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Socorro is a small city in New Mexico. We stopped for a quick look on our way south from Albuquerque to Truth or Consequences.
History
Socorro was named for the help received in 1598 by Juan de Oñate y Salazar (1550-1626) from the Piro pueblo of Teypana, which was located just south of the modern city. Oñate was leading a group of Spanish settlers through the desert and the people of Teypana helped them with food and water. The pueblo was renamed Socorro and the first Spanish mission was completed in 1626.
The Piro helped the Spanish settlers fleeing the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and Socorro was destroyed. It wasn’t resettled until 1815. The New Mexico School of Mines (now the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology) was founded there in 1889.
San Miguel Mission
Our visit to Socorro started at the San Miguel Mission, which is just north of the plaza. The church claims to be the oldest Catholic church in the United States. It was originally founded in 1598 and built between 1615 and 1626. That church was destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and the current church was most likely completed in 1821. San Miguel is administered by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
A portion of the adobe wall of the original church can be seen behind glass to the left of the altar. The last Mexican governor of New Mexico, Manuel Armijo (1793-1853), is buried there. Unfortunately, the church was closed when we passed by.
Plaza
The historic plaza, officially named Kittrel Park, marks the center of Socorro. It was originally an Army field dating back to the 1850s but locals started referring to it as “the plaza” in the 1880s. It actually sits south of the original plaza.
The plaza was once fenced in and has a small gazebo in the center. It’s named for Dr. L. W. Kittrel, a local dentist and postmaster, who maintained the park during the late 19th century. It’s believed he was buried under the park when he died in 1916.
The plaza is surrounded by a few historic buildings. They house restaurants and bars, shops, and other businesses.
Elfego Baca Heritage Park
Just north of the plaza is Elfego Baca Heritage Park. It contains an art history wheel and several other monuments related to the history of Socorro. It’s named for Elfego Baca (1865-1945), a colorful Wild West lawman born in the town.
Isidro Baca Park
To the south of the plaza is Isidro Baca Park. It contains monuments honoring locals who served in the US Armed Forces. Among the monuments are the World War II Bataan Memorial, the Isidro Baca Memorial, and a Blue Star Memorial. There’s also a children’s play area. The park is named for Isidro Baca, a local who died at the age of 19 on August 21, 1967, while serving in the Marines during the Vietnam War.
Jumbo
One of the most interesting monuments in Isidro Baca Park is a fragment of Jumbo. Jumbo was a steel vessel designed to contain the explosion of the first nuclear device at Trinity Site, about 35 miles southeast of Socorro. The explosion took place on July 16, 1945.
Jumbo was 25 feet long, 12 feet in diameter, and weighed 214 tons. Its walls were 14 inches thick. It sat 800 feet from ground zero and survived the blast without damage. Jumbo was later used in other explosions which resulted in its ends being blown out.
Hammel Museum
Our final stop in Socorro was at the Hammel Museum, which was unfortunately closed. The Hammel Museum was built as a brewery in the mid-1880s and operated until the mid-1950s. It was originally called Hammel Brothers and Company and changed its name to the Illinois Brewing Company in 1887. It brewed beer and ale until prohibition in 1919, and was then converted to a soda bottling plant and ice house. It’s open 9am to noon on the first Saturday of each month (as of May 2024).
