ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – As early as the 16th century, Spanish settlement of New Mexico followed a winding and dangerous path up one of the earliest European trade routes in North America, “El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.” Nestled deep in the South Valley, a 5,700-square-foot adobe structure serves as a reminder of New Mexico’s rich history.
What is now a quiet, serene site was once a bustling, heavily-traveled stopping point situated along El Camino Real De Tierra Adentro, the only passage connecting New Mexico to the outside world during the Spanish colonial era. Following the Civil War, the Gutierrez-Hubbell House was home to Connecticut man James L. Hubbell and his wife, Julianita Gutierrez-Hubbell.
It also served as a mercantile, trading post, stagecoach stop, and eventually, a post office. “The trading post and post office were sort of a commercial and social hub for Pajarito, being a pretty rural and small community at that time. Beyond just bringing goods from Santa Fe down to New Mexico and vice versa, it also was a center for cultural exchange,” said Esai Ramirez, a Gutierrez-Hubbell House historian.
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And if the 28-inch thick walls made of tightly packed clay, straw, and water could talk, they’d have a lot to say. In 1996, the final descendant of the Gutierrez-Hubbell family died, leaving the historic home vacant…