Life Story: Maria Gertrudis Barceló (ca. 1800 - 1852)

Maria Gertudis Barceló was born around the year 1800 in Bavispe Valley in the colony of New Spain. She was the daughter of Juan Ignacio Barceló and Dolores Herrero. She had one brother and one sister.

Not much is known about Maria’s early life. During the Mexican War for independence, her parents moved their family north to the town of Valencia in the territory of New Mexico. Life in Valencia was challenging, with the ongoing war and the constant threat of attack by local Indigenous communities who resisted the arrival of Mexican settlers. But the Barcelós found success in their new home. Maria was about 21 years old when Mexico became an independent state, and 23 when she married Manuel Sisernos. In her marriage record, her name is documented with the honorific “Doña,” which indicates that she was considered a respectable lady in her community. Maria kept her name and control of all of her property after her marriage, following a long-standing Mexican legal tradition.

Maria was pregnant when she married Manuel, but her baby did not survive. After losing a second child, Maria and Manuel decided to grow their family a different way, adopting a girl in 1826. That same year, Maria started the career that would bring her fortune and fame. She lived near the Real de Dolores, the site of a gold mine that drew prospectors from all over Mexico. In the winter, Maria and her husband traveled to the mine and set up a gambling business. Most of the miners in Real de Dolores were solo men who were delighted to spend an evening with a charming woman. Maria’s game of choice was monte, and she was very good at it. Every night she made money from the miners who played at her table. Maria was so successful that she drew the attention of the local authorities. She was fined43e pesos for running an illegal gambling operation, but she was so successful that it did not bother her in the slightest.

For the next seven years, Maria traveled the area around Santa Fe working as a monte dealer. She earned both a small fortune and a reputation as an excellent hostess. She became widely known as La Tules, a nickname derived from her middle name. La tules means “reed” in Spanish. The nickname may have been a reference to her figure. In 1833, she and her husband bought a home in Santa Fe and adopted a second daughter. Maria’s occupation made her very popular with the male political and social elite of the city. For example, the governor of the territory became a close friend and the godfather of one of her daughters. But the women of the city were less welcoming. Maria’s public gambling and drinking went against the ideals of Mexican womanhood. Some women spread rumors that Maria was also committing adultery or involved in sex work. Maria challenged her detractors in court, and she won every case. Her quick action protected her reputation and the status of her family. 

Through her gambling, Maria made enough money to invest in real estate and other business enterprises. In 1839, she opened her own casino and hotel. The building took up an entire city block and had lavish furnishings. Maria ran a card table at the casino nearly every night. At this time, white American merchants were starting to regularly visit the city as part of their travels along the Santa Fe Trail. Maria’s casino was one of the central places where white Americans encountered Mexican culture for the first time. Maria was frequently featured in American accounts of life in New Mexico. American writers called her the “Queen of Sin,” claiming that she represented all the dangers of Mexican society and culture. Maria did not speak or read English, so she remained unaware of this new characterization, and could not fight it in court. The Americans who learned about Maria through these accounts assumed she was representative of all Mexican women, leading to the establishment of harmful stereotypes that still persist today.

Meanwhile, Maria was becoming a beloved figure for the Mexicans of Santa Fe. Her business skills matched her gambling skills, and within a few years of establishing her casino, she was able to buy four more properties in the city. Her hotel was home to some of the most powerful men in the city, and she used what she learned from the merchants and business owners who visited her casino to make smart investments. Maria used some of her wealth to make sure her family was well cared for. Her husband disappears from the records after 1841, perhaps because he died, but her daughters and their families all benefited from her generosity. Maria also donated large sums to the Catholic Church and local charities. She became a leading member of the elite social circles and was called the “supreme queen of refinement and fashion.”

When the Mexican-American War broke out in 1846, the U.S. Army captured and occupied Santa Fe. Maria had no reason to love the Mexican government, which had recently begun to crack down on gambling houses like hers, so she welcomed the American occupation. Maria loaned the Army money at a critical moment in the fighting and may have been instrumental in uncovering an uprising. Every night, she welcomed American officers and soldiers into her casino, introducing them to Mexican society and culture. In this way, she played an important part in smoothing New Mexico’s transition to becoming a U.S. territory. 

Maria passed away on January 17, 1852. At the time of her death, she was the wealthiest Mexican person in Santa Fe, and her funeral was a major event for the city. Since her death, the American rumors about her have grown in popularity, making her a legendary figure of the Wild West mythology.

• Catholic Church: Christian religious community that follows the leadership of the Pope in Rome. 
• merchant: A person who trades goods.
• Mexican-American War: 1846-1848 war between U.S. and Mexico fought to determine the border between the two countries.
• monte: Spanish card game named after the mountain of cards that grows after a few rounds are played.
• peso: Currency in Mexico.
• prospector: A person who searches for gold.