Santiago Baca, Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Santiago Baca, who is now living in retirement in Albuquerque, was born in Santa Fe in 1844, a son of Major Jesus M. A. Baca y Salazar, and was educated in the school in charge of Bishop Lamy. In 1861, at the age of seventeen years, he was elected chief clerk of the territorial council. During the Civil war he was appointed second lieutenant in the militia, but saw no active service. In 1864 he removed to Albuquerque, where he was engaged in business with his father-in-law, Salvador Armijo. From 1870 until 1877 he was a resident of the town of Pecos, San Miguel County, and while residing there was elected to the council in the legislature from San Miguel County, serving in the twenty-first legislative assembly in 1873. He also served two terms in the council from Bernalillo County, 1878 and 1882 and was chosen president of that body in 1878 in the twenty-third legislative assembly. In Bernalillo County he served as probate clerk, assessor, sheriff, and collector, and during his incumbency in the latter office the present court house was erected. For four years he served as postmaster of Albuquerque. Mr. Baca at one time received the most unqualified endorsement of the majority of the voters of New Mexico, regardless of politics, for the responsible post of United States marshal for the New Mexico district, but President Cleveland saw fit to appoint a non-resident of the Territory. He has always been a stanch Democrat, although he has taken a liberal view of local political matters.

At the age of nineteen Mr. Baca married Piedad Armijo, daughter of Salvador Armijo, a nephew of General Manuel Armijo. Their children are Francisca, wife of Milton Chavez, of the First National Bank of Albuquerque; Bernardino and Aurelia Baca, wife of Flavio Sandrae, from Seboveto, Valencia County.

Back | Bernalillo County Biographies

Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.

Please come back Again!!