Who is albuquerque named after

The one-of-a-kind character of Albuquerque is the result of many different forces, perhaps none as important as the centuries of history that have shaped the city. Starting with the Native Americans who have lived here for thousands of years, and continuing through Albuquerque's official founding in , the city has grown into a multicultural metropolis of nearly a million people.

While the modern city of Albuquerque is a center of high-tech industry and research, it retains vital connections to the past, such as the ancient rock carvings at Petroglyph National Monument, the historic Old Town Plaza and the trail of vintage neon signs along Route Albuquerque proudly celebrated its tricentennial in , but our roots go back much further.

It is important to understand all the peoples who have influenced the area to fully appreciate the complexity of Albuquerque's history. The Rio Grande Valley has been populated and cultivated since as far back as 2, B. The Pueblo people who lived in the area when Europeans arrived had a sophisticated culture and advanced skills in stone masonry, ceramics and a wide range of arts and crafts.

Many of these traditional techniques are practiced to this day, handed down through the generations. The first Spanish explorers arrived in Albuquerque in approximately under General Francisco de Coronado. In , a group of colonists were granted permission by King Philip of Spain to establish a new villa city on the banks of the Rio Grande which means big or great river.

The Rio Grande Valley, with its water, trees and surrounding mountains made a fabulous impression—as did winter-stocked pueblos. In the s, Albuquerque wasn't a formal community, just folks living along the river. Farmers eked enough out of the land to sustain families. Some had estancias estates , replete with patios and chapels. In the Pueblo Revolt of , following a century of often violent clashes, the Native Americans drove the colonists out of New Mexico.

Because this was the only trade Spain permitted, the arrival of the supply wagons was eagerly anticipated by the colonists. What would the wagons bring? Satin slippers, sugar, tobacco, chocolate, or maybe a sweetheart? To greet the wagons there might be a great baile or a fandango dance party. The demand for goods became so great, the wagons started coming every year.

Once Mexico gained its independence from Spain in , it encouraged more trade with the United States. All kinds of characters started coming to town: homesteaders, merchants, lawyers, cowboys, the usual shady suspects and the soiled doves. Franz Huning, a German immigrant and trader, settled in Albuquerque and opened a store on the plaza.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was determined to make the Southwest the new Orient and to replace overseas travel with internal tourism. Artists were commissioned to portray the Southwest as exotic and different. The Alvarado Hotel opened in Albuquerque in The region surrounding present-day Albuquerque was home to several groups of Native Americans and was inhabited by the ancient Anasazi indians.

Their huge apartment-like buildings, constructed 3, years ago of stone and adobe, are still standing throughout the state. To impress the Spanish government, Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, the governor of the territory, petitioned to establish a settlement as a formal villa and call it Alburquerque, after Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cuervo, the eighth Duque De Alburquerque of Spain.

The name Alburquerque is a sign of royalty in Spain. The church is still standing in Old Town. No official document on the founding has been discovered. Although, many historians believe there were close to families residing in the area. Later, the region was a property of Mexico. After a war between Mexico and the United States, Albuquerque and the surrounding land ended up in the hands of the United State government.

The New Mexico territory was established by the government in