Acapulco to Santa Fé

"Lynae, Lynae!" Brent ran up the stairs to the small Las Vegas apartment. "Look what Mom sent me in the mail!"
"What is it? Brent." Lynae grabbed at the small package Brent clutched in his hands.
"It must be the special coin she said she found at the swap meet she visited. She wouldn't tell me on the phone when or where it was from, but she said we'd really like it."
"Maybe we can take it to the Coin Club at school Tuesday. Too bad it’s a weekend and there’s no one to show it off to."
Brent grabbed the package back from Lynae with a shove that sent her lunging in through the door of the apartment. "Good, Grief! She must have used steel strapping tape. I can't get it opened. Get me a knife or scissors, Lynae."
"No! You shoved me away. Open it yourself. I don't care what’s in it."
"Well, Gina isn't home to cry to, so keep it to yourself. I'm going in my room to open this. Come in if you like."
Realizing there was no one to feel sorry for her if she cried; Lynae immediately altered her posture and followed Brent into his room with a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer. "Open it with this!" Lynae handed over the scissors as a sort of peace offering.
Out fell a wad of bubble wrap in which a clear plastic audiocassette case stuffed with cotton and blue velvet was safely packed. In the very center, pushing against the clear plastic was a shiny silver coin dated 1610, Acapulco, Mexico.
“This is the first coin minted in Mexico -- the first mint in the New world!"[1] Brent whooped racing for his book on Mexico Coins from his summer numismatist conference in Denver.
Both children made a grab for the box as it fell to the floor under Brent's bed. As they struggled with each other scrambling after the coin, the floor opened up, and the children plunged headlong through history and time -- into a bustling Spanish town where mariachi bands paraded blaring through the streets. From this hillside where they landed, they saw what looked like rows of rabbit hutches, but as they walked closer, they recognized the clusters of flat roof adobe homes, whitewashed to a sparkling brightness under the bright blue New Mexico sky. In Las Vegas time it had been nearly a year since they visited this time and place, but several years had passed in Santa Fe.
Banners written in Spanish announced the celebration of the founding of Santa Fé, the new capital city of the Province of New Mexico. Governor Peralta was mounting the grandstand to give a speech along with other soldiers. Friars dressed in their long black robes, wearing huge rosaries and crucifixes around their necks surrounded the grandstand.
Lynae’ grasped Brent’s elbow as they approached the crowded streets. “Look at the ladies -- their faces are all painted. Maybe they're going to do a stage play. “
Brent looked around amazed at the brightly rouged cheeks of most the señoritas, and even the older abuelas, who walked the streets proudly in their brightly colored dresses and shawls.
Cristóbal Baca’s family was among the few who had remained at San Gabriel when the rest of the colonists deserted the previous year. Cristóbal himself was openly very critical of some friars who led the desertion, and was making that point to anyone who would listen. But he and Doña Ana, along with their children, Antonio, Juana, Isabela, Juan, Ana and baby Alonso were in the crowd. Lynae recognized them and beckoned to Brent. The two ran to be with their friends and family. Doña Ana Ortíz Baca, was dressed in a beautiful silk dress, trimmed with delicate white lace and gold piping. Her hair was pulled back, but not braided, and held in place by tortoise shell combs. The shawl over her head was just as ornate and beautiful, with fringes around the sides, embroidered with bright designs. Her tiny bright rose colored slippers matched perfectly the rose tones in her dress and shawl.[2]
The band stopped and the crowd cheered as Governor Peralta took his place at the speakers’ stand. Sweeping the huge embroidered sombrero from his head, he bowed and greeted the crowd. Cheers and greetings echoed through the streets. He began to recite a history of the province of New Mexico.
As Cristóval had previously described at the dinner table, the Royal family and their advisors had decided that New Mexico was not a land with great mineral wealth or significant agricultural potential so Spanish royalty had pretty much lost interest. Brent learned that during the years between 1609 and 1680, most the Spanish efforts in the area were made only to keep a hold on the land. Spain felt obligated to protect those converted natives living along the Río Grande.[3] This had become the main purpose of the missions. In his Mexico Coin workshop class he had also heard that maintenance of the missions probably cost Madrid more than one million pesos, which he had calculated was a very lot of money for that period of time.

New Mexico also was an expense to Spain because of the cost of the civil and military installations. As Brent mentally figured the amount of money dedicated to this colony so far away from Spain, he began to have an idea of the Spanish interest in religious movement during that colonial period.
Cristóval had explained to them that some in Spain considered New Mexico a "White Elephant.”[4] It was his understanding that Spain's interest in New Mexico was motivated mainly by the desire to have a Spanish force in the area to keep an active claim to that huge empty country to the North.
Early in the explorations, Spain and Portugal struck a deal to honor the Pope's decision regarding which lands each country could explore and claim. The Pope drew a line on the map from north to south dividing the New World into two parts. New discoveries resulted in maps being revised. The two countries agreed to move the line further west, leaving what then became the country of Brazil under Portuguese control, with the rest of South America belonged to Spain.
But other countries didn’t honor the Pope’s declaration since they had not agreed to any such arrangement. They now made claims to parts of the New World. France, England and even the Netherlands challenged Spain's exclusive control of the western world, so keeping control of the land appeared to be the motivation for supporting the missions.[5]
Governor Peralta continued his long speech about the history of the province. Lynae concentrated on his fancy velvet suit. The high fluted collar and lace cuffs would have looked feminine in her own century, but here, most of the men were similarly dressed for the occasion from their sateen caps to the expensive high top boots with beautifully designed carved leather,
"Like we didn't all know the history of Oñate’s troops and the wagon trains," Lynae whispered to Brent, returning from her little trance.
"Just listen, you might learn something new, or at understand more of what we found out our last trip to this time and place." Brent slapped at Lynae’s hand. “Besides, these people haven’t had the experience of visiting the museums and historical sights -- they live the adventures.”
"In 1604,” the governor continued: “Oñate chose to explore the region west of the Río Grande. As he traveled he watched for signs of silver and gold and precious stones he hoped would help his reputation with the the King. Oñate moved the center of government from San Gabriel in order to concentrate all the white population in the new town of Santa Fé, where he calculated there would be enough military force to protect all the colonists.
“Look!” Brent and Lynae had wandered toward the back of the crowd, being more interested in looking around than in listening to any more historical facts. Brent stared and pointed, “that’s don Pedro (Gomez) Durán y Cháves. Don’t even ask me how I know, but that's where the coin came from! Lynae, ask him if he is from Acapulco." Lynae looked incredulously at her brother’s order. Brent was beginning to realize this new talent for understanding the events of the past as they were happening.
"Hey, dummy, remember, you’re the one with one year of Spanish." But as she spoke she realized that even she understood all that was being said around her. Realizing that it was the coin that was acting as translator on this adventure, she strode forth toward the soldier, dressed in the official formal uniform.
“Sargento Pedro Gómez.” She spoke as she approached this son of Hernan Sanches Rico, who had been born in Valverde, in the jurisdiction of the Grand Master of Santiago. Lynae remembered reading that in 1613 he would be sent as a captain to Taos Pueblo to collect the governor's tribute from the natives. "Buenos Días, Señor Sargento," Lynae heard herself speak with a perfect Spanish accent in a strong clear voice, "I was wondering, sir, if you have come recently from the south, at the Port of Acapulco."
"Why yes, my young señorita," the Sergeant stated, flourishing his hat and suppressing a smile and hint of a twinkle in his dark brown eyes. “I was there just this past February, taxing the cargo of a ship that was being fitted for a Philippine voyage. I brought these freshly minted coins from Acapulco,. See the date is still shiny and new, 1610, the year of our Lord. May I give you one?"
"Oh, no sir, we have one already!” Brent emphatically stated, stepping protectively in front of Lynae. Sánches, insulted at such a reaction, strutted toward the reviewing stand, flipping the new silver coin in his hand. He wondered, perhaps, how two young children in New Mexico could have gotten one of the new silver coins.
“Brent you should have taken the coin to take back home!” Lynae shrieked.

“I’m not about to take his money. Who knows what he might think he was paying for?” Brent said unapologetically. “He was flirting with you, and I’m supposed to protect you. I’m your big brother.” Besides, he considered the effects of such an act might cause some sort of time travel paradox.
All the ladies and men were dressed regally for their part in the gala celebration. Embroidered skirts, vests and sombreros saved from the long journey from Mexico City so many years before were in full display. Soon Brent and Lynae recognized the family of Juan López Holguin Alferez son of Juan Lopez Villasana, native of Fuente Ovejuna de Estremadura, who came to New Mexico in 1600. Juan was of good stature; he was bearded, and looked like he was about forty years old.
"It looks like he's been in as many battles as you and Monte. The mark over his left eye matches yours. Maybe he had a brother to fight with when he was little."
Brent ignored Lynae’s comment. “The important ones to know are Isabel, wife of Juan de Vitoria Carvajal and Simón de Abedano who married María Ortíz Baca.
“It is through their marriage that we are descended.” Lynae stated proudly competing in their game of "Who knows the family tree?"
"Wouldn't it be fun to introduce ourselves to these great-grandparents?" Brent speculated. "But what would I say? 'Hi, I am your twenty-first century descendant. I come from four hundred years in the future’." He bounced his head side to side in the popular imitation of a stereotypical dumb blonde.
Further on toward the Governor's stand, Lynae pointed out Juan Pérez de Bustillon, who had come with the Oñate soldiers in 1598. Juan Pérez was small of stature, gray-bearded and had a wart on the left side of his face. He had with him his wife, two sons and seven daughters. One son, Simón, was already a soldier when they came with the wagons. Juan's wife was María de la Cruz. Another son, Diego, and four daughters celebrated with them.
"Well, Lynae trumpeted, at least now we know where you get your warts!"
"And we know where you get your height deficit, squatty-body," Brent countered with a punch at Lynae's shoulder.”
“I thought you said you were supposed to protect me, not beat me up!” Lynae rubbed her shoulder as she walked away from her brother.
"Well, I guess being short and ugly didn't keep him from getting a wife and having children," Lynae, always the romantic, whispered back to Brent when she was well out of reach. He shushed her with a look to say she was being pretty rude.
"Oh, look," Lynae whispered in a romantic tone to Brent, in spite of his look. "There is Yumar, the girl that married cousin Antonio Baca. She is only about my age.” Even at her age she was dressed in silk and her face was rouged with the alegría flower for color. Her tiny hands were stained as well where she had spit on the crushed flower petals and rubbed the resulting dye on her cheeks. “She came from Mexico with her family just recently. Should I introduce myself and tell her she is our great ancestor?”

“I think all our ancestors are great, like Uncle Eliseo said about his nieces and nephews.”
“Funny, Brent. Maybe you should go get Antonio and introduce them. He might like to know who he is going to marry.“
"I think I would like to marry Yumar," Brent reflected, unfortunately speaking out loud, and blushing a little at the thought.
"Ooo, Brent has a girl friend, Brent's in l-o-v-e!" chanted Lynae.
"Oh, quíate, Lynae. She's my great-great-great-grandmother. Can you blame me if I think she is beautiful?"
"Oh, there goes Diego de Vera. He’s the scoundrel left behind a family to go exploring. Look, he's already looking at all the ladies. But he is very handsome," Lynae remarked, puffing up her shoulders in spite of Diego's fine looks, to show her disgust for his bigamy. Look at pretty María de Abendano with her parents, Simón de Abendano and María Ortíz Baca; they are both still alive today, but by January 16,1622, when María marries Diego, both parents will have already died, probably from the influenza? If we had flu shots here and now, a lot of people would have lived to be a lot older. María is the granddaughter of Captain Juan López Holguin. Do you see him there on the reviewing stand?"
"I want to be sure and come back in 1625 to watch the scene as Diego confesses his bigamy to María."
As Lynae made that wish, a sudden whirlwind scattered the dry leaves and pine needles, and time shifted forward. “I hate it when you do that, Lynae. Now cut it out!” Brent hollered above the wind, dusting at his jacket.

Many decedents came through Josefa Baca including Diego de Vaca, antecedents include Cristobal Baca, Papa Baca.
[1]
[2] Coronado’s Land—Daily Life in Colonial New Mexico. Marc Simmons. Details of dress and culture are paraphrased from Simmons’ book in this and other chapters.
[3] New Mexico p. 61, Onate pp 595+.
[4] New Mexico p. 61 (France V. Scholes, "The Supply Service of New Mexico Missions in the Seventeenth Century, S: NMHR , Vo. V. White Elephant refers to the practice in India of giving away a White elephant as a gift because it is revered as holy and can not be sold or killed, but is a great expense to keep.
[5] New Mexico p. 61