El Puesto de San Miguel DE LOS ALBA
While I was in Mexico several years ago I looked desperately this place. Anyone familiar with the area know that there are several "San Miguels" in the "nuestros ranchos" area. I went to all of them. Or at least I thought I did.
It wasn't until I came back to the U.S. did I come in contact with a distant cousin who happens to be a historian for Encarnacion de Diaz. I'm extremely thankful to him for the help he's given me and for his research. He also helped me find THEE San Miguel mentioned in my ancestors records. I also have photos if anyone is interesed. I hope this information can help someone else doing research in the same area.
If you have ties to this place or have more data on it's inhabitants during the 1600s please conatct me. This the part of my research where I have hit a dead end.
The following is an exerpt from an email my cousin Arq. Rodolfo H. Hernandez Ch sent me:
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San Miguel de los Alba is located at the foot of the cerro de los Gallos, in the current municipality of Encarnacion de Diaz, and it is not the same San Miguel that is mentioned in the Llanos del Tecuan, neither is it the same San Miguel that you located in a map and belongs to the state of Queretaro.
El puesto de San Miguel de los Alba was founded at the beginning of the XVII century, when it belonged to Alonso of Alba, married to Doña Leonor de Retamosa, daughter of Nicolas Macias and Leonor de Retamosa who were proprietors of extensive lands in the actual municipality of Encarnación.
This hacienda or puesto de San Miguel de los Alba, depended on the village of the Asuncion de las Aguascalientes and their inhabitants were obligated to be baptized, married and buried in the parish of this village (you can know who lived their by checking the microfilms of the Iglesia del Sagrario de Aguascalientes, corresponding to the XVII and XVIII century). In 1752 a chapel was built dedicated to San Miguel Arcangel in this hacienda, with donations from Miguel de Alba and Cristobal Villaseñor, beginning to beginning to function as a vicariate, carrying books and registrations of baptisms that were made until the year of 1778, date in which said hacienda goes on to form part of the parish of in that passes this country property to be part of the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnacion de los Macias (before named el Sauz de los Macias)
After the death of Don Alonso Alva, his hacienda continued in ownership by his descendants, the Alva family, until the begingings of the century. XX. during this time the residents and surnames grew through marriage connections.
And all were devoted to the agriculture and and cattle raising to supply the trade with the north of the country.
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end of exerpt