ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — The Elena Gallegos Open Space is home to a popular hiking and mountain biking trail. The 640-acre open space is also home to a rich history.
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Elena Gallegos was born in 1680 and married Frenchman Jacques Grolet in 1699. After her husband’s death, Gallegos started to manage her own business affairs operating a ranch, and eventually becoming the first woman to acquire her own livestock brand.
In 1716, she purchased 7,000 aces of land which would become the Elena Gallegos land grant. In 1969, Albuquerque City Council agreed to enact a tax so it could purchase the land, save it from development and create an open space.