Albuquerque!

Sign Text for This New Mexico Landmark:

In 1706, New Mexico Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés founded the Villa of Alburquerque (now spelled Albuquerque). Here, the Camino Real wound its way through a series of farming and ranching communities to a nearby ford, linking the road to settlements on the west bank of the Rio Grande. Albuquerque retains its original plan with streets radiating from a central plaza. The 1793 San Felipe de Neri Church and Rectory remain from the Spanish Colonial period and most historic buildings around the plaza date from c.1870 to c.1900.

Albuquerque was the main commercial center for the Rio Grande valley until the 1880 arrival of the railroad, one-and-a-half miles east of the plaza. Growth and development centered on the railroad and “New” Albuquerque. Now known as Plaza Vieja or Old Town, the plaza, plan of narrow streets, and historic buildings are representative of a traditional Hispanic city.

More about Albuquerque:

Señor Cuervo y Valdés received his appointment as territorial governor from the Viceroy of New Spain, Don Francisco Fernández de la Cueva Enríquez, also known as the Duke of Alburquerque! The original Alburquerque is a town in southwestern Spain near the border with Portugal and may have gotten its name from the Latin alba quercus, or “white oak!”

Founded on April 23, 1706, the villa’s official name was La Villa Real de San Francisco de Alburquerque! Señor Cuervo y Valdés, a Knight of Santiago, was only governor for a year before returning to Mexico City. It’s not known when the first “r” was dropped from the name but suspected that it was easier to say for Englsh speakers!

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Become a member of the Albuquerque Historical Society!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!