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The Village of Corrales is a small, treasured oasis located within a large, fast-growing metropolitan area. The village is bordered on the east by the Rio Grande and, across the river, by the Sandia Indian Reservation. To the south is the City of Albuquerque while to the west and north is the City of Rio Rancho. The greater metropolitan area numbers well over a half million people, but Corrales, about 9,000 in population, aggressively strives to retain a rural lifestyle. Prehistoric sites indicate the Corrales Valley has been occupied as early as 500 A.D. when the ancestors of the present-day Indian Pueblos derived sustenance from the fertile valley. Conquistadors came to the region in 1540. In the 1600s, the vicinity may have been a stopping spot for Spanish soldiers as they traveled the Camino Real between Santa Fe and Mexico. In 1710, a large land grant was established in the vicinity of Alameda and southern Corrales. In 1712, the King of Spain awarded the Alameda land grant to F. Montes Vigil for his part as a soldier of the campaign. Vigil later sold the land grant to Captain Juan Gonzales Bas (Alcalde Mayor of Albuquerque), and many Gonzales heirs still live in the village. By 1776, two settlements were thriving – Los Corrales de Alameda and Corrales Alto. A few adobe or terrone (sod) structures from this time period still exist. The village was a local agricultural center throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and remains partially agricultural today. Several buildings and homes in Corrales date to early to mid 1800s. The Casa San Ysidro on Old Church Road is the best preserved example of an 18th to 19th century Spanish colonial rancho in the Albuquerque area. Following the completion of the Santa Fe Railroad in the mid 1900s, many settlers from all over the United States moved to New Mexico. In 1848, New Mexico became a US Territory. Today, Corrales is distinguished by its broad green pastures and orchards, its rich historic and artistic character, and of course the sounds and scents of roosters, cows, horses and sheep. To cross the borders into Corrales is to step into another time and place where the stresses of twenty-first century life give way to the grace and pace of another era. The Village was incorporated September 17, 1971. However, the southern portion of the incorporated area was still located in Bernalillo County. As of January 1, 2005, all of the incorporated area is located in Sandoval County. The Corrales Harvest Festival celebrates the history and people that have made Corrales the charming village that it is today. It began in 1985 with hayrides during the fall harvest. Over the years, other farms, businesses and restaurants began to participate, enlarging the festival from 800 to over 10,000 visitors. Visit the Village of Corrales website for more information http://www.corrales-nm.org/, along with the Visit Corrales website http://www.visitcorrales.com/ Back to Top |
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