Pecos Nat’l Historical Park: October 2007 Park of the Month

Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico
http://www.nps.gov/peco

Pecos preserves 12,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos, Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, 20th century ranch history of Forked Lightning Ranch, and the site of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass.

At midpoint in a passage through the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the ruins of a Pecos pueblo and Spanish mission share a small ridge. Long before Spaniards arrived this village commanded the trade path between Pueblo farmers of the Rio Grande and tribes who hunted the buffalo plains. Its 2,000 residents could marshal 500 fighting men. Its frontier location brought both war and trade. At trade fairs Plains tribes—mostly nomadic Apaches—brought slaves, buffalo hides, flint, and shells to trade for pottery, crops, textiles, and turquoise with the river Pueblos. Pecos Indians were middlemen, traders and consumers of the goods and cultures of the very different peo­ple on either side of the mountains. They became economically powerful and practiced in the arts and customs of two worlds.

Parent/Teacher Resources:

• Planning Your Visit
• History and Culture
• Things to Do
• Pecos Junior Rangers