TRAVELING EL CAMINO REAL IN 1682 WITH GOVERNOR OTERMIN,
Lecture presentation by Rev. Larry Castillo-Wilson
During the 17th
century El Camino Real ran on the west side of the Rio Grande going through the pueblos of Acomilla, Alamillo, Socorro, and Senecu.
After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, Governor Antonio Otermin tried to reconquer the province, but failed. Otermin retreated back
down the valley of the Rio Grande to resettle in El Paso taking with him 385 Indians from the pueblo of Isleta. The retreat
expedition included making a difficult march over the hill of Acomilla (Little Acoma): “…We marched from this place in order
to ascend the hill of Acomilla and go down to the pueblo of Alamillo”, Expedition Journal.
Rev. Larry Castillo-Wilson will trace
the difficult march made by Otermin over the hill of Acomilla into Alamillo. The lecture will focus on identifying segments
of the trail that can still be seen today. According to Castillo-Wilson, the trail has been preserved in this area because much
of it is embedded in basalt rock and has been rarely used over the centuries. Castillo-Wilson will also identify some superb
petroglyphs along this section of the trail. Acomilla hill is near San Acacia, north of Socorro. El Camino Real can still
be seen on the side of the hill from Interstate 25.
Larry Castillo-Wilson received a BA from West Texas State University and
two theology degrees from Brite Divinity School. While pastoring in Socorro we was inspired by Dr. Paige Christianson, Professor
of History at New Mexico
Tech, to look for visual segments of El Camino Real. In 1983 he discovered his first
segment leading
him to spend the next three years researching the area on the east side
of the Rio Grande from La Joya to the San Antonio area discovering
a multiplicity of
visuals from both the Spanish Colonial and the Chihuahuan Trail periods.
Castillo-Wilson currently resides
in Albuquerque and works as an official volunteer with the
Bureau of Land Management’s Socorro Field Office collecting field data
on the trail. He
has given numerous lectures on his research and has led tour groups to on-site visits.
COST: Event
free with paid Monument admission. Free admission for ages 16 & under.
Free admission for MNM and ECRIHC Foundation members.
Single adult visit, $5.