in Santa Fé, the new city founded the year before by Oñate. This church,
however, did not last long, for it was soon outgrown, and in 1622, Fray
Alonzo de Benavides, the Franciscan historian of New Mexico, laid the
foundation of the parish church, which was completed in 1627. When, in
1870, it was decided to build the stone cathedral in Santa Fé, this old
church was demolished, except two large chapels and the old sanctuary.
It had been described in the official records shortly prior to its
demolition as follows: "An adobe building 54 yards long by 9-1/2 in
width, with two small towers not provided with crosses, one containing
two bells and the other empty; the church being covered with the
_Crucero_ (the place where a church takes the form of a cross by the
side chapels), there are two large separate chapels, the one on the
north side dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, called also 'La
Conquistadorea;' and on the south side the other dedicated to
St. Joseph."

Sometime shortly after 1636 the old church of San Miguel was built in
Santa Fé, and its original walls still form a part of the church that
stands to-day. It was partially demolished in the rebellion of 1680, but
was restored in 1710.

In 1617, nearly three hundred years ago, there were eleven churches in
New Mexico, the ruins of one of which, that of Pecos, can still be seen
a few miles above Glorieta on the Santa Fé main line. This pueblo was
once the largest in New Mexico, but it was deserted in 1840, and now its
great house, supposed to have been much larger than the many-storied
house of Zuni, is entirely in ruins.

It would form a fascinating chapter could I here tell of the stirring
history of some of the Missions established in New Mexico. There were