26 Schmittle Road , Socorro, NM 87801(Socorro County)

WATER:25.81 acre-ft of 1927 MRGCD ditch water rights are recorded at the courthouse. In addition to the MRGCD water rights, 25.81 acre-ft of separate irrigation well water rights are on file with the New Mexico State Engineer and are on file at the courthouse. Total depth of the irrigation well is 144 feet with a yield of 1800 GPM. This was a new well in 2006 and in May of 2020, a new pump and casing were installed. A separate domestic well is used for watering livestock. The residence is on community water.

SOME LEMITAR HISTORY:Lemitar's population was about 400 people in 1850 to 1860. Between 1870 and 1885, the population grew to around 800. During these years, several events put Lemitar into the history books. The first being, the most famous resident, Governor Manuel Armijo. He served as the last Governor of New Mexico under Mexican rule. After surrendering to General Kearny in 1846 during the Mexican American war, he was arrested and sent to Mexico City for cowardice and for desertion. He was acquitted of these charges after proving his 400 Mexican soldiers were no match against the 1,500 Americans that entered Santa Fe. His surrender was to spare the bloodshed of his countrymen. After his acquittal in 1850, Manuel Armijo returned to his family home in Lemitar. He farmed and ranched on his property east of the Lemitar church. Armijo died in 1854 at 60 years of age. His brother Juan lived across theriver in Sabino. There is a strong local legend of a buried treasure. One version states that upon his return from Mexico, Manuel Armijo buried a chest of gold coins somewhere on his property. After a couple of years of the location being trampled by his sheep, he was unable to find the buried gold before he died. Legend has it, the Mexican gold coins are still buried somewhere east of the church. Another version states he buried the gold behind his Lemitar home. Upon his death, his brother Juan hired a Navajo to dig up the chest of coins and had it reburied near his home in Sabino. After the treasure was reburied, Juan Armijo killed the Navajo to leave no witnesses. With this version, the treasure chest remains buried somewhere on the east side of the river from Lemitar. As far as anybody knows, the treasure has never been found. Lemitar County Seat In 1854, shortly after the death of Manuel Armijo, the county seat for Socorro County was transferred from Socorro to Lemitar for undocumented reasons. Perhaps it was to honor the late Manuel Armijo.