This book is the first history of the French in New Mexico over the last four centuries.
It includes the histories of
hundreds of French families in their historical context.
This book is for you if you are:
- Among the thousands of New Mexicans who share a French ancestry
- Related to those who remained in their original lands, mainly in France and Canada
- Interested in the multicultural aspects of New Mexico’s history and society
- A genealogist
Paperback. 450 pages. 100 illustrations. Maps. Endnotes, index, bibliography.
$ 24.95
For more information, please contact fmpatorni@earthlink.net
Here are a few milestones of the French presence in New Mexico: In 1539, Friar Marc de Nice claimed to have sighted the Seven Golden Cities of Cíbola in western New Mexico. Early French settlers were Jacques Grolet, Jean L’Archevêque, and Pierre Meusnier. Grolet and L’Archevêque both founded New Mexico dynasties, the current Gurulé and Archibeque families, respectively. Between about 1695 and 1760, there were many reports of French intrusions into New Mexico / Spanish territory. During the 1780s, Pierre (Pedro) Vial, from Lyons, pioneered the trail from St. Louis, Missouri, to Santa Fe. From the early 1800s, French and French Canadians controlled the fur trade, making up 80 percent of the traders, with Taos one of their main centers. The French presence was significant on the Santa Fe Trail, along which travelers commonly spoke French. From 1851 to 1914, French priests dominated New Mexico’s Catholic Church. From the mid-1870s to the early 1900s, French families came to New Mexico and played significant roles in business, agriculture, and the wine industry.