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A brief history of the East Mountain area, and why it's what it is.

Long before man walked on earth, great upheavals occurred through the center of what is now New Mexico. Where the sea was, mountains rose. Thus the Sandias and Manzano Mountains were lifted to their ultimate heights of approximately 30,000 feet. In the valley east of the mountains a great lake grew, sixty miles from north to south, and about half of that distance from east to west. Although the western slopes of the mountains were steep and rugged, the eastern sides formed gentle angles, feeding water down to the lake. These mineral bearing rocks wore away over the millennia. Streamlets bore their contents down to the valley and to its lake waters. As the minerals washing down the slopes and other deposits built up, the feeding streams and the lakes began to dry up. Man had found many blessings in the valley, but one stood out from all the rest. Salt! Near the salt beds, great Pueblos grew with busy trading routes reaching in all directions. Roving, raiding Apache from the south and east increased their forays into the rich Pueblos' lands. Finally, the Pueblo people gave up and fled over the mountains to the safety of the Rio Grande Pueblos . Years passed, miners came to the area east of the mountains and found gold, silver, lead coal, zinc and, of course, turquoise. Towns along the trail grew and grew more as time passed, One of these was Cerrillos, "The Little Hill." Little hills of gold, turquoise, copper, zinc and lead. Down the trail from Cerrillos, about three miles, lies the village of Madrid. Its wealth wasn't in gold or even turquoise, but coal. Madrid boomed from the late 1800's until 1945 when World War II ended and coal was no longer in great demand. Both anthracite and bituminous coal were mined in the town -- the only place in the United States where that was found. On down the road those who prospected for gold found some and built the town of Golden named in honor of the metal that was panned from the streams after washing down the hillsides to form glaciers of alluvial ore. South of Golden, in the village of San Antonito, there's a small church that was built in 1921. This town can hardly be distinguished from the next two, Sandia Park and Cedar Crest. Cedar Crest, once named San Antonio de Padua, stretches south along the San Antonio Arroyo to Interstate 40. This thriving town has been in existence continually since the early 1800's, when a few families from Albuquerque moved in after receiving a governor's grant. They mined some copper and grew a few irrigation crops. The little church they built still stands on the hill near what was once the center of the community. The old cemetery is still used from time to time. The hotsprings that once attracted health seekers in the early days of this century are now closed. On south, across I-40, the towns have names which reflect their founders' ethnic origins. There's Tijeras, Cedro, Yrissari, Escabosa, Chilili, Tajique, Torreon and then there's Mountainair. The scenic drive from the junction of Highway 14 and Highway 536 to Sandia Crest on the "Turquoise Trail" has been designated the Sandia National Scenic Byway. Just off the trail on the road to Placitas (Hwy 165) is the first known human habitation in the New Word - Sandia Cave. Although the East Mountain area has its roots in the long ago past, its feet are firmly planted in the present foot of the mountains. In winter, skiers swoosh down from the heights, and the landscape lies beneath a white blanket. In summer, breezes cool folks a bit more here than in town. Life lazes, bees hum, birds chirp and children play. Living in the communities east of the mountains is very pleasant indeed. Taken from A Brief History of Turquoise Trail by Dawn Williams. Edited by Jerry Loomis.

American History
A compilation of information, links, and timelines in the history of the southwest, from your About.com Guide to American History.

Anasazi
Prehistory of the four corners area.

Anasazi
Information on Archaic period for Anasazi and Hopi. Includes Hohokam and Mogollon.

Anasazi Great Houses
Maps, photos, and text including Quick Time Virtual Reality (QTVR) 360-degree panoramas.

Anasazi Heritage Center
Four corners museum houses permanent Anasazi cultural exhibits, educational materials, and research facilities. Offers traveling exhibits.

Anasazi Prehistoric Desert People
History from 100 BC to 1600 AC with links to Anasazi archaeological sites.

Anasazi Pueblos
By the Españnola Field Research Institue. Photos with explanations.

Anasazi Site Planning
MI State landscape architecture professor John Bryan Burley offers a thorough analysis of Anasazi architecture and culture.

Anasazi, 1100-1400 AD
Photos of Chaco Canyon, Anasazi foods and petroglyphs prepared for use in a college course. About 25 images.

Anasazi Petroglyphs
From the Española Field Research Institute. Information about the petroglyphs with photos.

Bernallilo County WebGen Project
Bernallilo County statistics on cemetaries, surnames, vital records and maps.

Chaco Canyon
Land of Ancient Strangers. History of inhabitants and details of a visit to various ruins in the area.

Chetro Ketl Great Kiva
A 3-dimensional color model of a Great Kiva constructed using archaeological research. With information on contents.

Genealogy Club of Albuquerque
A non-profit organization founded in 1972.

Hisatsinom
A long and illustrated overview of Hisatsinom culture and structures.

Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico
A site dedicated to prividing information regarding New Mexico genealogy related pages.

Map of Anasazi Territory
Map of four corners area and surrounding states, showing rivers, valleys and Indian sites.

New Mexico Genealogy Club
A society of volunteers, commmmbining time and effort to provide networking opportunities for genealogy researchers and family historians.

NM Museum of Natural History
Open daily, with Dynamax movies. Site includes information on exhibits, research and collections, tours and events.

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