101
Trinidad Area Family Histories
Asencion
Vigil
Century
Family
Written by Louis
N. Ortega
One in a collection by Allen Bachoroski,
Local Historical Writer,
Tales Along the
Highway of Legends
Note: This
is one in a series of historical stories about local families
in the Trinidad region.
Click here to find out more
about how these stories were collected.
The name Vigil first appears in the New Mexico history
in the late 1600's. Francisco Montes Vigil and Maria Jimenez
De Ancizo were colonists from Zacatecas. In Santa Fe in
1695, he said he was a native of El Real De Zacatecas
and thirty years old. In 1710, he received a grant of
land at Alameda, but sold it two years later.
Their
children were: Maria, wife of Martin Romero, and mother
of Antonio Romero, Gertrude, Elena, Domingo, who married
Maria Estela Marquez, Francisco, husband of Lorenza Medina,
Manuel,who married Manuela Sanchez, Juan, husband of Ynez
Lopez and then of Nicolasa Lujan and presumably, Pedro
who married Juana Trujillo.
Francisco
Montez Vigil II and his wife, Antonia Jiron, were living
in Santa Cruz, New Mexico when she accused a man of entering
her home at midnight when her husband was away. On June
28, 1744, widowed of Antonia Jiron De Castillo, he married
Lorenza Medina.
His
son Francisco, when marrying Maria De Jesus Mestas, May
12, 1748 gave his name as Francisco Vigil De Santillana
and Antonia Jiron De Castillo, a daughter of Francisco
III, married Inocentrio Martin at Chama in 1776.
Manuel Gregorio Montez Vigil, who married Lorenza Fernadez
Valerio, April 8, 1742, in Santa Cruz was perhaps a son
of Francisco II and brother of Francisco III. A Fernadez
Valerio was the padrino for the wedding of Francisco Montez
III and Maria Mestas in 1748.
Our
great, great grandfather, Don Ramon Vigil was living in
Santa Cruz in the early 1800's. Our great grandfather,
Juan Vigil, was born at Santa Cruz in 1844.
He
was in the freighting business between Santa Fe and Independence,
Missouri. The trail was known as the Santa Fe Trail and
passed through what is now Trinidad, Colorado. Because
he saw possibilities for the land in Colorado, he decided
to homestead there in 1862 before Colorado became a state.
Our grandfather, Nicholas Vigil, was born in Trinidad,
Colorado in 1869.
Juan
Vigil served as sheriff 1879, county commissioner, director
of schools and county assessor in Las Animas County, Colorado.
He returned to New Mexico in 1894 and was a resident when
New Mexico became a state in 1912. Juan Vigil was affectionately
known as "Juan Colorau" [John the Red], because of his
fire red hair.
In
1891, in Trinidad, Colorado, our grandfather married Asencion
Santistevan, the daughter of Pedro and Concepcion Santistevan,
a rancher residing in Stonewall Valley, west of Trinidad.
From that matrimony seven children were born, four of
whom lived to adulthood: Domicinda, Monica, Juan Leo,
Elenor. Juan Leo his only son, had one son, Leo Vigil,
Jr.
In
1892, Nicholas Vigil went to New Mexico to live and engaged
in the sheep business near Ute Creek country. He spent
forty two years in that place. While living in New Mexico,
Mr. Vigil had several appointive positions, once as a
Sheep Ranger, Dipping Inspector for cattle and sheep,
and was at one time on the mounted police force in that
state.
Asencion
Vigil died August, 1932, in Roy, New Mexico. She was buried
in the family lot in Bueyeros, New Mexico. Nicholas Vigil
moved back to Trinidad in November 1934 and resided with
the Ortega family until his death. Story continues with
Louis Ortega.
Donaciano
Vigil, a descendant of the Vigil family, was appointed
Governor of the territory of New Mexico by Brig. Gan.
Price on December 17, 1847, after the death of Governor
Carlos Bent. He was either the brother to Ramon Vigil
or a brother to Ramon's father.
(Note:
if you have Photos of this family or know of anyone
that does, please have them get in touch with us so
that we might share some photos of the family here)
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