José Chávez y Castillo was a Mexican landowner and trader who served as provisional

Governor of New Mexico The governor of New Mexico () is the head of government of New Mexico. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New Mexico's state government and the commander-in-chief of the New Mexico National Guard. As noted in the govern ...

from 1 May 1845 until 16 November 1845, when Manuel Armijo became governor for a third term. José Chávez was the son of

Francisco Xavier Chávez Francisco Xavier Chávez (sometimes spelt as Francisco Xavier Chaves) was a Mexican landowner and merchant who was the second ''jefe político'' (equivalent to governor) of the territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México after Mexico gained its indep ...

, the first governor of New Mexico after it gained independence from Spain, and brother of

Mariano Chaves José Mariano Chaves y Castillo (or Mariano Chávez) (31 December 1799 – May 1845) was a wealthy Spanish-American landowner who was the acting governor of New Mexico for a few months during 1844. Chaves County, New Mexico is named after him. Fa ...

, who also served briefly as acting governor. With the opening up of the

Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the ...

, by 1839 José Chávez and his nephew Antonio José Chávez were among the Santa Fe traders engaged in the profitable business of importing goods from the United States, which other traders would buy and transport to markets in Chihuahua and other places to the south.

References

;Citations ;Sources * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chavez, Jose Mexican governors of Santa Fe de Nuevo México