Historical Tidbits about Estancia

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      	Ethel L. Floyd
      	July 13, 2000

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Estancia appeared on the map years before it was established as a town site. It is a Spanish
word for large estate, cattle ranch, or resting place and is identified with the springs. Natives of
the territory, lying further east and northeast, journeyed to the Rio Grande annually to exchange
their crop of wool for supplies. In their long journey, a stop of several days was made near the
springs where both water and grass were plentiful for the livestock, thus it came to be the
resting place or Estancia.
The territory embraced in the Estancia Valley was held privately under the terms of an old
Spanish Land Grant made in 1819 by the governor of Spain. On 4 February 1819, Don
Barolome Baca made a petition to Fecundo Melgarez, then governor ad interim of the Province
of New Mexico and on 2  July 1819, the land was granted to him. This grant included Estancia.
In 1945, Manuel Armijo, governor of New Mexico under the Republic of Mexico granted some
of the same land to Don Antonio Sandoval. Sandoval deeded his grant to Mr. Nolan and Mr.
Nolan sold it to Joel P. Whitney, a Boston millionaire. In 1874, Manuel Antonio Otero and his
brother purchase land from Barolome Baca. The Whitney and the Otero families claimed the
same land. An argument over the land ensued and James G. Whitney, Joel Whitney's brother,
shot Otero. Dr. E. C. Henriquez, brother-in law of Otero, shot Whitney and Whitney's
brother-in-law. Mr. Fernandez was killed. Otero died a few hours later. The gun fight took
place in the Estancia Park near the Estancia Springs. Joel Whitney was in England at the time
of the shooting and arrived in Santa Fe in time to see his brother, who was in the hospital,
arrested. He was later acquitted of the crime.
The ownership of the land was brought into court, and both the Baca and Sandoval grants were
declared invalid and the land was declared public land. As a result of the court action,
homesteaders arrived and a railroad was chartered on 7 December 1900. A post office was
established in September 1903. H. B. Hawkins was the postmaster. In 1909, Estancia became
the county seat of Torrance County.
The Town of Estancia was incorporated 4 October 1909. The election of the incorporated
village was held and resulted with G. H. Van Stone, Major; L. A. Bond, Milton Dow, S.A.
Goldsmith and J.F. Stubblefield, trustees with Earl Scott, clerk.
Electricity was brought to Estancia in 1928 when C. B. Myers built a small generating plant in
the building now used as the Assembly of God Church. The water works were installed 1921.
The first newspaper was The Estancia News, published in 1904. In 1903, there were no hotels.
Meals were served in a tent called a restaurant. R. O. Whitlock opened a hotel in March 1905.
Mrs. Lena Booth took over the hotel. The Central Hotel was managed by Misses Owens and
McNarmara from 1904 until 1907 when C. B. Howell became manager. By 1906, many
businesses had opened.
In 1903, an Estancia School District was organized with 60 pupils. The New Mexico Fuel and
Iron Company, owners of the Santa Fe Central RR, donated a two-room building. The first
term began in November with N. B. Gorman as teacher. The second term was taught by Ruby
Whitt. By 1906, two teachers were needed and the old depot was moved south of the park and
divided into two rooms. The school continued to grow, with more teachers added to the staff
until a new building was built in 1909 when the district voted a $6000.00 bond to erect a two
story, brick building in the west end of town. The building was so poorly constructed, it was
soon declared unsafe and a new bond was floated for $12,000.00 for a new school. All grades
and high school were taught in this building. In 1918, the first graduating class consisted of two
members, Roy Dean and Georgia Merriott Jones. Since then, many modern buildings have
replaced the old and Estancia grade school, middle school and high school.
Church work has kept pace with the growth of Estancia. The first sermon was delivered in
1903 by Re. A. P. Morrison, D. D. of the Methodist Church in the old news office. The
congregation was composed of 40 men and 2 women.