Doña Eufemia "La Valerosa" / The Spanish Entrada of 1598

Historical marker location:

I-25, Socorro vicinity, New Mexico

( Walking Sands rest area 15 miles south of Socorro)

Traveling with the colonizing expedition of Juan de Oñate, Doña Eufemia rallied Spanish soldiers to persevere when morale broke down during their long journey on the Camino Real. Settling in present-day New Mexico, she rallied 22 women to defend the northern territory’s capital of San Juan when soldiers were away. A woman of extreme bravery and beauty, she received the sobriquet “La Valerosa,” the valiant one, for her courage and fortitude exhibited under difficult circumstances.