Pajarito is part of the Pajarito Land Grant, which can be traced to 1746 when Spain controlled present-day New Mexico. Covering 47,000 acres between the Rio Grande and Rio Puerco, it is one of the 69 New Mexico land grants confirmed by the U.S. government out of the 272 that were claimed. The Gutiérrez family owned, farmed, and ranched it. Juliana Gutiérrez, a descendant of the family, married James L. Hubbell, a successful merchant. Their home on the Camino Real was the local trading post, stagecoach stop, and post office. Today it is a historical and cultural center.