In 1706, New Mexico Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes founded the new Villa de Albuquerque (now Albuquerque), which became the principal settlement of the Rio Abajo, or lower river district. Here, the Camino Real wound its way through a series of farming and ranching communities and led to a nearby ford which linked the Camino Real to settlements on the west bank of the Rio Grande.
315k)
(342k)
(350k)
(364k)
(262k)
(262k)