Family Group Sheet for José Francisco TAFOYA Montoya WIFE: Maria Dolores SALAS Sánchez
By Patrick W. Barnum [email protected]  4/17/2007
FGS Index

The subject is the father of Maria Ramona "Ramoncita" TAFOYA. She is already on this website as the wife of Albert Preston BARNUM, M.D., the "Raggedy doctor of Fort Union". So, this is an extension of an existing family of early New Mexico settlers. The TAFOYA family goes back to 1580 or earlier, when New Mexico was still part of the Spanish Empire.

~~~Family Group Sheet~~~
Husband's name: José Francisco TAFOYA Montoya
Birth date and place: 3 Apr 1797 Quemado, Nueva Extremadura, Nueva España
Death date and place: 23 Apr 1861 Quemado, Rio Arriba, New Mexico Territory
Marriage date and Place: 17 Jul 1840 Taos, Estado de Nuevo México, México
His Father's name was: José Felipe TAFOYA Martín (1752-1823)
His Mother's name was: Maria Manuela MONTOYA Garduño (1758- )
~
Wife's name:
Birth date and place: Maria Dolores SALAS Sánchez
Death date and place: about 1815 Taos, Nueva Extremadura, Nueva España
Her Father's name was: Antonio SALAS (1790- )
Her Mother's name was: Maria Juliana SÁNCHEZ ( - )
~~~
First Child: Polona TAFOYA Salas
Gender: Female
Birth date and place: about 1840 Taos, Estado de Nuevo México, México
Death date and place:
Marriage date and Place:
Spouse's name:
~~~
Second Child: José Antonio TAFOYA Salas
Gender: Male
Birth date and place: about 1848 Rio Arriba, Rio Arriba, New Mexico Territory
Death date and place:
Marriage date and Place:
Spouse's name:
~~~
Third Child: Maria Ramona "Ramoncita" TAFOYA Salas
Gender: Female
Birth date and place: 1 Mar 1851 Quemado, Rio Arriba, New Mexico Territory
Death date and place: Aug 1905 Watrous, Mora, New Mexico Territory
Marriage date and Place: 13 Oct 1867 New Mexico Territory
Spouse's name: Albert Preston BARNUM
~~~
Supporting sources (optional)
1. Information provided by Lorraine Aguilar <[email protected]>, 04/04/2007.
2. U.S. Census of 1860.
3. Santa Cruz de la Cañada Baptisms; Vol II; 1795-1827; Transcribed by Virginia Langham Olmsted, New Mexico Genealogical Society, p. 211.
4. Information provided by Roger O'Shields <[email protected]>.
5. U.S. Census of 1900.
6. Information provided by Albert J. Barnum, Jr. <[email protected]>.
7. Marriages 1872-1894, Santa Clara Roman Catholic Church, Wagon Mound, New Mexico (LDS film #0017040) p. 123; marriage record for Apolonio Casados and Laura Flores Barnum, witnesses were Alberto Barnum and Sarah Barnum.
8. Information provided by Lydia Uribe <[email protected]>.
~~~
Narrative:
Although José Francisco TAFOYA was born, raised, married and died in what is today the state of New Mexico, there were various political changes to the area during his lifetime. During the period 1521-1821 that area was part of the Nueva Extremadura region of the Virreinato de Nueva España. From 1821 to 1848 the western part pertained to the Estado de Nuevo México, República de México, while the eastern part was claimed by the Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1848. From 1848 to 1912 the area was constituted as the Territory of New Mexico, USA and from 1912 until the present it has been the state of New Mexico, USA.

Quemado, where José Francisco TAFOYA was born and died, is now called Cordova. Originally named Pueblo Quemado, after an ancient burned-out Indian pueblo located nearby, the town was settled by the Spanish prior to 1748, but was abandoned due to Indian attacks. Permanently re-settled by 1750, the village was renamed Cordova when the U.S. government established post offices. At that time there was another town in New Mexico named Quemado, so the name was changed to Cordova, the surname of the town's first postmaster. Quemado/Cordova is located near the Española Valley of New Mexico, north of Santa Fe. Nearby cities are Chimayo, Española and Nambé Pueblo.

Some records also show Ramona as Romana "Romancita" TAFOYA. Care must be taken in reviewing historical records for this person. In the 1860 U.S. Census for New Mexico, for example, there are three listings for different persons named Ramona TAFOYA and a fourth named Romana TAFOYA. There are still others to be found in other census years and in other sources. At least two of the 1860 census listings share the same year of birth.

In the 1860 U.S. Census for Precinct 14, Rio Arriba, New Mexico Territory (Los Luceros Post Office), 9-year-old Ramona TAFOYA, her parents and siblings were enumerated with the family of Pablo VIGIL as follows:
Household #185, Family #185
Pablo VIGIL; 26; M; Farmer; Real estate value $340; Personal estate value $34; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico; Person over 20 years of age who cannot read or write
Simón Vigil, 2; M; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico
Rosalia VIGIL, 3/12; F; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico
Francisco TAFOYA, 60; M; Laborer; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico; Person over 20 years of age who cannot read or write
Dolores SALAS, 40, F; b. Taos, New Mexico; Person over 20 years of age who cannot read or write
Polona TAFOYA; 20; F; b. Taos, New Mexico
Ramona TAFOYA; 9; F; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico
José Antonio TAFOYA; 12; M; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico
Casimiro FERNÁNDEZ; 11; M; b. Rio Arriba, New Mexico