, Tafoya, and Trujillo families, among others. The genealogies begin Cristobal Baca and Ana Ortiz, who arrived in New Mexico with their family in 1600, and continues another 8 generations. The descendant narratives extend into the 1800s, and in a few cases into the early 1900s. Additionally, I've included one other Baca family, the descendants of early Socorro settler Juan Dionisio Baca. He was not actually descended from the Baca family, but rather from Petronila Garcia Jurado and an unknown father. Juan Dionisio Baca was the ancestor of famed lawman Elfego Baca, New Mexico Archbishop Robert Fortune Sanchez, and many other Socorro residents.

Other sections of the book explore a brief history of the Socorro Land Grant, five-generation pedigree charts for each of my four grandparents, and a series of vignettes. These stories highlight the connections between the Torres and Baca families, the role of the Cabeza de Baca lineage in the Socorro Land Grant, the Montoya family as defenders of the grant, and the legacy of María Guadalupe Torres, a matriarch whose descendants include many prominent members of the García and Baca families of Socorro.

Lastly, within the descendant narrative, you will find transcriptions of census records, obituaries, and even short family histories. It's not just names and dates - I flesh out many of these families' stories.

The book is over 550 pages, with extensive citations, and a name index of over 3,000 people. I have been researching my family for over 25 years, which includes many founders of the land grant. You will find this book to be the most extensive Socorro Hispanic family history, and I'm just beginning! There are another 31 founders who I will profile in subsequent volumes. 

When it is released, it'll look a little different from my proof copy: it'll have a green cover! The cost is $50, which is a bargain for a genealogy like this. If you are interested in New Mexico genealogy and history, you'll find this book to be just what you are looking for!

Video: Don Pedro Antonio Baca, Ep. 1 of "L&D in Small Town NM"

  

I began a new series on my "Socorro Genealogist" YouTube channel called, "Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico." 

This video is the first of a series of vignettes on people who lived in and surrounding Socorro, New Mexico. My first vignette is about Don Pedro Antonio Baca. I read from his obituary published in the November 12, 1887 “Socorro Bullion” newspaper. He was the husband of my 4th great grandmother Maria Guadalupe Torres, although he was not my direct ancestor. Maria Guadalupe’s first husband Francisco Antonio Garcia was my direct ancestor. This obituary gives a great insight into the history of the Socorro Land Grant, its founders, and late 19th century small town New Mexico history.

LINK

Video: Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico (Socorro County Historical Society)

On July 19, 2025, I made a presentation for the Socorro County Historical Society titled "Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico". I recorded a video of the presentation and posted it on my "Socorro Genealogist" YouTube station.

In my talk, I profiled four Socorro County 19th Century residents. Eutimio Montoya was a staunch defender of the Socorro Land Grant, taking the U.S. Government to court to fight for the grantees' rights. His father Estanislao Montoya was a brigadier general in the New Mexico militia during the Civil War, a businessowner, and a politician. Samuel Zimmerly was a California Column Civil War soldier and prominent miller in Park City. Samuel's wife Maria Pabla Torres was a descendant of an old New Mexico Spanish family, who ran her husband's business after his death and whose children started six prominent families in Socorro County.

I had a great audience that asked good questions and provided stories of their own during the presentation. I shared binders and folders of genealogy with members of the audience, and a few audience members shared their family history with me, too.

I very much appreciate the reception I received from the Socorro County Historical Society and their members. For more information about the society, click on this link.

To view the video, click on this link

July 19, 2025 SCHS Presentation: "Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico"

 Life and Death in Small Town New Mexico

The Personal Histories of Socorro and Surrounding Communities

A new presentation by Robert J. C. Baca

Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 2 PM

at The Socorro County Historical Society annual meeting

City of Socorro Convention Center

1220 Hwy 60 West
Socorro, New Mexico

(The old National Guard building.)

There are thousands of stories in New Mexican small towns. Socorro is not different. From its beginnings prior to Spanish exploration, through Spanish colonization in 1598 and up until the present, many families have lived and died in this town. These are the stories of a few notable, but maybe not lauded, residents of the area. These are "personal histories" of the local folk.

Robert J. C. Baca is a former president of the New Mexico Genealogical Society. For the past quarter century, he has been researching Socorro genealogy and history, focusing mostly on the Socorro Land Grant. He has presented before NMGS, The Historical Society of New Mexico, the Socorro County Historical Society, and many other organizations. Robert and his lovely wife Nancy live are teachers living in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Robert invites you to bring photos, documents, and your own personal family histories to the presentation to share. This will be an interactive event. Portions of the presentation will be filmed and streamed on YouTube and social media after the event.