Polvadera, New Mexico

The name may be based upon a Piro name for the place,{{Cite news|author=Harden, Paul |date=September 4, 2010 |title=Polvadera y Chamisal: Two of Socorro County's historic villages and the San Lorenzo Land Grant |newspaper=El Defensor Chieftain |url=http://www.caminorealheritage.org/PH/y1009_polvadera.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718073236/http://www.caminorealheritage.org/PH/y1009_polvadera.pdf |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy}} but altered in form because polvareda means dusty in Spanish, which, as US Army Lt. Emory noted in 1846,Arrived at the town of Pulvidera, which we found, as its name implies, covered with dust. quoted in Marshall, Michael P. and Walt, Henry J., (1984) "Chapter 12: Post-Revolt Place Names: Polvareda" Rio Abajo: Prehistory and History of a Rio Grande Province New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, Santa Fe, p. 279, {{OCLC|11553460}} it certainly is. Other spellings of the name include PulvideraUS Census of 1850 and Pulvedera.US Census of 1870 The church in Polvadera was dedicated to San Lorenzo and his feast day, August 10, is the local fiesta.Pearce, T. M. (1965) "Polvadera" New Mexico place names; a geographical dictionary University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, p. 124, [http://worldcat.org/oclc/420847 OCLC 420847]

Polvadera was founded as a farming community in the 1620s after Juan de Oñate had established the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, when Spanish settlers came north and settled among the Piro Pueblo Indians.Federal Writers’ Project (1989) "Polvareda" The WPA Guide to 1930s New Mexico University of Arizona Press, Tucson, p. 251, {{ISBN|0-8165-1102-0}} The name of the original Piro pueblo there is unknown and its ruins, which may have been destroyed by the meandering of the Rio Grande, have not been excavated. In 1629 Apaches destroyed the pueblo of Polvareda.[http://coloquio.com/coloquioonline/2005/0510hispanicrole.htm Pérez, Juan Manuel (2005) "The Hispanic Role in America: A Chronology" Coloquio Revista Cultural October 2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329010853/http://coloquio.com/coloquioonline/2005/0510hispanicrole.htm |date=March 29, 2007 }}, accessed February 22, 2009 It was subsequently rebuilt, but was abandoned as a result of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and because of further Apache raiding after the reconquest was not resettled again until the early 19th century after Governor Fernando Chacón reopened the area for settlement.

Apache and Navajo raids continued until after the American Civil War when the US Army began a strenuous interdiction policy.Kelly, Lawrence C. (1968) The Navajo Indians and Federal Indian Policy University of Arizona Press, Tucson, p. 5, {{ISBN|0-8165-0065-7}} The town was attacked as late as 1846 by over a hundred Navajo who made away with a large number of livestock.Marshall, Michael P. and Walt, Henry J., (1984) "Chapter 12: Post-Revolt Place Names: Polvadera" Rio Abajo: Prehistory and History of a Rio Grande Province New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, Santa Fe, p. 279, {{OCLC|11553460}}

Camp Connelly, sometimes called Fort Connelly, was established by Colonel Canby in 1862 adjacent to Polvadera, on land leased from the then governor Henry Connelly.Rathburn, Daniel C. B. and Alexander, David V. (2003) "Connelly, Camp, Socorro County" New Mexico Frontier Military Place Names Yucca Tree Press, Las Cruces, New Mexico, p. 43, {{ISBN|1-881325-50-4}} Lt. William Brady was sent there as a recruiting officer to process volunteers.Lavash, Donald R. (1986) Sheriff William Brady: Tragic Hero of the Lincoln County War Sunstone Press, Santa Fe, NM, pp. 23, {{ISBN|0-86534-064-1}} Camp Connelly was only maintained until the end of the civil war in 1865.

The Santa Fe Railroad came through in 1882 and the Post Office in Polvadero was established in 1895.Dike, Sheldon H. (1958) The Territorial Post Offices of New Mexico Dike, Albuquerque, {{OCLC|10228225}} The current church of San Lorenzo was built in 1898.[http://www.caminorealheritage.org/PH/0907_missions2.pdf Harden, Paul (2007) "The Mission Churches in Socorro County – Part 2", originally published in the El Defensor Chieftain of September 8, 2007]

Polvadera has always been subject to the flooding of the Rio Grande. Major floods occurred in 1898, which destroyed the church, in 1929, and 1937.Staff (August 21, 1929) "Engineers for Conservancy District Will Investigate Fiver Needs in Flood Zone" Albuquerque Journal p. 1 col.4 Formerly, the major diversion of Rio Grande water for irrigation in Socorro County occurred at Polvadera; however, after the floods of 1929 a new diversion was built upstream at San Acacia.Wozniak, Frank E. (1987) Irrigation in the Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico: A Study of the Development of Irrigation Systems Before 1945 New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, Santa Fe, New Mexico, p. 137, {{OCLC|17617974}}

In 1958 when Interstate 25 was being built down the Rio Grande valley, Polvadera was not given an exit, the nearest exit provided was at Lemitar a few miles to the south.Staff (October 23, 1958) "Fenced Off US 85, Village Anger Rises" Albuquerque Journal p. 1 col.3, p. 10 col. 1–5

Polvadera is primarily a farming community. Before Prohibition, it had large areas devoted to grapes for the production of wine.Davis, W. W. H. (1938) El Gringo: Or, New Mexico & Her People Rydal Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, pp. 191–193 {{OCLC|4803385}}; originally published in 1857 by Harper & Brothers, New York {{OCLC|166604054}} More recently chile has been the main crop.

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It is within Socorro Consolidated Schools.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st35_nm/schooldistrict_maps/c35053_socorro/DC20SD_C35053.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Socorro County, NM|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2022-07-14}} Socorro High School is the comprehensive high school of the district.

Nearby, to the west of the community, is San Lorenzo Canyon, a popular hiking and picnic spot.[http://www.nm.blm.gov/recreation/socorro/san_lorenzo_canyon_rec_area.htm "San Lorenzo Canyon Recreation Area" US Bureau of Land Management]

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.polvadera.com Polvadera Farming Community Page]
• [https://www.census.gov/epcd/ec97zip/nm/NM87828.HTM "1997 Economic Census: ZIP Code Statistics 87828 (Polvadera, NM)"], US Census Bureau
• [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/US/35/Polvadera.html "Polvadera, United States"], Falling Rain Genomics, Inc.

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{{Socorro County, New Mexico}}

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Category:Census-designated places in New Mexico

Category:Census-designated places in Socorro County, New Mexico

Category:Unincorporated communities in Socorro County, New Mexico

Category:Unincorporated communities in New Mexico