Identifier: annualreportofse973unit (find matches)
Title: Annual Report of the Secretary of the Interior for the year ended June 30, 1897
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: United States Department of the Interior
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Contributing Library: Clemson University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation

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r-oughly tested. FEAR OF INDIANS. Very many persons erroneously believe that to reside in close prox-imity to Indians is dangerous; that they are lazy, unclean, dishonest.This will not in the most remote degree apply to those of this locality,some of whom are well educated and speak American and Spanishfluently. All are peaceable and industrious. Below is copied a portion of a letter of Mr. O. L. Rice, traveling cor-respondent of the Santa Fe New Mexican, published in that paperJuly 7, 1897: IN ANCIENT TAOS VALLEY—THE SEAT OF ONE OF THE OLDEST SETTLEMENTS INTHE TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO. The valley of Taos is probably the seat of one of the oldest settlements in NewMexico, while the county and village bearing the same name can almost dispute SantaFes claim for distinction as the oldest town in the Southwest, if not in the UnitedStates. On this point, however, as in the history of the capital city, there is nothingknown definitely concerning the exact date of the founding of the place.
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TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO. 517 But be that as it, may, there is no question concerning the antiquity of the settle-ments in the valley. When the Spanish first visited the northern part of the Territorythe Indian puehlo was standing very much as it stands now, fields were under culti-vation, and a large population was scattered over the country to the west of themountains. Some six miles below Taos are the ruins of an Indian pueblo, which canbe traced along the foothills for several miles, and no doubt these crumbled wallsrepresent a pile of buildings and rooms capable of housing thousands of people. Itis said that other pueblos were located on the sites of several of the present Mexicanplazas, and in some instances the adobe walls of houses now occupied were the wallserected by Indians centuries ago. There is nothing improbable in this supposition.The Taos valley is well calculated to support a large population. Several streamsissue from canyons in the mountains on the north and east, a

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