Albuquerque, a modern city with ancient roots, has been a travel goal for centuries. The rich history of the city dates back to when the first American Indians descended in the area 12,000 years ago. Anasazi or Ancient Puebloan Indians were living in the territory between 1000 and 1300, constructing brick pit and adobe homes and planting squash and corns along the Rio Grande's banks. The Anasazi established a few communities all over northeastern New Mexico which are also connected by sophisticated roads.
Conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado proceeded north from Mexico in 1540 to search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. Spanish settlers that arrived in the area searching for elusive gold increases. The 1680 Pueblo Rebellion demoralized more settlement until 1692 when Don Diego de Vargas, a Spanish General, arrived. Various trading posts were constructed in the northern area of today's city concluding the 17th century.
Albuquerque was initially named Bosque Grande de San Francisco Xavier. Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdez, the territory's provisional governor, petitioned the Spanish Government for consent to established a formal villa from the bosque and named it Albuquerque after the Duke of Albuquerque, Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, in 1706. Furthermore, it is also called the "Duke City".
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was still considered as a grimy trading center across the El Camino Real, the trail connecting Santa Fe and Mexico. Spanish descent's close-knit families accounted for the largest population that lives in the central plaza, which is now known as the Old Town. This started to change when a trailblazer and frontiersman, Josiah Gregg, founded the Old Fort Smith Wagon Road in the middle of Santa Fe and Arkansas in 1839. After 10 years, people started to value the trail more since it became exceedingly traveled by pioneers going far west to seek fortunes during the California Gold Rush.
The United States affirmed the territory in 1846 when General Stephen Kearny formed an army post. Albuquerque was briefly occupied by the Confederate troops during the Civil War. Tradesmen and white merchants began to arrive in the city after the end of the war. Albuquerque changed drastically in 1880 after the construction of the railroad, bringing in numerous white settlers and modifying the architecture and demographics of the city. Around the railroad, several businesses were built and the city began to flourish. Duke City was incorporated in 1885. The University of New Mexico was founded in 1889, bringing different and new cultures as well as knowledge to the community of Albuquerque.
The growth of the city continued steadily until more opportunities spurred when constant huge traffic was brought to the city after the establishment of Route 66. The Main Street of Albuquerque, now named Central Avenue, comprised of a few cafes, motor courts, campgrounds, and gas stations before the 1930s. Shortly, new restaurants, services, and motels, with bright neon signs, started to compete for the Mother Road travelers' attention. Buildings that stand out include a sombrero-shaped restaurant that serves Mexican food, De Anza Motor Lodge and Aztec Lodge provide accommodations inspired by Pueblo, and an iceberg-shaped cafe.
At present, Albuquerque is a prime city in the Southwest with a diverse population and several of the major high-tech research facilities of the nation, including the University of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, and Intel. Nevertheless, the cultural traditions of the city continue to be a crucial part of daily life in Albuquerque.