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Taos, New Mexico
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Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. In New Mexico, a municipality may call itself a village, town, or city (see New Mexico local government). Taos calls itself the "Town of Taos" and was incorporated as such in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700.
Being located close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name, it is also the county seat of Taos County. The name also refers to the nearby ski resort of Taos Ski Valley.
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Encyclopedia
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico. In New Mexico, a municipality may call itself a village, town, or city (see New Mexico local government). Taos calls itself the "Town of Taos" and was incorporated as such in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700.
Being located close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name, it is also the county seat of Taos County. The name also refers to the nearby ski resort of Taos Ski Valley. The English name Taos derives from the Native Taos language meaning "place of red willows".
History
Taos was established in about 1615 as Fernandez de Taos, following the Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages. Initially, relations of the Spanish settlers with Taos Pueblo were amicable, but resentment of meddling by missionaries, and demands by encomenderos for tribute, led to a revolt in 1640: Taos Indians killed their priest and a number of Spanish settlers, and fled the pueblo, not to return until 1661.
In 1680 Taos Pueblo joined the widespread Pueblo Revolt. After the Spanish Reconquest of 1692, Taos Pueblo continued armed resistance to the Spanish until 1696.
During the 1770s Taos was repeatedly raided by Comanches who lived on the plains of what is now eastern Colorado. Juan Bautista de Anza, governor of the Province of New Mexico, led a successful punitive expedition in 1779 against the Comanches.
After the U.S. takeover of New Mexico in 1847, Hispanics and Amerindians in Taos staged a rebellion, known as the Taos Revolt, in which the newly appointed U.S. Governor, Charles Bent, was killed.
Beginning in 1899, artists began to settle in Taos and created the "Taos Society of Artists". In time the Taos art colony developed. Many paintings were made of local scenes, especially of Taos Pueblo and activities there. Many of the artists used Native Americans from the pueblo as models in often fanciful paintings. Some of the artists' studios have been preserved and may be viewed by visitors to Taos. These include the Blumenschein House. Influential Taos artists include Nicolai Fechin, R. C. Gorman, Agnes Martin and Bill Rane.
Other tourist attractions are the homes of Kit Carson, Governor Charles Bent, and Mabel Dodge Luhan, along with the Rio Grande Gorge and Taos Ski Valley. Twenty miles northwest is the D. H. Lawrence Ranch, (originally known as the Kiowa Ranch and now owned by the University of New Mexico), the home of the English novelist, D. H. Lawrence in the 1920s. It is believed that his ashes are buried there at the D. H. Lawrence Memorial. Another novelist who lived for a while in Taos was Alexander Trocchi. Just outside of Taos in Ranchitos is the Martinez Hacienda, the home turned museum of the late Padre Antonio José Martínez.
Taos Plaza is, for historical reasons, one of the few places in the country where the flag may properly be displayed continuously (both day and night).
Taos is now one of the major tourist attractions in the Southwest. With its skiing and dining, and the San Francisco de Asis Church, located just to the south of the town in Ranchos de Taos, it is a major destination.
The town is attracting the attention of Hollywood with famous residents such as Julia Roberts, Val Kilmer, and Donald Rumsfeld among others.
On September 18, 1991, the PBS TV series Reading Rainbow shot its seventy-third episode "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" here. The title was based on a book by Tomie de Paola and was narrated by Harold Littlebird (born 1951). Santa Fe's Dominic C. Arquero introduced himself at this program's beginning.
Geography
Taos is located at (36.393979, -105.576705).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (13.9 km²), all of it land.
Just to the west of Taos is the Rio Grande Gorge, cutting through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field and crossed by the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, now a part of US Route 64.
The elevation in Taos is 6,950 feet (2,118 m).
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,700 people, 2,067 households, and 1,157 families residing in the town. The population density was 874.5 people per square mile (337.9/km²). There were 2,466 housing units at an average density of 458.8/sq mi (177.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 68.04% White, 0.53% African American, 4.11% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 21.66% from other races, and 4.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 54.34% of the population.
There were 2,067 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,016, and the median income for a family was $33,564. Males had a median income of $27,683 versus $23,326 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,983. About 17.9% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 24.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town's public schools are operated by Taos Municipal Schools which includes Taos Elementary School, Ranchos Elementary School, Arroyos del Norte Elementary School, Taos Middle School, and Taos High School. Taos High School (also known as THS) is the largest High School in Taos County.
Dallas-based Southern Methodist University operates a 295 acre (1.19 km2) campus at Fort Burgwin in Taos.
Albuquerque-based University of New Mexico operates a community campus in downtown Taos, as well as south of town.
General Information
Government
- Town of Taos: Manager with mayor, council, four-year terms. The current mayor (2009) is Darren Cordova.
- Taos County: Manager with five commissioners (four-year terms)
- Taos Pueblo: Sovereign government, Governor, War Chief, serving one-year terms
- Picuris Pueblo: Sovereign government, Governor serves two-year term.
- Federal Officials: U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D), 505-988-6647. Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R), 505-988-6511. U.S. Rep. Tom Udall (D) 505-984-8950.
- State Officials: Sen. Carlos Cisneros (D), 751-9687 Rep. Roberto Gonzales (D), 758-2674.
- County Voter Breakdown: Total Registered Voters - 18,151.
Democrats - 12,373. Republicans - 3,161. Minority Party- 560.
Independent - 2,161. Green Party - 696.
Labor Workforce
Civilian labor force - 12,638. Employed - 11,311. Unemployed - 1,327
Rate - 10.5%
Taos County Property Tax
1/3 of full value times tax rate, which varies in different parts of county.
Assessed valuations in Taos County, 1999 property tax year: $515,886,027
The Taos Hum
An ongoing low frequency noise, audible only to some, is thought to emanate from this town and is consequently sometimes known as the Taos Hum.
Tourism Industry
Lodging, Taos Area, 1999.
Rooms available: 305,210.
Rooms Occupied: 161,466.
Occupancy: 53%.
Average room rate: $69.99.
Taos Visitor Center, 2001
Walk-ins: 137,934.
Watts lines: 16,762.
Top states calling: Texas, California, Colorado, New York, New Mexico
Top states visiting: Texas, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida.
Museum Visitation, 1999
Harwood Museum: 11,519.
Kit Carson Museum: 31,425.
Martinez Hacienda: 18,244.
Blumenschein Home: 9,332.
Millicent Rogers Museum: 25,328 (2000).
Skier days 2000/2001 Season
Angel Fire: 142,816.
Enchanted Forest: 4,500.
Red River: 99,268.
Sipapu: 14,000.
Taos Ski Valley: 249,000.
New Mexico: 1,092,399
Sister Cities
Taos has one sister city, as designated by :
Notable residents
- Lynn Anderson, country/pop singer
- Ernest L. Blumenschein, founder member, Taos Society of Artists
- Julia Cameron, author of "the Artist's Way"
- Kit Carson, frontiersman
- Ronald Davis, artist
- Nicolai Fechin, artist
- R. C. Gorman, artist
- Dennis Hopper, actor, director, artist
- Mabel Dodge Luhan, patron of the arts
- Agnes Martin, artist
- John Nichols, writer
- Julia Roberts, actress
- Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense of the United States (part-time resident)
- Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, journalist and writer
External links
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