Juan Gómez de Salazar was born in approximately 1519 in Valle de Tobalina next to Espinosa de los Monteros in the mountains of Burgos. He came to New Spain in 1537. He was not present at the 1540 muster. In the 1550s, 60s, and 70s he was involved in mining in Nueva Galicia.
1550-1560:
Actas de Cabildo, Tomo III, Book 6, p.160 [25 Jan 1555-Juan Gómez de Salazar granted a solar in the barrio of San Pablo abutting houses of Indians and the acequia which comes from Chalco, also, on the other part the street that comes from La Trinidad and goes to San Pablo church];
AGI, Patronato, 63, R.5 [June 6, 1560: Juan Gómez de Salazar, witness for Juan Gómez de Paradinas, 1560] [vecino, Mexico City] [40 yrs old] [went with Vázquez de Coronado; sign name (no signature on copy)]
Acuña, Relaciónes Geográficas del Siglo XVI: México, Tomo II [Temazcaltepec mines-alcalde mayor-Gaspar de Covarrubias; interpreter-Diego Castañón, beneficiado of the mines; natives-Melchor Núñez de la Cerda, Francisco Gómez; discoverers 1555,1556-Diego Martín Cuadrado, Alvaro González, Francisco Gómez Bernal, Lorenzo Yáñez, Francisco Vargas, Juan Gómez de Salazar; indio-Adriano; encomendero-don Luis Felipe de Castilla [note: grandson of don Luis de Castilla]; vecino, miner-Francisco Hernández de Avellaneda, deceased];
1560-1570:
AGI, Contaduría, 667A [diezmos de plata, 1561: a Juan Gómez de Salazar diezmo 119 marcos de plata in September];
AGI, Contaduría, 667A [diezmos de plata, 1563: Juan Gómez de Salazar diezmo 75 marcos de plata]
AGI, Contratación, 473, N.1, R.1, exp. 14 [Bienes de Diego Beltrán, mercader, minas de San Martín, Nueva Galicia, May 1565; at the almoneda, an Alonso González purchases 8 jaquetas de sayal, unos zaraguelles, un jubón de cuero, 7 varas de sayal, un capote de sayal, 5 mantas de henequen, a sayo and a capote, una picadera, 2 pairs of barber’s scissors, 2 conteras, 1 barreta, t tapador de hierro, he then failed to pay the 21 pesos for his purchases; a Juan Gómez de Salazar buys unos coxines colorados, unas calzas; a Martín Hernández buys a barril de chile; a Bartolomé Sánchez buys a sayo de paño de la tierra, a petaca vieja, 2 escobillas, a vara measure, 2 cuchillos, 1 cubilete, I canilla de pipa, 1 faltuguera, 1 atadero de cartillas, some old gloves, 1 canutillo de alvayal, and another escobilla];
AGI, Patronato, 73, N.2, R.1 [1567, Mexico, the Francisco Rodríguez in Nombre de Dios is only 30; witness in San Martín: Juan Gómez de Salazar, vecino of the mines of San Martín, native of the Valle de Tobalina, next to Espinosa de los Monteros, has known Francisco de Ibarra for more than 16 years in this place, 48 years old (1519), in 1562 he, along with Ibarra and about 30 or 40 soldiers, went to the place where the villa of Nombre de Dios is founded, signed, (no signature on copy); witness in the mines of Hendee (image 160); Pero Hernández, minero in the mines of Hendee, one of the first conquerors of Nueva Vizcaya, native of the pueblo of García, tierra de Trujillo, has know Francisco Ibarra for over 14 years (1553), discoverer and populator with his house and family, more than 40 (<1527), in 1562 was in the mines of San Martín, went with Ibarra along with about 110 soldiers to San Juan, an alarde was taken, all were well-equipped, in fact if Ibarra had not provided the necessary equipment, Hernández would not have been able to go, they discovered the mines of San Julián and de Hendee and Hernández was one of the first discoverers of them, Hernández was ordered to stay and settle the mines of Endee, signed, (no signature); witness: Antonio Ruíz, Aragones, vecino of the mines, native of Cordova, 40 years; mines of Santa Barbara, witness: Miguel Hernández, vecino of the mines of Endehe, native of Burgos, only 20; 1572, Probanza de la entrada de la tierra adentro al norte; witness: Hernando de Tovar, son of don Pedro de Tovar, vecino and alcalde ordinario of San Sebastian, Chiametla, 27 years old more or less (1545); 1572, in Chiametla, witness: Juan Rodríguez Parra (son of Alonso Rodríguez Parra), vecino in San Sebastian, Chiametla, 38 years old, was in Culiacán when he heard about the Ibarra mission];
1570-1580:
Enciso Contreras, Cédulario de Zacatecas [p. 312: No. 191; reference: AGI, Guadalajara, 230, L.1, fol. 238v, Elena García. Que le traigan a Sevilla los bienes de un hijo suyo. Madrid, December 3, 1571; "Ambrosio Pérez, su hijo ya difunto [vecino de Monbeltrán], falleció podría haber cuatro años en las villa de Nombre de Dios de esa dicha provincia de Nueva Galicia, y que al tiempo de su muerte dejando por su testamentarios a Alonso González y Juan Gómez de Salazar...."];
Hillerkuss, Diccionario Biográfico [1567, testamentario for Ambrosio Pérez, Nombre de Dios; 1576, vecino mines of San Martín or Villa de Llerena, Sombrerete, p.2:270]