Cristóbal Baca, I born circa 1567 Ciudad de México, Nueva España died circa 1613 San Mateo, Nuevo México, Nueva España

In March 1599 don Juan de Onate wrote the viceroy of Neuva Espana and requested additional soldier and families to help strengthen the colony that had been established.

With approval, the recruitment began in late summer of 1599. 65 Spaniards and 25 servants were recruited at Mexico City. By October 1599, recruits, including women, children, and servants, were at the outpost of Santa Barbara in the Valle de San Bartolome in Nueva Vizcaya. After some delay, these settlers began their journey to New Mexico in late September 1600 on the route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the route that Onate had taken in the original expedition of 1598 and which by now had stopping places about every ten miles. The group arrived at Onate’s colony on December 24, 1600. Many of these settlers became discouraged and disappointed and left in late October 1601. The families that remained from the second wave of colonization are common ancestors for people with Hispano roots in colonial New Mexico.

Cpt. Cristobal Baca, native of Mexico City, Nueva Espana, and his wife, dona Ana Ortiz y Pacheco, also native of Mexico City, Nueva Espana, brought 3 daughters and a son with them to New Mexico. Another son, Alonso Baca, was born in New Mexico. Through him the Baca family name was passed on to following generations.

1. DEATH: AFT 1613
2. EVENT: soldier reenfor: 24 DEC 1600 [2378] [2379]
3. EVENT: of good stature, dark complexioned and well-featured

Appearance: 1600 [2380]

INDEX

[2374] [S234] Chávez--A Distinctive American Clan of New Mexico

[2375] [S2194] ONMF, p. 112

[2376] [S2194] ONMF, p. 112

[2377] [S2200] ORIGINS OF NM FAMILIES

   * PAGE: pg. 9

[2378] [S2200] ORIGINS OF NM FAMILIES

   * PAGE: pg. 9

[2379] [S2162] New Mexico's First Colonists

   * PAGE: pg. 24

[2380] [S2200] ORIGINS OF NM FAMILIES

   * PAGE: pg. 9

[113582] [S2200] ORIGINS OF NM FAMILIES

   * PAGE: pg. 9

-------------------- "Cristóbal Baca (Vaca) was one of the captains who came to reinforce the Onate colony in 1600. He was the son of Juan de Vaca, born in México City, of good stature, dark complexion, well-featured, and thirty-three years of age. He brought his wife, three grown daughers, and a small son. His wife was Doña Ana Ortíz...

The children were Juana de Zamora, Antonio Ortiz, Isabel [de Bohorquez], María de Villanueva, and the boy Alonso, all of them born in México City. With them came a female servant, Ana Verdugo.

Baca's family was among the few who remained at San Gabriel when the rest of the colonists deserted; Cristóbal himself was very critical of some friars who lead the desertion. In 1603, he commanded the escort which brought four new Franciscans from México City. In 1613, he was acting sindic for the friars. After this, he disappeared from the records, but his descendants begin to fill the annals of New Mexico.

Of the three daughers, Juana became the wife of Simon Pérez de Bustillo, Isabel married Don Pedro Duràn y Cháves, and María was the wife of Simon de Abendaño. The family name was passed on down by Antonio and a younger brother, Alonso, born in New Mexico.

Angélico Chávez

ONMF, p. 9-10

Captain, legitimate son of Juan de Vaca (possibly the same Juan de Vaca as the one on the Coronado Expedition) , native of the city of México, of good stature and features, swarthy, 33 years old."

In 1600 Captain Cristobal Baca (Vaca), traveled north to present day New Mexico with reinforcements for Onate. Born in Mexico City, Cristobal made his home in San Gabriel de los Caballeros, now the San Juan Pueblo area. He stayed in the original Spanish colonial capital when others moved to colonize Santa Fe in 1610. He had three daughters and two sons, Alonso and Antonio.