Biographies for Guadalupe County, New Mexico

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Biographies for Guadalupe County, NM
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Don Celso Baca, now living retired at Santa Rosa, was born in San Miguel county, New Mexico, April 6, 1836. and is a descendant of Cabeza Baca. He acquired his education in the Catholic schools of the Territory, and from 1858 until 1866 was engaged in freighting with wagon trains between Kansas City and Santa Fe over the Santa Fe trail. From 1853 until 1858 he had served as a private in the United States army, participating in the Navajo Indian war. In 1866 he went to Fort Sumner, and upon his return secured his present location in San Miguel county, made a claim and settled upon the ranch. He originally held the townsite of Santa Rosa. He made the first timber entry in the Territory, his patent being No. 1.

When the Civil war broke out Don Celso Baca, in 1862, organized a company of soldiers for the northern army and was commissioned its captain. He served in the battle of Val Verde and other skirmishes, and was a loyal defender of the Union cause until the supremacy of the Union arms was established. Since 1866 he has made his home in what is now Guadalupe county, and has engaged in farming and stock raising. He is interested in the First National Bank of Santa Rosa and in his varied business affairs has conducted all of his interests in a capable manner, resulting in the acquirement of very desirable success. He served for several terms as senator and representative in the territorial legislature, and has been very prominent in Republican politics, exerting considerable influence in both the county and territorial rank of the party. He was also sent as a delegate to the national convention which nominated William McKinley for the presidency in 1896. He has had many experiences with the Indians during the early days of his residence upon his ranch, and is familiar with pioneer history and early development in the Territory.

His two sons, Placido Baca y Baca and Crescenciano Baca, were born in San Miguel county and educated in the Jesuit college at Las Vegas. They are associated with their father in farming and stock raising interests. The former practically has charge of all of the father's business, for the elder Baca has retired from active life. He is also engaged in the management of a paper, having in 1898 established the La Voz Publica, which he continues to edit and publish. He also manages his father's interests in the town site. In political affairs he has been prominent and influential, and from 1897 until 1900, inclusive, filled the office of sheriff of Guadalupe county. He was also one of the county commissioners appointed by the governor upon the organization of the county, and in 1901 he served as deputy county clerk. For sixteen years he was postmaster of the town of Eden on the present site of Santa Rosa before the latter town was founded. He has been notary public since the age of twenty-one years, and in these various polit1cal positions has discharged his duties with capability and energy, making him one of the leading and representative citizens of the community. The business interests of father and son are extensive and profitable and they have long maintained a prominent place in agricultural, commercial and financial circles in this part of the territory.

P. B. Baca was the third sheriff of Guadalupe county. During his first term he acted as collector. During his second term as sheriff. 1898, he assisted in the capture of the gang of desperadoes who had killed Florentine Gonsales. The gang is now broken up, having all found their way to the penitentiary.

Crescenciano Gallegos, filling the office of probate clerk and also engaged in the live stock, brokerage and commission business at Santa Rosa, is a native son of the southwest and has displayed the spirit of enterprise and progress that have been the salient elements in the substantial development of this section of the country. He was born and reared in Guadalupe county, New Mexico, where he acquired his early education, after which he spent two years as a student in St. Michael's College at Santa Fe. He is a son of Antonio Jose Gallegos, who was prominent in Republican circles in the Territory and exercises a wide influence in the ranks of his party. He represented San Miguel county in the territorial legislature in 1877, and from 1884 until 1888 was assistant postmaster of Las Vegas. In 1889- 90 he was county superintendent of schools in San Miguel county, and in the latter year he took up his abode at Puerto de Luna, where he engaged in teaching school for about five years. In 1904 he was elected county clerk of Guadalupe county. Several years previously he had served as deputy assessor of the county, and in 1896 he was a candidate for the territorial legislature and was elected, but the election was contested and he was unseated. At one time he was a candidate for the senate against Charles A. Spier. In 1905 he entered the live stock, brokerage and commission business in partnership with W. T. Mclntire. Following the completion of his education, Crescenciano Gallegos embarked in the sheep and cattle industry, which has claimed much of his attention since he has attained adult age. Called to public office, he is now serving as probate clerk and is also engaged in the brokerage business at Santa Rosa.