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October, 1932
NEW MEXICO
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{The King’s Highway)
By Arthur Seligman
(Governor of New Mexico)
“'/COHERE is hereby established a public highway through the Territory of New Mexico, to be known as ‘El Camino Real’, which said highway shall have for its northern terminus a point in the Raton mountains on the state line between Colorado and New Mexico, where the old Barlow and Sanderson stage road, known as the ‘Santa Fe Trail’, crossed the state line, running thence i n a southerly direction and following the old Santa Fe Trail as nearly as practicable through the city of Raton, the town of Cimarron, to the village of Rayado; thence to the town of Ocate; thence to the town of Mora; thence to the city of Las Vegas; thence following the route of the highway established by Chapter 56 of the Session Laws of 1903, and known as the Scenic Route to ti™
DAYLIGHT DRIVE--HEADY	™B	CIWWS.STATE
the marker may he seek iTZ S„Ao™ON PASS’
the Rio Grande at the town of Barelas; through the counties of Bernalillo, Valencia and Socorro, through the towns of Los Lunas, Belen, Socorro, San Antonio, San Marcial to Engle; thence in a southerly direction across the Jor-nado del Muerto to a point near old Fort Seldon; thence i n a southerly direction, upon the high lands adjacent to the valley of the lower Rio Grande, reaching the towns of Dona Ana, Las Cruces and Mesilla Park, to the p lace known as Anthony, on the state line between the Territory of New Mexico and the state of Texas.
In the above language is described the first state highway in New Mexico, and the most romantic, historic and picturesque road in America. The desenp-
Santa Fe, the capital of the Territory of New Mexico;	0f the ThF? c-0”}. ChaPter Seven of the Session Laws
thence in a southerly direction via the town of Cerrillos	ico	10ftq\	y ,1X* Territorial Legislature of New Mex-
to San Pedro; thence to the city of Albuquerque by the	and	Sic	“d W!llIe1,ater ^ws, engineering consideration
most feasible and picturesque route; thence south, crossing	tion	oftV,	"e.cessi.ty have modified in detail the descrip-
■s nstoric route, in its essentials it remains the
October, 1932
NEW MEXICO
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LiiSJiii
same—the oldest and most famous road in American history.
Before dealing with our daylight journey of 520 miles d o w n this backbone highway of our state, in a modern motor car, i n eleven hours of elapsed time, let u s pause a little and consider briefly the history of this romantic road.
Don Pedro de Alvarado, a lieutenant o f Coronado, was probably the first white man to break trail over a portion of what was later known as El Camino Real. About 1540, forty-eight years after the discovery of America by Columbus, Coronado, then representing Spain’s viceroy at Mexico City, was on his notable expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola. He was stationed at Zufii, which pueblo was at that time in his control. From Zufii, Coronado sent Alvarado with 20 Spanish soldiers and an Indian guide to reported rich pueblos to the east. Alvarado first visited Acoma, then Tiguex (near Bernalillo) and then passed over or close to the Cambio Real on a journey as far east as Cicuye (Pecos Pueblo— now deserted and a ruins only...
Later Coronado joined Alvarado at Cicuye and from this place in 1541 Coronado began his disappointing journey easterly or southeasterly in search of the Gran Quivira—another chi -merical location as elusive as the famed Seven Cities of Cibola. Failing to find the sought-for gold Coronado returned to Cicuye and Tiguex and in 1542 began his return journey t o Mexico City from the latter pueblo; but instead of traveling south along the Rio Grande (El Camino Real) the explorers took the more familiar but longer trail back to Acoma, Zuni, south into Sonora and thence to Mexico City, leaving the opening of the more direct "Cambio Real” route to a later exploring friar— Fray Agustin Rodriguez.
In June, 1581, Fray Rodriguez with a parly of twenty, set out to the north from San Bartolome in Mexico.
They traveled toward the Rio del Conchos, thence up this river as far as its confluence with the River of the North (Rio Grande) where they crossed. The party then traveled 20 days northward visiting several pueblos in the vicinity of what is now Socorro. From here they continued on up the Rio Grande Valley to Tiguex, establishing meanwhile the first mission i n New Mexico at the pueblo of Puaray (1582). Here Fray Rodriguez met an untimely end at the hands o f visiting unfriendly Indians w h o shot him down with arrows as he was expounding the Gospel. Late in 1582 or early in 1583 Don Antonio de Espejo with a small party traveled almost the identical route followed by Rodriguez two years before, reaching Tiguex. From this point he traveled westerly toward Zuni. Espejo spent 12 months in exploration and contact with the Indians and, in the view of later events, his visit was probably more beneficial than any made up to that time into the territory of what is now New Mexico.
Thus was definitely established "El Camino Real" which later was to carry into the province of faraway New Mexico 400 colonists, soldiers and missionaries under the explorer, conquerer and colonizer Don Juan de Oiiate. This large party with several hundred sheep and cattle, after nearly perishing of thirst crossing the mal-pais plains between Rincon and San Antonio, east of the Rio Grande, which probably, gave rise to the name b y which this region has ever since been known, “Jornado del Muerto’’ (Journey o f Death), at last reached the river and on the 30th o f April, 1598, Oiiate took formal and solemn possession o f the province for the King of Spain.
Communications b e -tween Ouate’s settlements along the Rio Grande and Mexico City continued over the Camino Real until the Indian rebellion under Pope in 1680, when the famous trail became the scene of rout and retreat as the Spanish soldiers, settlers and friars

TOP--GOVERNOR SELIGMAN STEPS INTO HIS CAR TO START TIIE CROSSSTATE, SUNRISE-TO-SUNSET TRIP OVER U. S. HIGHWAY 85, CENTER--RATON PASS MARKER JUST NORTH OF THE NEW MEXICO-COLORADO LINE. HOTTOM--GOVERNOR SELIGMAN ARRIVES AT ANTHONY A LITTLE BEFORE SUNSET. THE NEW MEXICO-TEXAS BOUNDARY SIGN IS JUST BACK OF THE GOVERNOR.