Hacienda Facts El Torreon Hacienda Many Years of History By Allyn Rose Ransom

The property where the hacienda now sits was once a very large tract of land, by some estimates 500 acres, given to the Valdez family by the famous Father Padre Martinez who came from Abiquiu to bring a unique style of Catholicism to the area. So unique that he was excommunicated more or less. The deed is recorded in 1848.

 In 1924, Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the hacienda to be freed from any claims by the Pueblo for the property.
The hacienda families all had a strong connection to the Pueblo. The children participated in Pueblo activities and would walk from the hacienda to the pueblo, no problem.
One such story is about the mock wars enacted at the pueblo.
The pueblo would divide into two teams and have serious mud ball fights.
Many of the Cardenas family members remember participating.
Gerald Bernal said the mud balls sometimes had stones inside so they could wound.
The activity was banned by the government somehow.
Indian slaves were used to build the hacienda and tend to the farming duties. Shocking as it may seem today, Indian slaves were common in early New Mexico.

The torreon, or watchtower, is considered by the pueblo to be an early outpost for spotting marauding Indians, as was the way in the early settlements.
Comanche and Apache raiding parties would steal children and women to offer as slaves to other tribes.
Historical photos show originally the top of the torreon had a battlement of latillas and hot grease was poured down on advancing enemies.

At one time El Prado had enormous herds of sheep.
20,000 were herded through the fields.
After  World War I and II, the men from Taos who fought in the wars came home  disinterested in sheep herding.
After a 10 day flood of enormous proportions in 1936,
the Cardenas family added plumbing to the house from the hand dug well in the courtyard and added wood flooring over the dirt floors.
During the 2001 renovation the old plumbing was removed and commercial bathrooms were built, with adobe construction, of course.
 
The last family to live in the hacienda had 13 children.
It is said there was no time for play.
It was long hard work.
There is a wonderful story from the 1920's.
Where the El Prado well is now located to the south of the hacienda,
the water would gather in winter and form a big ice pond.
The "rich folks" would come and skate on the pond while the kids from the hacienda just watched..and longed to do the same.
Their Mother, Rafalita, made them skates out of tin cans
wrapped around the bottom of their shoes.
Just recently I met Rafalita's great grandaughter.
Through meeting with family I have been able to verify all of my stories.

All of the hacienda gardens have been added, in grandmotherly fashion,
providing a splendid show of flowers all growing season long.
The apples trees came from Abiquiu in 1847 and produced 2 tons of apples last year, some even sold at Cid's.

The first room to be built in 1847 is now Anderson Kee's silversmith shop.
The fireplace was used year round for laundry, washing and cooking.
Dry herbs hung from the vigas.
Every spring swallows return to nest as they have for 159 years.
I mention this because in the old days Anderson's room was open during the summer months since the household fire burned every day for washing and cooking and bathing.
The swallows would nest inside..now they build their nests under the portal.

Due to the fear of a hundred year flood, all the hacienda grounds are prepared for that possibility. Great effort was done to provide for run off and flood control.

The Cardenas family members moved elsewhere and Mario Cardenas established a successful trailer park on the back acreage.
Many folks come to visit and tell of their happy days living behind the hacienda, including the real estate agent who sold us the property.   
 
The hacienda foundations are very strong and the walls are solid 16" adobes.
Ceiling insulation in the old days was dirt.
We updated the roof and crawl spaces during renovation.   
We chose foam insulation and roofing material over brai because of it's durability.
All the adobes used in the original construction of the hacienda were made at the hacienda..and the trees for the vigas were brought  from Tres Piedras by the family.
The vigas in the hacienda dining area are of particular delight due to their size and color.  

There were two original windows remaining when we started the renovations.
All the windows are handcrafted duplicates of the original style.
They aren't the most convenient by today's standards but they are authentic to the period and the special single pane glass is made in Mexico.  
All of the doors needed to be replaced and were handcrafted in Taos using the old doors as templates.
Every room except Anderson's had a small wood burning stove for heat.
We added hot water base board and built the fireplace in the dining room.  

The only modification to the original hacienda floor plan is the pass through from the courtyard to the back patio.
The room was previously part of Mario's quarters and had no view or door.
As you pass through to the back, if you look up you can see the old stove hole in the ceiling.

The Hacienda currently presents an unparalled view of our sacred mountain.

Allyn Ransom,

Managing Partner