Ranch of the Swallows … aka El Rancho de las Golondrinas

Friday, 10 July 2015 (Part I)
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 76F (24C) / Lo 53F (12C)

¡Bienvenidos a El Rancho de las Golondrinas … Welcome to the Ranch of the Swallows.

Those were the first words in the brochure we picked up for $1 when we went into the gift shop to pay the $6pp admission fee for the open air museum that is located 20 minutes south of Santa Fe … and maybe about 10 minutes from the RV park where we are staying.  We went thinking we’d just spend half a day there.  As it turns out, we arrived just as the museum was opening at 10:00a and left just before they locked the doors at 4:00p ;-)  Luckily, the sun did not become unbearable until late in the day as much of our time was spent outdoors ... except when we were inside the buildings that dot the grounds.

The Ciénega Valley, an oasis amidst the otherwise semi-arid landscape of the region, was inhabited by the ancient people long before the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the late 16th century.  Many of the Spanish settlements were destroyed when the Pueblo people drove the Spanish out during the 1680 revolt.  But once the Spanish returned in the early 1690s, they managed to establish permanent ranches.  Las Golondrinas was one of them.  Offering ample water and plenty of grass, it quickly became an important stopover for those traveling the El Camino Real … the royal road from Mexico City to north of Santa Fe.

Collage of photos from the "Linking Cultures and Commerce" information panel.

The ranch continued to flourish after the Santa Fe Trail opened, linking the region all the way east to Independence, Missouri.  With the new trail came more goods to be carried down the Camino Real to markets in Mexico ... more stops at Las Golondrinas.  Even after the United States Army took possession of New Mexico in 1846, the ranch remained prosperous for a while.  But as time went by and new roads were established in and out of Santa Fe, the importance of the ranch declined.  Eventually, the deteriorating property was sold to the Curtins.  Leonora, the daughter, married a Finnish diplomat and together they began the transformation of the ranch into a living history museum.  (For much more about the history of Las Golondrinas, check out this link for a downloadable tour booklet.)

Colorful flags flapping in the wind welcome us to Las Golondrinas.

When we left to visit Las Golondrinas, we had no plans to do the guided tour.  But it was included in the price of admission, and there was a tour starting shortly after our arrival, so we decided to take advantage of it.  The tour covers the two placitas [little plazas] that make up the main area of the museum and provided good insight into life back in the day.  I can’t say that our guide was great, but overall we found the tour worthwhile, returning to take photographs after our small group dispersed at the end of the guided walk.

So, put on your walking shoes and let’s get going.  Watch out for the lintels as you go through doors … they are quite low … you don’t want to bash your head!  We’ll start out at the Las Golondrinas Placita — a reconstructed Spanish colonial home typical of the 18th century.

Click the map to the left for a larger more legible version. Or see the map on the museum website at this link. The area at the bottom is the exhibit hall, gift shop, arts and crafts booths (unoccupied today); food service & picnic area, etc. The area covered by the tour is to the left of “Start here.” The trails at the top are a DIY tour of historic buildings moved here from elsewhere around northern New Mexico.

Las Golondrinas Placita with the Torrreón [guard tower] on the right.
Colonists were responsible for defending themselves.  Hence the fortress-like walls
around the placita and the guard tower.  In addition to serving as a lookout, the tower was
also used for storage and was a place for the colonists to retreat to when under attack.

As well as being a ranch, Las Golondrinas was an important stopover on
the Camino Real.  The carretas [carts] seen here are typical of the ones that
would have carried goods between Mexico and New Mexico back in the day.

The zaguán [covered entryway] consists of a large door for wagons and livestock;
and a small door for people.  Yes, people were much smaller back then, but the
reason for the low height of the doors was different.  For One thing, less
material was needed to build them.  Also, it was a defensive measure, as those
entering through the door had to stoop and step over a threshold.

Mui engages the “spinning” demonstrators in conversation as I wander around taking photos.
On nice-weather days, the inhabitants would do their chores outside.  The placita was
also where visitors were welcomed and bid farewell, Where dances were held, or
where people just sat around gossiping.  In other words, it was the heart of the ranch.

Placitas would be rimmed with rooms that served a variety of purposes … living and sleeping,
cooking, storing goods, and praying amongst them.  (The tin roof on the chapel was added
after 1880.)  Also in the placita would be hornos for baking, and a well for drinking water.

Originally Moorish, Hornos, as these outdoor ovens are known, were brought to New
Mexico by the Spanish.  They were pretty much in use 24/7, and were used to bake and roast
everything from bread to chiles and meat.  the kitchen was Conveniently close to the hornos.

In addition to being the room where food was cooked, the Cocina [kitchen] was where
servants and slaves ate their meals.  As well, the platform above the open fireplace was
where the shepherd, one of the most important men on the ranch, would bed down in harsh
weather — hence the fireplace was often referred to as fogón de pastor (shepherd’s fireplace).
Note the swinging crib where the baby slept on sheepskin while mom went about kitchen duties.
Since there was no glass at the time, the window would have been covered with mica.

The chapel is inside what was probably the first family home built on the ranch —the
oldest building on its original foundation.  It is representative of a 19th-20th century
Hispanic chapel.  The vigas [ceiling beams] would have supported the original flat roof
that was replaced in the 1880’s when tin and other building materials were brought to
the area by train.  Before being turned into a chapel, the building was used As a barn.

The retablo in dedicated to San Isidro, the patron saint of the agricultural and
pastoral lifestyle.  It was constructed in 1994 by artisans working in traditional styles.

Beautiful embroidery panels and statue of San Isidro from the center panel of the altar screen.

The Stations of the Cross are the work of 14 santeros [artisans who make religious
images] and 2 tinsmiths.  They were added to the Chapel in 1995.  Represented here are
(L to R) Jesus’ condemnation to death; his first fall; and his meeting with his mother.

The reception room, accessed from the covered entryway into the placita,
is where the man of the house conducted business and greeted visitors.
Goods being transported to/from the ranch would also be stored here.

Details that caught my eye in the Reception Room.

The family room was ruled by the lady of the house.  Precious belongings would have
been stored here; children would have been raised here; the family would have been
served their meals here; guests would have been entertained here.  Fleece-stuffed
bedding would have been rolled up during the day and used as sofas for sitting.

These two women briefly tell us about carding wool and spinning yarn.

Spinners and weavers — mostly men — made everything from clothes and serapes,
to rugs, blankets, and sacks.  Woven goods were also exported and used to barter
for other goods.  Looms ranged from “walking looms” where the weaver stood
while operating the treadles, to upright looms that were operated sitting down.

Time to wake Mui up and walk through the door behind the carts to the
corrals, barn, and chicken coop.  Pinch your nose; it’s about to get stinky ;-)

Churro sheep like the ones seen here were imported from Spain.  Their fleece
was low-lanolin, long, and silky … thus ideal for hand-spinning.  In addition to
providing wool and meat, sheep were driven south for barter and sale.

Walking through and past the corrals, we entered the Baca Placita … so named for the family that lived here from the early 19th century to the 1930s when they sold the ranch to the Curtin Family, who transformed the property into the museum that it is today. 

Baca Placita … with the chapel (Golondrinas Placita) on the left and the Baca House on the right.

Panorama of the Baca Placita from the general store towards the house.
L to R: Butchering Area; House of Manuel Baca y Delgado; Tool Shed/Storage Building; Root Cellar;
and (edge of) the Tin Shop.  (General Store ... not pictured … is one of the perimeter buildings).
  Thanks to the gradual decrease of hostilities with raiding Indian groups, the
protective walls as seen with the Las Golondrinas Placita are missing here.

The butchering area … conveniently located near the corrals (behind the fence).
The malacate (large wheel by the tables) was used to hoist carcasses for skinning
and quartering.  No part of the animal was wasted … from the meat to the skin,
to the horns and bones, to the lard and blood … all was used.

The Manuel Baca y Delgado House is representative of a two-room house that might be
found in northern New Mexico between 1821-1880.  As is typical of houses before the
railroad came to the region, it is a simple structure with few doors or windows.
The mud bricks used to build the house would have been cut from nearby peat marshes.

The bedroom, as would be typical at the time, served multiple purposes.  The “raised”
bed is a change from the earlier mattress-on-the-floor type sleeping arrangement
we saw in the Las Golondrinas Placita.  The glass in the windows is a change from the
mica panels used in the 18th century, and would have come over the Santa Fe Trail.

The kitchen was the heart of the house.  In addition to being the place where
meals were cooked, this room was a place for people to congregate, eat,
sew, repair tools, and sometimes even sleep.  It was also used for storage.

The man who was the on-site-guide for the house is a great-grandson of Don Manuel; he
regaled us with the story of how Manuel “supposedly” hid gold in the wall beneath
the window to Mui’s right.  Nice story; but if the gold was there, it is long gone.

Left: The hooded fireplace (shepherd’s fireplace) came to New Mexico from Spain.
The hood shelf would be used to dry vegetables and meat.

Center: The bell-shaped fireplace was unusual.  It is thought that the shape
allowed the smoke to be ventilated, increased the reflection of the heat;
and provided an open hearth for suspending and roasting meat.

Right: the swinging crib could be tilted at the touch of a finger to position the baby for feeding.

La Tiendita, representing a New Mexican general store from the
late 19th century, was taken apart and brought here from tRAMPAS, nm …
WHERE IT WAS USED AS A STORE AND A POST OFFICE FROM THE EARLY 1900’S TO 1940.

Just some of the luxury items brought by train to be sold in a general store.
In addition to selling goods brought to the region by the train, stores like this
one served to gather goods that were then transported back east by railroad.

This Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog from 1894 was known as a consumer’s guide and
promoted the company as the “Cheapest Supply House on Earth.”  You could say that it was
the “Amazon” of the 19th century … except that orders took a lot longer to receive!

This bower near the general store affords us a place to rest in the shade.

Once our second time around the placitas was completed, we sat in the shade of a tree, ate a snack, and guzzled some water to replenish our energy before heading off on the trail to see more of what this outdoor museum has to offer.  But that will have to wait until the next post.

P.S. There are plenty more photos, including scans of the pages from the guidebook I purchased in my online gallery.

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