CHAPTER VII The Spanish Era The early part of the eighteenth century saw the Spanish interested in more than Pueblo Indians. There was the actual colonization of New Mexico and the war with France which drew their attention. New Mexican land was divided into tracts or land grants. The Spanish had combed it all. They knew about the canyon today known as the “Frijoles,” the Tyuonyi of the Cochiti Indians. The tract lay just south of the bounds of what is known as the “Ramon Vigil Grant.” It was in litigation much of the time. The land was cleared, broken and put under cultivation during the latter part of the eighteenth century. The valley floor was cleared and no doubt some of the homes occupied by Indians years before were obliterated. This valley was given the name of El Rito de Los Frijoles sometime prior to the year 1780. For years, people have said that the Canyon derived its name from the fact that Indians raised beans here in prehistoric times. True, prehistoric Indians did grow beans at Frijoles but the derivation of its name probably had no connection with any Indian occupation. With the coming of a new century, Spanish people were accused of living in the caves of the Rito like barbarians. This picturesque Hidden Valley was a rendezvous for cattle thieves and persons whose characters could be questioned. It was a den for robbers who greatly troubled the people around the country, so, in 1811 the Spanish Governor ordered all its inhabitants to move out. The Canyon must have been occupied more or less continuously throughout the nineteenth century by farming groups of Spanish-Americans. And they were troubled by Indian raids from time to time until the latter part of the century. [Illustration: PHOTO BY GEORGE THOMPSON THE AUTHOR AT AN OLD HIDDEN TRAIL] [Illustration: COURTESY NAT’L. PARK SERVICE A PARTY OF VISITORS AT LONG HOUSE]