A tale of two Doñas
The woman behind the county’s name shrouded in mystery
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Journal continues “What’s in a Name?,” a twice a month column in which staff writer Elaine Briseño will give a short history of how places in New Mexico got their names.
The passage of time and a lack good records will sometimes shroud the name of a place in mystery. That can be said in the case of Doña Ana County and the small, unincorporated farming village of the same name that is just north of Las Cruces.
Doña Ana County borders
both Texas and Mexico, is the second largest county in New Mexico and is home to Las Cruces, White Sands, New Mexico State University, rural living and most famously, delicious chile.
It’s traditionally been a region where cultures swirled around
each other, with the interactions sometimes erupting into violence. Lore, legends and numerous historical viewpoints form the county’s collective memory so it’s no surprise there are no solid historical records that can prove
with certainty who put the Doña Ana in Doña Ana County.
Now if you want a guy that knows something about names in New Mexico, you would be wise to call on Robert Julyan, whose book “The Place Names of New Mexico” is a staple for any amateur historian such as myself. He has this to say about Doña Ana County in his book:
“This is among the most difficult and controversial places names in N.M., as persistent efforts have failed to identify definitively the respected woman for whom this community was named. Part of the reason for the difficulty is the name’s antiquity; it almost certainly dates from the late 17th century.”
The state’s official scenic historic marker credits the county name to Doña Ana Robledo.
In 1680, Native Americans around the state were revolting against their Spanish conquerors.
Among the Spanish settlers trying to escape the clash were the descendants of Pedro Robledo, who died in 1598. He was the oldest colonist to come to the Southwest at the end of the 16th century with Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate, who established the territory of New Mexico as he searched in vain for mythical riches.
Among the Robledo clan was Doña Ana Robledo, Pedro’s granddaughter. Legend has it that Doña Ana Robledo, who was 76, died near current day Las Cruces after fleeing the revolt in Santa Fe with her family in 1680. She was buried near Robledo Mountain, named for her grandfather, who coincidentally also died near there decades before her fateful journey. He died while heading north; she died heading south. Many believe it’s for her that the county and the
small nearby village get their name.
However, some, including Julyan, believe that the county, which was created in 1852, was more likely named after the village which in turn was named for Doña Ana María de Córdoba, a local rancher.
Not far from the Doña Ana Robledo historical marker mentioned above, is a historical marker for the village of Doña Ana. The marker pays homage to Doña Ana Córdoba, saying it was for her the village was named.
According to a National Park Service National Register of Historic places document, the village “takes its name from a shadowy woman named Doña Ana Córdoba who was reputed to have lived in the area in the early 1600s…” According to local folktales, Doña Ana Córdoba was known for her charity and agricultural prowess. The ranch was said to have
had extensive orchards, vineyards, fields of corn and flocks of sheep.
The document also notes that although the current village traces its roots to 1843, the Doña Ana community existed there long before that. It is considered the earliest permanent Spanish settlement in southern New Mexico, playing a pivotal role in the development of the Mesilla Valley, which gives some weight to the idea that the county was named after the village.
Either way, the area has always been inhabited by interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds. While most history focuses on the Mexicans, Spanish and Natives, there were other groups that set down stakes.
A group of people that traveled to New Mexico looking for an ideal home were the members of the religious group called Faithists. They established the Shalam Colony in 1884 six miles northwest of Las Cruces along the banks of the Rio Grande in an attempt to create a Utopian society for orphans. Their founder was New York dentist and doctor John B. Newbrough, who would die of influenza in 1891. The challenges of New Mexico’s environment proved too much for them and they shuttered their colony here in 1901, continuing their work elsewhere.
A colony of Boer refugees came across the ocean from Africa to make Doña Ana County their home in the winter of 1903. Boers are people from southern Africa who can trace their roots to Dutch, German and French Huguenot settlers who arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Boer is derived from the Afrikaans word for farmer. Members of the
colony owned their land and machinery, but the farm equipment was considered community property and each farmer grew a different crop. There are supposedly descendants of the Boers still living in southern New Mexico.
Despite the uncertain origins of its name, there is no question about the
historical importance of Doña Ana County and its contribution to the magical lure of New Mexico.