Questa area timeline.
- 300 million years ago Area covered by shallow ocean
- 36–25 million years ago Sangre de Cristo Mountains formed, Rio Grande Rift
begins to form - 26 million years ago Volcanic eruption forming Questa caldera; uplifted floor
of caldera later forms Virsylvia, Venado, Pinabete, and Cabresto Peaks during post-Miocene period - 10–2 million years ago Volcanic activity continues in the Questa area
- 1.6 million years ago Glaciers cover Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Questa
caldera area - Native Americans in this area for about 9000 years
- 1540 First Europeans in Taos area, including exploratory party of Coronado expedition from Mexico led by Captain Hernando de Alvarado
- 1598 First permanent settlement in New Mexico at San Juan de los Caballeros under Don Juan de Oñate; first Franciscan mission in New Mexico
- 1615 First Spanish settlers
- 1626 First Catholic mission San Geronimo de Taos at Taos Pueblo
- 1680 Pueblo rebellion pushes Spanish out of New Mexico area
- 1692 Don Diego de Vargas reconquers New Mexico area
- 1696 Resettlement of Taos Valley area
- 1700s Raids by Commanches, Utes, Navajos
- 1750 Trade fairs at Taos Pueblo for Plains and Pueblo indians, traders from Mexico and Spain
- 1802 Louisiana Purchase; arrival of trappers in area
- 1805–1818 First Questa-area settlers
- 1815 First Questa-area land grant
- 1818 or 1842 First Questa-area baptism records
- 1821 Mexico independent from Spain
- 1829 House built by Don Francisco Laforet near river
- 1830 Don Benito and four other pioneers settle area (Frank Garcia account)
- 1835 Families come up from Taos to farm Questa area in summers;
- 1836 Cañon del Rio Colorado land grant; first church built (Frank Garcia account)
- 1842 Petition of 35 families for grant for San Antonio del Rio Colorado
- 1842 Possession granted on January 19 by Juan Antonio Martinez, Justice of the Peace, Rio Arriba County—San Antonio del Rio Colorado Tract no. 76
1845 Soldiers sent to Rio Colorado area after Cheyenne raiders killed shepherds and stole sheep
1846 United States war against Mexico; United States invades New Mexico area
1846 General Kearney occupies New Mexico area; Captain Lloyd Beall and troops in Rio Colorado area to protect against Indian marauders
1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends war; upholds Spanish land grants
1849 Approximately 100 families living in Rio Colorado area
1851 New Mexico a territory of the United States
1851–1887 San Antonio del Rio Colorado grant disputed by U.S. Land Office
1861–1862 Texas Confederate troops enter New Mexico; are fought off by Federal troops from Colorado and California
1866 Gold discovered in Elizabethtown area, Red River New Mexico a state
1873 New church built in Questa
1880 St Anthony’s Parish Church built in Questa (Library of Congress Record)
1880s Rural school system begins in Questa
1883 Questa U.S. Post Office established on March 12th;first postmaster Lee Hamblin changes name of San Antonio del Rio Colorado to Questa
1898 Ernest Blumenschein’s and Bert Phillips’ wagon breaks down just south of Questa; they get wheel fixed in Taos and Phillips stays to found Taos Art Colony; Blumen- schein returns to Taos later
1912 The Llano Irrigation Corporation formed by Floyd Hamblen, Salomon Rael, and Leonides Trujillo
1913 Bridge built across Red River in Questa
1914 Beginning of building better road from Taos to Questa
1914 Molybdenum discovered in Red River Canyon by pros- pector named Fahy; he stakes claim
1920 Molybdenum Corporation of America acquires claims in Sulphur Gulch
1923 Moly mine opens
1930 Better road built from Taos to Questa
1934 First WWI vets burial in Jose Antonio Mondragon Cemetery “El Pueblito”
1935 Questa centennial celebration
1940s Towers added to St. Anthony’s Church; first health clinic in Questa
1942 Msgr. Glenn Patrick Smith the first resident pastor in Questa; first radio in Questa, a Victrola with horn
1947 Electricity comes to Questa
1950s First public water system
1959 Town sewers built; first fire truck in Questa; J.L. Cisneros is first Fire Chief
1964 Open pit mining begins at Moly Mine
June 1964 Village of Questa incorporated, first mayor is Marcelino Martinez
1965 Questa Independent Schools
1966 New school built
1982-1983 Sewers built
1985 Underground mining begins at Moly Mine
1988 First modern fiesta