El Valle de la Merced
San Miguel del Vado
The 200-year-old village of Villanueva has lots of history.
Local History
Local businesses
El Valle Community Center
Villanueva General Store
History
This farm is on the San Miguel del Vado land grant, which was settled between 1796 and 1824, up and downstream from where the Santa Fe Trail forded the Pecos River.
Acequia
The two-mile-long irrigation ditch carries water from a low dam across the Pecos River past many farms, finally returning the unused water to the river. Each March, after the water is shut off and the acequia dries out, landowners and neighbors dig out last year's sediment by hand, so the water can run again.
Attractions
The beautiful Villanueva village church features a community-made tapestry that wraps around the church and tells the story of the community. Across from the church is the well-stocked Villanueva General Store. On the hillside above the village is La Gruta, a shrine to Mary, Joseph, and the Santo Nino de Atocha. A mile downstream, where the Pecos River enters a canyon, are the campground and trails of Villanueva State Park.
[add a link to the video about the tapestries]
