For centuries, the spectacular rocky mount of El Moro
has served as a stopover for trekkers crossing the remote Southwestern
desert.The towering edifice presents
a cascading form that descends at angles and then levels off before a drop
where water appears. The water pours down a sheer cliff into the
permanent pool below Inscription Rock, a protruding formation named for
the two thousand signatures and messages carved into the rock over the
ages.Located in West Central New Mexico,
El Moro's reliable source of water was once widely recognized as an oasis
amid miles of arid desert. While the Magnificent sculpted rock is
a scenic marvel and its historic significance is difficult to overestimate,
El Moro is now a relatively undiscovered Southwestern landmark.
NATIVE AMERICAN PUEBLO
El Moro's unique source of water and conspicuous formation
was regarded as a landmark in the desert and Native Americans have visited
the location for thousands of years. In the late 13th century the
ancestors of today's Zuni tribe built the first pueblo on the 230 foot
bluff. The pueblo surrounded a square plaza overlooking cultivated
fields and the pool below. With access obtained only by climbing
carved steps and portable ladders, the pueblo served as a fortress against
invaders from other tribes. El Moro is cited in the Zuni creation
myth as a stopover on the route of their legendary medicine societies.
Today, the Zuni people continue to make seasonal pilgrimages to visit the
mystical pueblo on the cliff. At the base of Inscription Rock there
are early Anasazi petroglyphs and near the top lies a circular kiva fortification.
STOPOVER FOR SPANISH EXPLORERS
In 1583, Spanish Explorer Diego Luxan named the bluff
El Estanque del Penol (the Pool by the Great Rock). Luxan's journal
entry recorded the discovery as part of an expedition led by Antonio de
Espejo.El Moro was a favorite
stopover for Spanish governors moving north from Mexico with the expansion
of the Spanish empire. In 1598, Don Juan de Onate, New Mexico's first
governor noted the cite calling it El Agua de la Pena (The Water by the
Rock). Seven years later, Onate carved the first European inscription
on the rock: "Passed by here, the Governor Don Juan de Onate, from
the Sea of the South (the Gulf of California) on the 16th of April, 1605."
Many other inscriptions followed with Spanish trekkers leaving messages
which frequently began with the popular phrase, Paso por aqui (passed by
here).In 1692, the spanish military
leader, Don Diego de Vargas, inscribed the name El Moro (The Headland).
Vargas reclaimed Spanish control of the region after years of intermittent
warfare with the Pueblo tribes. From then on, the spanish government
received the cooperation of the Pueblo people by recognizing the Pueblo's
right of self-government, a precedent which continued when New Mexico became
a U.S. territory.
ARRIVAL OF
AMERICAN SETTLERS
In 1820, Mexico won independence from Spain and New Mexicans
began to focus on trade with the United States. The Santa Fe Trail
was one of the major trade routes between the Mexican territories of the
Southwest and the United States. The trail also brought American
settlers to the region. After the U.S.-Mexico War of 1846-48, most
of the Southwest was ceded to the United States. U.S. Army explorers
and surveyors led several expeditions across the Southwest immediately
after the war. In 1849, a Navajo trader led Lieutenants J.H. Simpson
and R.H Kern to El Moro. The Lieutenants left the first English words
at El Moro.In the 1850s, many American
pioneers began to settle the Southwest. In 1858, the first American
immigrant wagon train on the Santa Fe Trail stopped at El Moro on the way
to California. Twenty Six names were inscribed. In 1868, the
Union Pacific Railroad was built 20 miles to the North and El Moro was
no longer needed as a pioneer stopover.In
1906, El Moro became one of America's first national monuments.
VISITING
EL MORO
El Moro National Monument is located just west of Grants,
New Mexico along scenic route 53.On
the way to El Moro, visitors can stop off at the Mamah Navajo Reservation
where traditional ranching and farming are followed. Rug weaving
and handicrafts are also crucial to the Navajo way of life on the Mamah
Reservation.Just west of the town of
Ramah, lies the Zuni Reservation, largest of the 19 New Mexican pueblos.
Visitors can watch craft making and see the famous inlaid silver jewelry
as well as the uniquely crafted pottery. El Moro continues to inspire
residents and visitors alike. Located in one of the most scenic areas
of the Southwest, the monument bears witness to countless journeys across
the desert.