Abiquiú was first settled in 1742 by 24
Tewa Pueblo families led by a
Roman Catholic priest, Francisco Delgado. The Tewa returned to New Mexico after a lengthy residence among the
Hopi people in what would become
Arizona. Their settlement in Abiquiú was part of the strategy by New Mexican colonists to defend its frontiers against marauding
indigenous peoples such as the
Apache,
Comanche, and
Navajo. Abiquiú was on the northern border of the
Spanish settlements of New Mexico. In 1747, in one of the numerous raids in the area, the Comanche took 23 women and children captive, forcing the temporary abandonment of Abiquiú. The captives probably were sold or traded in the flourishing slave trade between and among the Spanish and the surrounding indigenous nations. In 1754, to deal with the raids and the faltering settlement, New Mexico governor
Tomás Vélez Cachupín gave 34 genízaro families a land grant in exchange for them taking a prominent role in frontier defense. Abiquiú was the third such genízaro settlement established in New Mexico, after
Belen and
Trampas. The genízaros were detribalized Native Americans from various tribes whose origin was typically as war captives, either captured by the Spanish or sold by raiding tribes to the Spanish to work as slaves and servants. Because they had few rights under the
casta laws of the Spanish, acceptance of land grants and resettlement on the dangerous frontier of New Mexico was the principal way for genízaros to become landowners. Abiquiú became the archetypal genízaro settlement. Many residents still celebrate their genízaro heritage in the 21st century. In the late 18th century, peace was established between New Mexico and the Comanche and the
Ute. An annual trade fair at Abiquiú drew many indigenous people to the town, especially the Utes, who traded deer skins for horses and tools. Also, settlers purchased or redeemed captive children from the native people. Bands of Utes often camped for the winter near Abiquiú. In the 1840s, the peace with the Utes broke down and 1,000 of them came to Abiquiú with a list of grievances and demands. Several Utes were killed in this confrontation. Peace with the Utes was restored in 1849 by the U.S. government, which had recently invaded and conquered New Mexico in the
Mexican–American War. Throughout the 19th century, the residents of Abiquiú struggled to retain ownership of the of land granted them in 1754. In 1894, their right to the land was validated in the
United States Court of Private Land Claims. In 1969, additional land, previously designated as
National Forest, was returned to the community. Abiquiú is a popular tourist destination, and some Anglo-Americans have settled in the community. ==Old Spanish Trail==