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Bartholome Miguel de Ortega |
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Biography of Batholome Miguel de Ortega
(1751-1809) Jonathan Cordero, 2008
Laguna de Aljojuca Bartholome Miguel de Ortega was a
Nahua born to Juan de Ortega and Maria Thoribia Hernandes at San Andres
Chalchicomula, an historic Nahua town in
The Village of San Andres Chalchicomula, 1764. In A Reconnoisance into Mexico (1881) anthropologist Adolf Bandelier made the following observation of the village at San Andres Chachicomula: “The houses of the aborigines are of the same shape as those of the coast,—rectangular, with roofs at a high pitch,—but the material of which they are built is changed to suit the climate. The walls are frequently of adobe and stone, and the roofs, instead of being of thatch or palm-leaves, are made of boards (similar to our common clap-boards) fastened with two wooden nails.”
Houses of the Natives on the Coast By 1767 Bartholome de Ortega was
working as a scribe for subdelegate Eusebio Buenaventura Belena at Obispado de
Cathedral at Puebla de Los Angeles Little is known of Bartholome
Ortega’s whereabouts between 1770 and 1786. Most likely Ortega continued to
work as scribe, and he may have attended Fernando Rivera y Moncada’s 1781
expedition to settle
Mission San Buenaventura By 1787 Bartholome Ortega had settled
at Mission San Buenaventura and was working as a servant at the mission. On 21
November 1787 he married Maria Rosa who was the first Chumash person from the By late 1794 or early 1795 Bartholome
Ortega had moved with his family to the In 1801 or 1802 Bartholome Ortega
received a provisional grant from Governor Arrillaga for what was then called
Rancho de Santa Getrudis de las Virgines and for what would become El Rancho de
Nuestra Senora La Reina de Las Virgenes (See Rancho
Las Virgenes). The rancho extended over 17,760 acres
from the Bartholome seemed to possess a tremendous heart for the local Indians, especially the local Chumash of the area. Over the next few years Bartholome, Maria Rosa, and Jose Antonio continued to sponsor the local Indians—either as godparent for many baptized Indians or as a witness to Indian marriages—many of whom were Talepop and whose ancient homeland was located on Rancho Las Virgenes. Robert E. Edberg relates the following: Once established at Las
Virgenes,
Ortega and his family took an active role in the missionization of the natives
of the
Mission San Fernando Rey The closet mission to Rancho Las
Virgenes was Mission San Fernando Rey, which had only been recently established
in 1797 by Father Lausen. It soon became an important supplier of food for Bartholome Ortega most likely made an effort to contribute as well. Father Ibarra of Mission San Fernando Rey reminisced about Ortega: In fact, the late Miguel Ortega, a man much devoted to wheat raising, and I have wondered why he abandoned the same on this place [Las Virgenes], the year being very wet, as it is necessary for sowing purposes, and from this dampness result fogs, which are injurious to wheat. I am also told that he planted a small quantity of Indian [sic] corn, but which perished for the want of water, notwithstanding, at the same time, that although there was but little rain, the land could be irrigated, which cannot now be done, since during the year 25, the barrancas (ditches) became so deep, that it is impossible to take water from them; wherefore, the said Ortega, as is clear and patent to all, made all his sowings in the Pueblo od Los Angeles. Maria Rosa died in 1805 and was
buried on 27 June 1805 at Mission San Fernando Rey. Bartholome quickly remarried
on 15 October 1805 to Ana Antonia, a Chumash woman from the |
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