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'Familia Martinez reunion draws 200
Jeff Broddle, staff writer
BLACK LAKE -
Four-hundred years ago Juan de Oņate led a group out of Mexico to establish
the first permanent settlement in Northern New Mexico. And 400 years later,
descendants of members of that group gathered last weekend at Coyote Creek
State Park to celebrate their heritage.
Up to 200 Martinez family members gathered at the park
for the Severino Martinez Family reunion, July 31-Aug. 2. Besides New Mexico,
relatives came from Colorado, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, California, Nevada,
Louisiana and Washington, D.C.
Most of the three-day reunion events were on Saturday,
including a program that afternoon. There were family introductions, a short
talk entitled "Reminiscing Black Lake" by Ben Martinez of Albuquerque,
yodeling by Maria Sanchez of Roy, a speech by Larry Torres of Taos
chronicling the Martinez family history, a gift presentation, and raffle
drawing.
A delicious dinner including ham, beef, chili, posole,
and much more followed that evening. Another popular pastime was poring
through a family genealogy prepared by Reunion Chairman Dolores Mitchell of
Raton and Maxwell.
The reunion celebrated the family of Severino Martinez,
who homesteaded in Black Lake in the 1870s. Severino's roots have been traced
to Juan de Onãte's pioneering group. "Members of this group included Luis and
Hernan Martin Serrano, who are known to be the fathers of the Martinez,"
Mitchell said.
Severino married Lupita Guadalupe Mares in 1877, and
through 1900 they had eight children: Doroteo, Tedorta (who died in infancy),
Rafael, Enrique (Henry), Louis, Christoval, Amelia, and Lucia.
Ben Martinez shares memories
Among those attending the reunion was Albuquerque
resident Ben Martinez, 81, the oldest descendent there. He was born in 1917
to Louis and Drucilla Martinez.
Ben recalled attending one of two grammar schools in
Black Lake, the "Lower Black Lake School" near the junction of Hwy. 434 and
S.R. 120. The school housed about 40 children from first to eighth grades.
"In those days we were crowded. We didn't have any choice," Ben
said.
What did they do for fun?
"We would go to dances, have rodeos, play baseball," Ben
said. The dances were held at the schoolhouse. But there was plenty of work
to do, too. The Martinez family farmed and ranched, growing mostly wheat and
raising cattle, sheep, and pigs, and had a sawmill as well, from
1932-42.
They grew wheat because "that's about the only thing we
could raise in Black Lake because it's so cold, it's so high," Ben explained.
The wheat was taken to a mill in Mora, where they could trade about 5,000
pounds of wheat for 2,000 pounds of flour.
"In the Depression we didn't suffer because we had
everything we wanted to eat, but we didn't have any money. There was very
little market for lumber, and we sold the cattle for practically
nothing."
Severino died in 1929, but helped bring about the
community of Black Lake by urging folks to move there. Under the Homestead
Act of 1861 settlers could receive a 160-acre parcel from the government if
they agreed to live on it for five years and make improvements.
But many families didn't stick around, and when they
left, Martinez bought them out. By the time of his death, Martinez had 18
claims of 160 acres each.
Severino's descendants still living in the area include
great-granddaughter Tana Tavenner, wife of David Tavenner, and their three
children who live in Black Lake in Severino's old home and great-grandson
Ramon Gonzales and his four children, who live on part of Severino's original
land holding in Black Lake with Ramon's wife, Cindy. Great-grandson Andres
Santistevan lives in Angel Fire with wife, Heather, and two of Andres' three
children.
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