Ocate, New Mexico, stands as an unincorporated community and a compelling near ghost town within Mora County. This historic locale, situated in the northeastern part of the state, is deeply etched with Native American, Spanish, and Mexican influences, once serving as a vital stop along the famed Santa Fe Trail.
The earliest known inhabitants of the Ocate region were nomadic Indian tribes, including the Navajo, Ute, Kiowa, Comanche, and Northern Apache. These groups utilized the area for camping, hunting, and travel, but did not establish permanent settlements. In contrast, the Tewa, a more sedentary Puebloan Indian group, also resided here and are believed to have constructed adobe homes. The very name Ocate is said to derive from a Tewa word meaning “port of the air” or “valley of the wind,” descriptions that accurately reflect the nearly constant, powerful winds sweeping through this New Mexico valley.
Spanish Expeditions and Early Settlement Challenges
Between 1540 and 1821, numerous Spanish expeditions ventured into northeastern New Mexico, yet they generally bypassed the immediate Ocate-Mora area. Throughout the 1700s, Ute, Comanche, and other indigenous tribes fiercely resisted Spanish encroachment, launching continuous attacks on Spanish settlements in north-central and northeastern New Mexico. This sustained resistance rendered the region unattractive for long-term Spanish colonization.
A significant shift occurred after a series of intense battles led to a peace treaty between the Comanche and the Spanish in 1786. This treaty was largely honored by both parties, and with the decrease in the threat of Indian attacks, Spanish and Mexican colonists gradually began to establish settlements in the area. By the late 1700s, the first Spanish-European settlements in north-central and eastern New Mexico were developing in the Rio Grande Valley, in communities such as Trampas, Embudo, and Picuris. These early settlements were largely self-sufficient due to their vast distance from Mexican supply routes and the infrequent, challenging trade caravans.
The establishment of the Mora Land Grant in 1835 further spurred settlement, leading to the proliferation of Spanish-American rural farm villages. These communities emerged wherever fertile land and reliable water sources were available in the foothill valleys, quickly dotting almost every river and tributary with small settlements.
Ocate’s Role on the Santa Fe Trail
The year 1821 marked a pivotal moment with the blazing of the Santa Fe Trail by William Becknell, establishing it as the primary trade route into New Mexico from Missouri and Kansas. The trail comprised two main routes: the Mountain Branch and the Cimarron Cutoff. The Mountain Branch, which traversed through Ocate, New Mexico, followed the Arkansas River west through Kansas, turned southwest at Bent’s Fort in Colorado, and entered New Mexico near Raton. It then proceeded through Rayado, Ocate Crossing, Fort Union, and Watrous before reaching Santa Fe.
The Ocate Creek Crossing became particularly significant, seeing heavy use both during and after the American Civil War. In April 1846, General Stephen W. Kearny’s Army of the West famously crossed here and camped nearby. Early travelers often documented the site in their journals; Lieutenant Abert, for instance, noted the necessity of traveling two miles upstream to find a passable crossing on the Ocate River, skirting a high-walled mesa known today as Apache Hill. During Kearny’s passage, his advance guard encountered suspected Mexican spies from Mora, whom he sent back with a message for the alcalde.
“When we looked to our right hand, we saw another horizontal plain yet higher than the one we were traveling on, which was also covered with a bed of volcanic rock about five feet in thickness. Keeping close to the foot of this highest “mesa,” we reached the “Ocate;” as it is canoned, that is, is enclosed with high rocky walls, we were forced to go two miles upstream to reach the crossing.” — Lieutenant James Abert, Army of the West, 1846
Following this, the Army of the West played a crucial role in clearing and improving a wagon route across the Mountain Route of the Trail, significantly enhancing accessibility and increasing traffic. By 1866, Calhoun’s Crossing, a Barlow-Sanderson Company stage station, stood on the south side of Ocate Creek, offering a seven-room hotel. Legend has it that Wild Bill Hickok himself drove a stagecoach over Raton Pass for this company. Although no remains of the stage station exist today, the crossing remained active until the Santa Fe Trail’s closure with the completion of the railroad in 1879.
Today, the Ocate Creek Crossing, located five to six miles east of the village of Ocate on private ranch land, still reveals visible wagon ruts on both sides. This historically rich site features five rutted Trail segments and four creek crossings, with the Calhoun Cemetery approximately 100 meters to the East.
A secondary route, known as the Ocate Trail, extended northwest from Ocate Crossing, through the town of Ocate itself, into Manueles Canyon, to Black Lake, and eventually on to Taos. The town of Ocate served as a pivotal exchange point where goods from arriving wagons were distributed, with some continuing to Taos via the Ocate Trail and the remainder proceeding to Santa Fe. From Ocate, the main route to Santa Fe continued between Cerro Pelon and El Corral de los Apaches, then south towards Fort Union and Las Vegas.
The American Era and Fort Union’s Influence
The arrival of American control in 1846 disrupted the delicate peace established between the Spanish and Comanche. This shift sparked considerable hostility towards the Americans, culminating in the Taos Revolt of 1847 and a surge in Indian raids against settlers and travelers. The tension quickly escalated across northern New Mexico, leading to the tragic killing of seven American Santa Fe traders in Mora and necessitating several military actions by the American Army to subdue the local revolt.
To restore order and protect American interests, Fort Union was established in 1851. Its primary objective was to quell Indian attacks and suppress uprisings from the local Hispanic populations against the nascent American presence. Beyond its military role, the fort became a vital economic hub, creating a consistent market for agricultural products such as hay, grain, fruit, vegetables, and livestock supplied by the local Spanish-American population. Many locals also found employment at the post. Over time, Anglo-Americans and European immigrants began to acquire land from Spanish-American residents or settle on Mora Grant land near the fort.
Despite Fort Union’s presence, the situation deteriorated in the 1860s when many military units were redeployed to join Union armies during the Civil War, leaving the region more vulnerable.
Economic Transformation and Decline in Ocate
By the mid-19th century, the regional economy of Ocate was predominantly based on intensive farming of small agricultural plots and extensive sheep ranching on communal grant lands. Young men, known as ciboleros, would hunt buffalo on the Plains each fall, while others, the Comancheros, developed sophisticated trade networks with the Comanche. Initially, this trade involved surplus village products, but it eventually expanded to include various goods, and controversially, stolen Texas cattle. This latter practice ultimately led to the suppression of the Comanchero trade in the late 1870s by Anglo ranchers whose stock was rapidly diminishing due to Comanche raids.
A post office was officially established in Ocate on January 10, 1870, signifying its growing importance as a community.
For a period, Indian raids limited the profitability of the sheep industry in northeastern New Mexico. However, following the defeat of the Indians in the Red River War of 1874, new economic ventures were deemed safer. The arrival of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad in 1879 fundamentally reshaped the region’s economy, effectively ending traffic on the Santa Fe Trail.
Mora County subsequently became a crucial stock-raising area, supporting large herds of sheep and cattle. Paradoxically, while Ocate served as an important railroad stop for agricultural trade, the railroad also ushered in increased tourism to the West, contributing to a sharp decline in Ocate’s population. With the region growing quieter and more secure, Fort Union was deemed obsolete and officially abandoned in 1891.
As the 20th century progressed, the grant lands were fragmented, recurrent droughts plagued the area, and sheep raising became less profitable. Cattle ranchers, seeking quicker and larger profits, began to move into former sheepherding rangelands, leading to the gradual depletion of sheep ranges and a further decline in sheep populations.
Despite these challenges, many residents in the Ocate area continued to sustain themselves through farming and sheep raising in the early 20th century. Farms were diverse, cultivating a range of crops including wheat, Indian corn, American corn, oats, peas, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, and various fruits like apples, cherries, peaches, plums, and pears.
Notable Businesses and Lasting Legacy
In 1906, French immigrant Nathan Weil significantly contributed to Ocate’s commerce by establishing a crossroads store. This establishment not only offered a variety of goods but quickly became the political and social epicenter of the region. Ocate at this time boasted three other mercantile establishments and several other businesses. Weil himself held positions as the village postmaster and notary public. His business interests expanded to include large-scale livestock operations on Mora County’s fertile pastures, making him a leading trader in cattle, sheep, and wool. Further diversifying, he also served as an organizer and director for local banks in nearby towns such as Las Vegas, Springer, and Wagon Mound.
After 40 years of successful merchandising, Weil closed his Ocate store in 1938 during the Great Depression, dedicating his remaining years to his ranching endeavors. The store building lay dormant until a few years after World War II when it was acquired by a former commercial rival, John P. Strong. Strong, a descendant of one of Ocate’s earliest Anglo families, purchased the building as a replacement for another store that had recently burned down. The Strong family had a long history of operating mercantile enterprises across Mora County. The Strongs continued the business until its sale in 1960 to Donaciano Mondragon, a long-time employee. Mondragon then operated the store for another 14 years before its final closure in 1974.
The historic adobe brick building, distinguished by its corrugated metal pitched roof, still stands proudly in Ocate at the intersection of State Highways 21 and 120. It was rightfully added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, preserving a tangible link to the community’s commercial past. Directly across the street is another significant historic property, the Narciso Valdez House. Constructed between 1895 and 1898, this one-and-a-half-story adobe house showcases distinctive Queen Anne style features, particularly within its interior, and was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Conclusion
Ocate, New Mexico, though now a quiet community, serves as a profound historical marker of the American West. Its narrative weaves together the complex tapestry of Native American resilience, Spanish colonial expansion, the bustling era of the Santa Fe Trail, and the eventual shifts in economy and demographics that characterize many frontier settlements. From its strategic location for trade and military operations to its vibrant local businesses, Ocate’s legacy as a cultural crossroads endures, inviting visitors to reflect on the dynamic forces that shaped this corner of New Mexico’s rich and storied past.
