Pena Flor, Colfax County, New Mexico Genealogy

Location:                              Pena Flor was also known as "The Wall" because of the obvious geologic escarpment. It is located at the northwest corner of Colfax County, north of Elizabethtown, and north of Bernal Lake, four miles from the Colorado Border. This is best negotiated, with 4 wheel drive. From US 64, East of Cimarron, east of the crossroads with State Road 204, take the first road north of 204, Cerrososo Road / Farm Road 1950, pass through Van Bremmer Park, continue north to where the road changes to Cimarron Road, and continue north. Pass Marys Lake on the west, and continue on Cimarron Road, north. Where Bear Camp Road intersects, take Bartlett Road north. Go between Adams Lake and Bartlett Lake, and then take Adams Lake Road north to where it intersects with Munn Lake Road. Take the second dirt road to the right (north). About 1/2 mile after the first road that intersects on the right (west). There are only ruins left. The closest populated place, now also a ghostown, was Banning Place. You can also reach Penaflor from Colorado. From Monument Park, head straight south on county roads, 12, 13 and 5, 4 miles south of the Colorado State line. Geographically, if you follow the canyon from Dawson north to origin of the Upper Vermejo River, you are at Pena Flor.

GPS:                                   Latitude: 36.9511 N;      Longitude: - 105.1267 W.

Elevation:                             8,189 feet (2,496 meters)

Map:                                   Interactive Map 1., Map 2. Topo map.

Photos:

Post Office:                         Established  1888 to 1901. Subsequent mail went to Catskill, until it closed.

Cemetery:

Census Data:                      1900 Us Federal Census - for alphabetic list of households, click here.

Details:

In "The Population of the United States and Territories", William C Hunt analyzed the population changes for Pena Flor to be 319 in 1890 and 152 in 1900. Research reveals that many of the people who actively participated in the land disputes (1860-1900) created by the clash and confusion of Territorial occupation of New Mexico, the Homestead Act of 1860, squatters, and existing land ownership, lived in this area aound the Vermejo River with a central location in Pena Flor. This includes the infamous shootout at Stonewall, Colorado.

Family history links:


 * Piedad Bargas, married Nicanor Vigil, daughter of Jose de la Lus Bargas and Raymunda Bargas, obituary, 1912 La Revista de Taos.
 * Candelarita Dominguez, daughter of Teodoro Dominguez, family tree; 1982 Pueblo, obituary.
 * Juan D Gonzales, son of Jose Agapito Gonzales and Maria Soledad Gonzales, 1921 Taos obituary.
 * Alicia Guadalupe Muniz Lopez, obituary.
 * Francisco Sanchez, death and obituary, La Revista de Taos, 1914-1915.

Sources:


 * Report of the Governor of New Mexico to the Secretary of the Interior, 1887. page 12, Google Books.
 * The Place Names of New Mexico, Robert Hixson Julyan, page 262. Google Books.
 * Report of the Commissioner on Fish and Hatcheries, 192, Part 27, page 90., Google Books.
 * United States Official Postal Guide, 1892. page 599. Google Books.
 * The Population of the United States and Territories, William C Hunt, page 272, Google Books.
 * Translating Property: The Maxwell Land Grant and the conflict over land in the American West, 1840-1900. Maria Montoya. Google Books.
 * History of New Mexico; Its resources and people. George B Anderson. Volume 1 page 187. Google Books.
 * The Grant Maxwell Bought. F. Stanley, page 152. Google Books.
 * Governor Adams Correspondence regarding the shootout at the Stonewall Hotel, regarding Spamish-Mexican Land Grants. Colorado State Archives.