Page Contents for Socorro, Texas

Statistics & Facts

History & History-related items

Historical Events

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Statistics & Facts

The Texas state capital is Austin.
The population of Socorro is approximately 22,995 (1990), 32013 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 5,449 (1990), 8792 (2010).
The amount of land area in Socorro is 45.317 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Socorro to Washington DC is 1778 miles.
The distance to the Texas state capital is 518 miles. (as the crow flies)
Socorro is positioned 31.63 degrees north of the equator and 106.26 degrees west of the prime meridian.

History & History Related Items

The first non-Indians to certainly visit the area were in the exploratory party of 1581: Francisco Sanchez Chamuscado and the Franciscan Fray Agustin Rodriquez Socorro, properly Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Purisima Concepcion de Socorro del Sur was founded in 1681 by Spanish and Native American refugees fleeing the great Pueblo revolt of 1680 in northern New Mexico by Governer Antonio Otermin. Socorro was founded as one of five settlements to shelter the Spaniards and natives that had fled. Socorro was home to the Piro's who were ministered to by fray Antonio Guerra. Socorro del Sur remained a part of Spain until 1821 when it became a part of Mexico. It remained a part of Mexico until 1848 when Mexico ceded a large portion of its territory as spoils to the United States as a result of the American/Mexican war. More detailed information can be found at nasa.utep.edu/mission
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Socorro Historical Events

1838
In 1838 merchants from Mexico to New Mexico, were transporting in an ox-cart a life-size statue of the Saint Michael the Archangel, destined for the New Mexican village of San Miguel. When they had reached Socorro, the cart got stuck in the mud, the oxen knelt and refused to budge, extra spans hitched to the cart were of no avail. The townspeople concluded that the saint wanted to remain among them. They haggled with the merchants until a price was agreed on; a collection was taken up, some contributing money, others bringing corn, sheep and goats. Along with the Virgin under her title of the Immaculate ConceptionSaint Michael was chosen as co-patron and protector of the people of Socorro. Historians say that this happened in 1838.The statue, it is obviously of considerable artistic value. The image of San Miguel, tothis day remains in its niche in the Socorro Mission, the oldest active Roman Catholic parish in the United States, where it is the object of veneration and devotion by the people of Socorro. Pictures of the Mission and the statue can be seen at nasa.utep.edu/mission
Taken from "Socorro - an historical Account" by Ernest J. Burrus, c. 1980