Marqués de Rubí Visits Santa Fe in 1766

Draftsman José de Urrutia 1767 map of Santa Fe

Draftsman José de Urrutia 1767 map of Santa Fe. (Source: santafenewmexican.com)

The New Mexican is republishing columns written by Marc Simmons who wrote a weekly history column for the periodical for more than 35 years. One that caught my attention was the following story in their historical section, “Trail Dust: Report gave glimpse of Santa Fe in 1766.” Simmons’ article tells the story of the Marqués de Rubí’s (a Spanish nobleman) tour of the then frontier of “New Spain.” Rubí was to inspect forts and determine how to improve Spain’s military strategy and defenses against Native American raiders.

Marqués de Rubí’s Santa Fe

Santa Fe was one of the locations that Rubí inspected and he was there for almost one month. Through his reports we can imagine some of what Santa Fe was like in 1766. (Yes, that’s ten years before the original American colonies declared their independence!)

About the capital of Santa Fe, he criticized its poor excuse for a presidio, claiming it was incapable of defending the town. A proper military installation, Lafora noted, might spare New Mexico from another disaster like the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. Almost 20 years would pass, however, before a true walled fort could be constructed north of the Plaza.

When the imposing Rubí expedition rolled into Santa Fe, it must have caused quite a stir among the populace. After all, they had not seen a marqués since don Diego de Vargas had occupied the governorship early in the century. He had been granted the title by the king for his leadership in the reconquest.

Inspector Rubí remained in Santa Fe a full 27 days. It would be a surprise if he was not feted with a grand ball in the Casa Real (Palace of the Governors).

Much of his time was actually spent with then Gov. Tomás Vélez Cachupín, discussing defensive needs of the province. The governor seems to have filled His Lordship’s ear with complaints about the inadequate troops, supplies and money furnished by the royal government.

The total number of men assigned to the presidial garrison was 80, and all had families. Since no barracks or family quarters existed, they lived in private residences.

In line with his instructions, the Marqués de Rubí held an inspection and review of the troop on the Santa Fe Plaza. Since large-scale public amusements of any kind were rare in those days, the citizenry must have turned out in force to view this spectacle.

Capt. Lafora, during the prolonged stay, was taking a census and also drawing up a map of “the layout of the capital,” as he put it. Once he’d completed a rough sketch, he turned it over to the draftsman Urrutia, who rendered it in final form.

The valuable Urrutia map, as it has always been known, shows main roads entering and leaving Santa Fe, acequias, scattered buildings, three churches, the Palace of the Governors and the Plaza. (“Trail Dust: Report gave glimpse of Santa Fe in 1766“)

Read the full article: “Trail Dust: Report gave glimpse of Santa Fe in 1766.”

Your Pied-a-terre in Santa Fe

Pre 2014 Master Bedroom at Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe.

Pre 2014 Master Bedroom at Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe.

A dream pied-a-terre in Santa Fe at last! Many months of searching for the ideal Santa Fe pied-a-terre finally yielded the spot we’ve fantasized about for so long, and we’ve named it Adobe Oasis. Or maybe it named itself! This handsome home is a high desert sanctuary as soothing as it is welcoming.

That’s last week’s good news. But it’s not the best news. I wanted to save that for today…

Adobe Oasis is Your Pied-a-terre in Santa Fe

Because we live and work far, far away from Santa Fe we are only able to enjoy the Adobe Oasis intermittently. But don’t feel sorry for us. Feel fortunate for yourself, because our absence is your opportunity to savor the Santa Fe lifestyle as a local.

Rear Courtyard at Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe (Prior to 2014 Redesign)

Rear Courtyard at Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe (Prior to 2014 Redesign)

As soon as we finish redesigning Adobe Oasis we’ll be making it available for short term vacation rentals. If you’re interested, contact Casas de Santa Fe for information and availability.

You’ll love the folks at Casas not only because they offer exceptional service and represent the most extensive and luxurious portfolio of Santa Fe area rental properties. You’ll love them because they are 100% customer-centric. They will custom build the very best Santa Fe experience you can imagine! Whether that includes Adobe Oasis or another pied-a-terre in Santa Fe, we’re confident that the Casas team will meet (and probably exceed) your expectations.

What are you waiting for? Now you’ve got that perfect pied-a-terre in Santa Fe you’ve always dreamed about!

Historic Eastside Location

Adobe Oasis, Entrance (Photo: Peter Ogilvie)

Adobe Oasis, Entrance (Photo: Peter Ogilvie)

Adobe Oasis is located in Santa Fe’s Historic Eastside (new location as of May 2016!) on a serene residential lane within easy walking distance of Canyon Road, the Historic Santa Fe Plaza, and the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This tranquil sanctuary – concealed behind ivy covered adobe walls ­– offers convenient access to world class galleries, museums, restaurants, spas, farmers’ market, skiing, mountain biking and much more without tourists and downtown bustle. Simply put, Adobe Oasis is paradise found!

Adobe Oasis is Moving

Update: There was sooo much to love about our original Historic Eastside location, but we after a few years we began to yearn for more sunlight, more views, more space, more privacy. As luck would have it, our dream came true when a magnificent property tucked high into the Sangre de Cristos became available. The panoramic vistas and the tranquility enchant us from the moment we first arrived. Though renovations were long overdue, we immediately recognized the potential for this unique Santa Fe property to become the next generation Adobe Oasis. The property was purchased and a top-to-bottom renovation begun in the spring of 2016. We anticipate approximately two years of construction, design, and landscaping will transform our new Adobe Oasis into your dream destination. Stay tuned!

(Note: The original Adobe Oasis, now renamed Adobe Arabella, is still available for short term rentals.)

Perfect Santa Fe Pied-a-terre

Street entrance to Adobe Oasis during the summer of 2013.

Street entrance to Adobe Oasis during the summer of 2013.

After searching for many months we’ve finally found the impossibly perfect Santa Fe pied-a-terre we’ve been dreaming about for years.

Soothing fountain at Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe, NM.

Soothing fountain at Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe, NM.

We’ve seen some magnificent properties since last spring (and several eccentric/quirky/weeeird ones too), but nothing ticked every box on our Santa Fe pied-a-terre wishlist. Nothing, that is, until our realtor – as perceptive as she is persistent – emailed photos of this gem. It looked too good to be true, but we teleported to Santa Fe for a closer look just in case this was the impossibly perfect Santa Fe pied-a-terre we’ve been imagining.

And it was.

Eureka! It was love at first sight. And second. And third. We’ve finally found our Santa Fe pied-a-terre.

Our Pied-a-terre is Your Pied-a-terre

That’s the good news. But it’s not the best news… I wanted to save that for last!

Because we live and work far, far away from Santa Fe we are only able to enjoy the Adobe Oasis intermittently. But don’t feel sorry for us. Feel fortunate for yourself, because our absence is your opportunity to enjoy Santa Fe lifestyle as a local. As soon as we finish redesigning the Adobe Oasis we’ll be making it available for short term rentals. If you’re interested, contact Casas de Santa Fe for information and availability. You’ll love the folks at Casas not only because they offer exceptional service and represent the most extensive and luxurious portfolio of Santa Fe area rental properties. You’ll love them because they are 100% customer centric. They will custom build the very best Santa Fe experience you could imagine! Whether that includes Adobe Oasis or another Santa Fe pied-a-terre, we’re confident that the Casas team will meet (if not exceed) your expectations.