Founding of Santa Rosa

The Founding of Santa Rosa

The name of our community, Santa Rosa, comes from the name of a small Chapel don Celso

Baca built in honor of his mother, doña Rosa.


Her remains are buried inside the chapel, near the front where the altar was located. Doña Rosa was named after the first American saint, Santa Rosa de Lima in Peru. The chapel was Santa Rosa's first church.


Don Celso Baca gets credit for the founding of Santa Rosa. The old chapel is located across the street from don Celso's hacienda ( 920 S. 3rd St. ). They are at the south end of town bv the El Rito creek and State Highway 91. The Chavez Funeral Home now occupies don Celso's original estate.



Don Celso had settled in the area in the early 1860's. The area was then known as Agua

Negra Chiquita, Little Black Water. There was also an Agua Negra, Black Water. Agua Negra Chiquita is where the El Rito, Little River, empties into the Pecos River. Agua Negra is located about five miles further south where the Cañon de la Piedra Pintada, Painted Rock Canyon joins the same river. The Agua Negra area was settled sometime before 1853. 


Don Celso's hacienda was a stopping point on the Pecos River for travelers going south towards Fort Sumner as well as for travelers going north towards Las Vegas and Fort Union. It provided them with a rest stop and a place to eat before continuing their trip. Don Celso's Santa Rosa would remain fairly small until the coming of the railroad in 1901. It would then see very rapid growth.  Daniel B. Flores- Historian


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