Robbers' roost
(La Historia del Rio Abajo is a regular column about Valencia County history written by members of the Valencia County Historical Society.
The author of this month's column is the president of the Valencia County Historical Society and a past president of the Historical Society of New Mexico.
This month's article is based on works by historians Marc Simmons, Howard Bryan, Francisco Sisneros, Karen Holliday Tanner, John D. Tanner, Jr., and Don Bullis, plus information gathered in interviews with many residents of Valencia and Socorro counties. Special thanks to Bob Martin of KRQE-TV who gave the author a once-in-a-lifetime helicopter ride over the Sierra Ladrones.
Opinions expressed in this and all columns of La Historia del Rio Abajo are the author's alone and not necessarily those of the Valencia County Historical Society or any other group or individual.)
Located 25 miles southwest of Belen and 9,143 feet above sea level, the Sierra Ladrones rises from the mesa base like a rugged island surrounded by an enormous sea. Like an island, the mountain is isolated, distant, majestic and mysterious.
Like an island frequented by sea pirates, the Sierra Ladrones was once a favorite haunt of land pirates who hid their stolen treasures in caves and hideouts, fully expecting to someday return to claim their ill-gotten wealth before others discovered their prizes and, ironically, robbed the robbers.
Historian Francisco Sisneros has discovered that the earliest Spanish reference to "Los Ladrones" appeared on a map drawn by cartographer Bernardo Miera y Pacheco in 1758. Meaning "thieves" in Spanish, the mountain's name suggests its main role in history. There have been other treasure mountains in New Mexico, including Starvation Peak, Victorio Peak and the Manzanos, but few live more vividly in local legend than the Sierra Ladrones in the Rio Abajo.
Apache Indians apparently used the Sierra Ladrones for their treasure caves as early as the 17th century. The mountain served as an ideal place from which to raid travelers on the old Camino Real, or main royal highway into New Mexico. Apaches also raided valley settlements along the Rio Grande, often hiding stolen livestock in the Sierra Ladrones' steep canyons.
A cowhand discovered evidence of these Indian raids in the spring of 1917. The cowhand spotted the entrance to a well-concealed cave while herding cattle on the east side of the mountain. Curious, he left his horse and cautiously explored the cave's dark interior.
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