Page 109 - 4094-BOOK2

In his letters, Pemberton indicates Marcelino Baca was
a cousin of legendary New Mexican lawman
Elfego Baca.
The Baca (Cabeza de Vaca/de Vaca/de Baca) family has
historic ties in New Mexico reaching back centuries.
One member of the family, the earlier Marcelino Baca
(c. 1808-1862) born in Taos, was a well-known Mexican
fur trader who trapped with Jim Bridger in the Rocky
Mountains, later established a ranch near Pueblo,
and was killed in combat at the Battle of Valverde
while serving in the Union 1st Regiment New Mexico
Volunteer Cavalry fighting against the Confederacy
in the Southwest. Elfego Baca (1865-1945) became a
legendary western lawman after surviving a gunfight
in 1884 in New Mexico during which he faced off
against between 40 and 80 cowboys who are said
to have fired 4,000+ shots into an adobe house that
Baca took cover in. He had previously killed one
cowboy and shot another in the leg when attempting
to arrest Charlie McCarty and then shot and mortally
wounded Bert Hearne when he was sent to bring
Baca to Justice of the Peace Ted White. Baca was
acquitted, and became the sheriff of Socorro County
and later a U.S. Marshal before becoming a lawyer
and private detective and also held other local offices.
He continued to be a well-known figure thanks to
representations in popular culture including in books,
comics, film, and television. Cipriano Baca (1859-1936)
was also a lawman in New Mexico, including as a
U.S. Marshal.
The Sante Fe New Mexican on February 21, 1899, ran
a full article “Hon. Jose Marcelino Baca, Member of
the House of Representatives of the 33d Legislative
Assembly from Bernalillo County” noting him as
“one of the prominent members of the house in the
present legislative assembly and as “born in Pena
Blanca, Bernalillo County, May 3, 1855, his family being
one of the best known and respected in that locality.
He attended private schools in his native town and
afterward was a pupil in St. Michael’s College in Santa
Fe. On leaving school Mr. Baca turned his attention
to agricultural pursuits and incidentally engaging in
the more profitable business of freighting. In 1872
he made a trip to Colorado, where he remained for
a year carrying on the business of a freighter in the
different mining camps.” He then returned to Bernalillo
County and became a respected businessman. In
1881, he was elected constable and served for two
years. He was then elected water overseer and ditch
commissioner. He was elected to the state House of
Representatives as a Republican in November 1898.
Elsewhere we find that he was the son of Ramon Baca
of Pena Blanca and remained an active political figure
into the 20th century. The New Mexican newspapers
demonstrate that he was a civic and business minded
gentleman working on various projects in and near
Pena Blanca, including raising funds to build a school.
The Baca Toll Wagon Road Company was incorporated
by Baca along with his brothers Esquipula, Manuel,
and Jose. He also led Marcelino Baca & Bros. and was
the president of the commissioners for the La Bajada
Land Grant. Esquipula also served as a probate judge
in Bernalillo County, and Jose was the proprietor of
the Moro saloon in Sante Fe. He was involved in at
least a few legal proceedings. It appears he once ran
away with another man’s wife and was brought before
U.S. Commissioner Manuel C. de Baca in Las Vegas,
and in another case sued won a settlement against his
brother for a debt.
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