History of glorieta mesa

The land on which we build our community is ancient and very Sacred. The Cicuya Native Americas date back an estimated 10,000 years. Pre-Pueblo People lived in the Pecos Valley starting in 800 A.D. and over the course of six centuries rose to be a thriving civilization. The Pecos Pueblo dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. It was one of the largest Native American Populations in the country up to the late 17th century. Spanish Conquistador Coronado wrote specifically of the Pueblo’s structural stronghold, as well of their impressive corn, squash, and bean agriculture. Spanish troops estimated that the natives had on hand a three-year surplus of corn; a testament to the civilization the Natives had built. Although the Spaniards would ruthlessly destroy the culture and people of the Pecos Pueblo for the next century, there is no question that the echoes of the past still live on in the energy of the land, and in the artifacts regularly found: arrowheads, fragments of clay pots, tools, and petroglyphs.

To The Cliffs at Padre Springs is located on Glorieta Mesa which flanks the Glorieta Pass on the west side.  This pass was the only accessible place to cross the Rocky Mountains south of Colorado. As a result it was the western most battlefield of the civil war in an effort to gain control of the west. It later became the passageway for the Old Santa Fe Trail where the Pecos Indians traded with travelers. In the most recent history it became the passageway for the railroad and route 66. The Cliffs at Padre Springs was regarded as a safe lookout and hunting ground for the Native Americans.