US / Mexico Binational Nominations Initiative: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Site Visits
Photo: Samat Jain (2010). “El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail.”
By Gilbert C. Correa, Binational Nominations Coordinator
Gilbert Correa, ICOMOS-USA Binational Nominations Coordinator, Martha Vera, Consul to Spain in El Paso, Texas, and Michael Taylor, ICOMOS-USA Binational Nominations Senior Advisor, conducted a three-day tour in early March visiting potential sites along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro for UNESCO inscription in El Paso, Texas, and Southern New Mexico.
DAY ONE: Oñate Crossing, Mesquite Street District, Doña Ana Historic District and Fort Selden Historic Site
Day one of the tour began with the Oñate Crossing which was an important point along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro where Spanish explorer, Don Juan de Oñate, crossed the Rio Grande (modern-day Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, USA) in 1598 on route to establish a colony in New Mexico.
Note. By Rachel Feit, Acacia Heritage Consulting, “The 1854 landscape of the Oñate Crossing. 1854 sketch depicting mountains in the background, Rio Grande in the midground and a field with sheep and shepherd in the foreground.” February 2020.
The second stop on the tour was Mesquite Street District followed by the municipalities of Doña Ana Historic District and Fort Selden Historic Site in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Note. By Angela Beck, Jardin de Mesquite Arch. 2022.
Mesquite Historic District is a centuries-old neighborhood and one of the oldest communities in southern New Mexico. The district’s diverse mix of residences and small businesses, as seen from a drive or stroll around it, is a testament to the pioneering spirit of individuals who established themselves along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro’s southerly journey.
Note. By Gilbert C. Correa, Plaza of Doña Ana. 2025.
Doña Ana Village Historic District, the historic heart of the oldest permanent Hispano settlement in southern New Mexico.
Note. By Gilbert C. Correa, Fort Selden Historic Site Entrance. 2025.
Located in what is now Radium Springs, New Mexico, Fort Selden was a station of the US Army. Along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the location was once a camping. In 1861, a Confederate Army camp was located there.
DAY TWO: Mesilla and the Jornada del Muerto
Day two of the tour continued with site visits to the township of Mesilla, New Mexico, and the Jornada del Muerto.
Note. By Gilbert C. Correa, Basílica de San Albino Entrance. 2025.
The town of Mesilla, New Mexico, located south of Las Cruces, was an important halt for visitors and a commercial intersection on the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a historic route that connected Mexico City to northern New Mexico.
Note. By Martha Vera. Meeting with Mayor Russell Hernandez (second to right). 2025.
The team also met with Russell Hernandez, Mayor of Mesilla, who was excited to have Mesilla a part of the UNESCO designation for El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
Note. By Gilbert C. Correa, Jornada del Muerto. 2025.
The Jornada del Muerto (Spanish: “Journey of the Dead Man”) was a barren 90-mile segment of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro in southern New Mexico. There was no water or food to follow travelers over this section. Because the Jornada was shorter and easier to cross with the Spanish colonists’ ox-drawn carts and animals, Don Juan de Oñate, like many other travelers, decided to do so instead of following the Rio Grande. Oñate crossed the Jornada after five days with scarce water. In 1670, the bones of a German (called Alemán in Spanish) were discovered along the path, leading to its naming—the Jornada del Muerto. Along the way across the Jornada, Aleman got the name of a populated and watering spot.
DAY THREE: Spanish Missions of San Elizario, Socorro and Ysleta and Workshop with INAH Chihuahua
The third and final day of the tour featured site visits to the Spanish Missions of San Elizario, Socorro and Ysleta as well as a workshop with INAH Chihuahua.
Note. By Library of Congress, “El Camino de las Misiones, Ysleta, Socorro, San Elizario Vicinity, San Elizario, El Paso County, TX.”
The Spanish Missions of San Elizario, Socorro and Ysleta were three mission ensembles provides religious services for communities and at one point military outposts for soldiers. The mission ensemble formed part of El Camino de las Misiones (Spanish: “The Road of the Missions”).
Dr. Jorge Carrera Robles, Regional Director of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) for the State of Chihuahua, and Don Jesús Miguel Sanz Escorihuela, Consul General of the Kingdom of Spain in Houston, Texas, joined the team for a rich discussion at the El Paso County Courthouse. The workshop focused on strategic planning for advancing UNESCO’s recommendation of extending Mexico’s existing World Heritage List nomination of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. The team was thrilled about the proposed properties of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro on both sides of the border.
Please stay tuned as there is more to come from the US / Mexico Binational Nominations Initiative!
Works Cited
Featured photo: Samat Jain (2010). “El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail.” Accessed 21 March 2025. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_Real_de_Tierra_Adentro#/media/File:El_Camino_Real_de_Tierra_Adentro_National_Historic_Trail_by_Samat_Jain.jpg>
Featured photo: Rachel Feit (2020). “The 1854 landscape of the Oñate Crossing. 1854 sketch depicting mountains in the background, Rio Grande in the midground and a field with sheep and shepherd in the foreground.” Accessed 23 March 2025.
Featured photo: Angela Beck (2022). “Jardin de Mesquite Arch.” Accessed 23 March 2025.
Featured photo: Library of Congress. “El Camino de las Misiones, Ysleta, Socorro, San Elizario Vicinity, San Elizario, El Paso County, TX.” Accessed 22 March 2025.