Taos is a town in
Taos County-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*68.7% White*0.4% Black*6.2% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*20.1% Other races*55.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
in the north-central region of
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include
Ranchos de TaosRanchos de Taos is a census-designated place in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,390 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ranchos de Taos is located at ....
, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to
Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
, the
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
village and tribe from which it takes its name.
Taos is also the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Taos County-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*68.7% White*0.4% Black*6.2% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*20.1% Other races*55.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The name is also referred to by the nearby ski resort of
Taos Ski ValleyTaos Ski Valley is a village and alpine ski resort in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. Located 2200 feet above the town of Taos, the alpine environment of Taos Ski Valley offers a cool escape from the desert heat in the summer and perfect conditions for powder skiing in the winter. The...
. The English name
Taos derives from the native
Taos languageThe Taos dialect of the Northern Tiwa language is spoken in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico.Lynn Nichols of University of California, Berkeley is involved in the development of an electronic corpus of Taos texts.-Demographics and ethnography:...
meaning "place of red willows".
Taos Pueblo
The
Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
, that borders the town of Taos on its north side, has been occupied for nearly a
millenniumA millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
. It is estimated that the pueblo was built between 1000 and 1450 A.D., with some later expansion, and is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Located in a tributary valley off the
Rio GrandeThe Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
, it is the most northern of the
New MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
pueblosPueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
. The Pueblo, at some places five stories high, is a combination of many individual homes with common walls. There are over 1,900 people in the Taos pueblo community. Some of them have modern homes near their fields and stay at their homes on the pueblo during cooler weather. There are about 150 people who live at the pueblo year-around. The Taos Pueblo was added as an
UNESCO World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1992 as one of the most significant historical cultural landmarks in the world; Other sites include the
Taj MahalThe Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
, Great Pyramids and the
Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
in the United States.
Spanish colonization
Taos was established c. 1615 as
Fernandez de Taos, following the
Spanish conquestColonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
of the Indian
PuebloPueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
villages. Initially, relations of the Spanish settlers with
Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
were amicable, but resentment of meddling by missionaries, and demands by
encomenderosThe encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
for tribute, led to a revolt in 1640; Taos Indians killed their priest and a number of Spanish settlers, and fled the pueblo, not returning until 1661.
In 1680, Taos Pueblo joined the widespread
Pueblo RevoltThe Pueblo Revolt of 1680, or Popé's Rebellion, was an uprising of several pueblos of the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization of the Americas in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.-Background:...
. After the Spanish Reconquest of 1692, Taos Pueblo continued armed resistance to the Spanish until 1696, when Governor
Diego de VargasDiego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras , commonly known as Don Diego de Vargas, was a Spanish Governor of the New Spain territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, today the U.S. states of New Mexico and Arizona, titular 1690 – 1692, effective 1692 – 1696 and 1703 – 1704...
defeated the Indians at Taos Canyon.
During the 1770s, Taos was repeatedly raided by
ComancheThe Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
s who lived on the
plainsThe Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of what is now eastern
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Juan Bautista de AnzaJuan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was a Novo-Spanish explorer and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire.-Early life:...
, governor of the Province of New Mexico, led a successful
punitive expeditionA punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
in 1779 against the Comanches.
U.S. territory and statehood
Mexico ceded the region to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican-American War. After the U.S. takeover of New Mexico in 1847, Hispanics and American Indians in Taos staged a rebellion, known as the
Taos RevoltThe Taos Revolt was a popular insurrection in January 1847 by Mexicans and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. In two short campaigns, United States troops and militia crushed the rebellion of the Mexicans and...
, in which the newly appointed U.S. Governor,
Charles BentCharles Bent was appointed as the first Governor of the newly acquired New Mexico Territory by Governor Stephen Watts Kearny in September 1846....
, was killed. New Mexico was a territory of the United States beginning 1850 and became a state in 1912.
For historical reasons,
Taos PlazaTaos Plaza is a center of shops and monuments in Taos, New Mexico.-History:Located in Taos, New Mexico. Spanish settlers began their colonization of the Taos Valley in 1616, but the Plaza dates to the late 18th century when the Don Fernando de Taos Land Grant was ceded to the settlers from the Taos...
is one of the few places in the country where the American flag may properly be displayed continuously (both day and night). This derives from the time of the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when Confederate sympathizers in the area attempted to remove the flag. The Union officer
Kit CarsonChristopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
sought to discourage this activity by having guards surround the area and fly the flag 24 hours a day.
"The Padre of Isleta",
Anton DocherAnton Docher was a French Roman Catholic priest, missionary and defender of the Indians. He was born in 1852 in Le Crest, a small wine growing village of Puy de Dôme in Auvergne. He lived in the pueblo of Isleta in the state of New Mexico for 34 years...
first served as a priest in Taos before leaving for Isleta in 1891.
Taos art colony
Beginning in 1899, artists began to settle in Taos; six formed the
Taos Society of ArtistsThe Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
in 1915. In time, the
Taos art colonyThe Taos art colony is an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico by artists attracted by the rich culture of the Taos Pueblo and beautiful landscape. Hispanic craftsmanship of furniture, tin work and more played a role in creating a multicultural tradition of art work in the area.In 1898 a visit...
developed. Many paintings were made of local scenes, especially of
Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
and activities there, as the artists often modelled Native Americans from the pueblo in their paintings. Some of the artists' studios have been preserved and may be viewed by visitors to Taos. These include the
Ernest L. Blumenschein HouseErnest L. Blumenschein House was a home of painter Ernest L. Blumenschein, a co-founder of the Taos Society of Artists and one of the "Taos Six".It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.-E. L. Blumenschein Home and Museum:The historic E.L...
, the Couse/Sharp Historic Site, and the
Nicolai FechinNicolai Ivanovich Fechin was a Russian-American painter known for his portraits and works featuring Native Americans. After graduating with the highest marks from the Imperial Academy of Arts and traveling in Europe under a Prix de Rome, he returned to his native Kazan, where he taught and painted...
house, all of which are listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Influential later 20th-century Taos artists include
R. C. GormanRudolph Carl Gorman was a Native American artist of the Navajo Nation. Referred to as "the Picasso of American Indian art" by the New York Times, his paintings are primarily of Native American women and characterized by fluid forms and vibrant colors, though he also worked in sculpture, ceramics,...
and
Agnes MartinAgnes Bernice Martin was an American abstract painter, often referred to as a minimalist; Martin considered herself an abstract expressionist.She won a National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998....
.
National Register of Historic Places
Taos is home to more than twenty sites on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Pueblos
- Three miles north of Taos is the Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
; south is the Picuris Pueblo.
Taos art colony
- Many of the historic sites are homes and studios of artists, including the Mabel Dodge Luhan House
Mabel Dodge Luhan House, also known as Big House and St. Teresa House is a house in Taos, New Mexico. It was a home of artist Mabel Dodge Luhan and was a haven for artists and writers....
, Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp StudiosThe Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios, also known as the Couse/Sharp Historic Site, is a property on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It includes the home and art studio of E. Irving Couse and two studio buildings owned by Joseph Henry Sharp , both...
, the Nicolai Fechin HouseThe Nicolai Fechin House is the historic home of the Russian artist Nicolai Fechin, his wife Alexandra and daughter Eya. After purchasing the house, he spent several years enlarging and modifying the two-story adobe structure, for instance, enlarging the porch and adding and widening windows to...
, the Leon Gaspard House, and the Ernest Martin Hennings House. On Ledoux street, just south of the Taos Plaza, is the Ernest L. Blumenschein HouseErnest L. Blumenschein House was a home of painter Ernest L. Blumenschein, a co-founder of the Taos Society of Artists and one of the "Taos Six".It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.-E. L. Blumenschein Home and Museum:The historic E.L...
and Harwood HouseHarwood Museum of Art is located in Taos, New Mexico. Founded in 1923 it is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Taos Society of Artists, Taos Moderns, and contemporary artists. In 1935 the museum was...
.
Other historic sites
- The center of the Taos Downtown Historic District is the Taos Plaza. Just west of that is the La Morada de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. North of the Taos Plaza is the Governor Charles Bent House
The Governor Bent House is the historic home of Governor Charles Bent who served as the first United States territorial governor of New Mexico.-Charles Bent:...
and the Taos InnTaos Inn is an historic inn located in Taos, New Mexico. It is made up of several adobe houses dating from the 19th century, one of which was a home of Thomas "Doc" Martin which hosted the formative meeting of the Taos Society of Artists in 1915. After Doc's death, his widow Helen Martin converted...
. Further north in Taos the The Bernard Beimer House. On the southwestern edge of the Taos Historic district is La Loma Plaza Historic District. East of the plaza on Kit Carson Road is the Kit Carson HouseKit Carson House was a home of frontiersman Kit Carson in Taos, New Mexico.It is operated now as a house museum.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1963.-External links:** at Historic American Building Survey...
.
- North of Taos is the Turley Mill and Distillery Site and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the "Gorge Bridge," is a cantilever truss bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge northwest of Taos, New Mexico, United States...
. Just outside of Taos in Ranchitos is the Martinez HaciendaMartinez Hacienda, also known as Hacienda de los Martinez, is a Taos, New Mexico hacienda built during the Spanish colonial era. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, the home turned museum of the late Padre Antonio José MartínezFather Antonio José Martínez was a New Mexican priest, educator, publisher, rancher, farmer, community leader, and politician. He lived through and influenced three distinct periods of New Mexico's history: the Spanish period, the Mexican period, and the American occupation and subsequent...
. South of Taos is the Ranchos de Taos PlazaRanchos de Taos Plaza is a historic district in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, about four miles south of the town of Taos, New Mexico.It includes San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church, a U.S. National Historic Landmark.-External links:*...
with the San Francisco de Asis Mission ChurchSan Francisco de Asis Mission Church is a church built between 1772 and 1816. It is located on the plaza in Ranchos de Taos, itself a historic district named Ranchos de Taos Plaza, about four miles southwest of the town of Taos, New Mexico....
.
Other Historic Places
Twenty miles northwest is the
D. H. Lawrence RanchThe D. H. Lawrence Ranch, as it is now known, was the New Mexico home of the English novelist, D. H. Lawrence for about two years during the 1920s...
(originally known as the Kiowa Ranch and now owned by the
University of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
), the home of the English novelist 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 TrocchiAlexander Whitelaw Robertson Trocchi was a Scottish novelist.-Early career:Trocchi was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and Italian father. After working as a seaman on the Murmansk convoys, he attended University of Glasgow. On graduation he obtained a traveling grant that enabled him to...
.
Tourism
Art
- There are many ways to explore art in Taos. There are three Art Museums in Taos: Harwood Museum of Art
Harwood Museum of Art is located in Taos, New Mexico. Founded in 1923 it is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Taos Society of Artists, Taos Moderns, and contemporary artists. In 1935 the museum was...
, Taos Art MuseumThe Taos Art Museum is located in the former the house of Russian artist Nicolai Fechin, his wife Alexandra and daughter Eya. The museum's primary aims are to improve awareness of the works and patronage of Taos artists and to nurture local artistic development...
and Millicent Rogers MuseumIn 1956, the Millicent Rogers family founded the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico. Initially the artworks were from the multi-cultural collections of Millicent Rogers and her mother, Mary B. Rogers, who donated many of the first pieces of Taos Pueblo art...
that provide art from the pueblo Native Americans, Taos Society of ArtistsThe Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
and modern and contemporary artists of the Taos art colonyThe Taos art colony is an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico by artists attracted by the rich culture of the Taos Pueblo and beautiful landscape. Hispanic craftsmanship of furniture, tin work and more played a role in creating a multicultural tradition of art work in the area.In 1898 a visit...
. The town has more than eighty art galleries and there are several houses of the Taos Society of ArtistsThe Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
.
Performing Arts
- There are several local venues for the performing arts in Taos. The Taos Center for the Arts (TCA) draws nationally renowned and local performers at the Taos Community Auditorium. They also presents independent film series. Three chamber music groups perform at TCA: Taos School of Music, Taos Chamber Music Group, and Music from Angel Fire. The Harwood Museum of Art
Harwood Museum of Art is located in Taos, New Mexico. Founded in 1923 it is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Taos Society of Artists, Taos Moderns, and contemporary artists. In 1935 the museum was...
is site of other performances and lectures. The Town of Taos Convention Center offers a venue for other local performances.
Recreation
Summer activities
- The Taos valley, Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
and Taos mountains provide many opportunities for recreation, such as fly fishing, horse back riding, golfing, hot air ballooning, llama trekkingLlama hiking, also known as llama trekking or llama caravanning, is an activity where llamas accompany people on walking expeditions, including eco-tourism. The expeditions can last from as little as a few hours to several days...
, rafting, mountain biking and more. Nearby, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad provides a ride through the Toltec Gorge and Rocky MountainThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
passes in an authentic narrow-gauge steam railroads.
Winter activities
- In the winter many people come to Taos to ski. Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet, is the highest peak in New Mexico. The Taos area has four ski areas - Taos Ski Valley, Red River
Red River is a resort town in Taos County, New Mexico, United States located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 484 at the 2000 census.-History:...
ski area, Sipapu (ski area)Sipapu is a moderately sized ski resort in New Mexico. It is home to New Mexico’s longest ski season, from November to April. The peak elevation is . There are 41 trails and 4 lifts. Other facilities include 2 terrain parks, golf, fishing, lodge accommodations and restaurants....
and Angel Fire ski areaAngel Fire Resort is an alpine ski resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico, USA. The resort opened in 1966 and offers both winter and summer activities.- Activities :In the winter season there is terrain for* Skiing* Snowboarding* Snowmobiling* Inner tubing...
. Other winter activities include hot air ballooning, horseback riding, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and snowmobiling.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,700 people, 2,067 households, and 1,157 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 874.5 PD/sqmi. There were 2,466 housing units at an average density of 458.8 /sqmi. 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 racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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 couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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 incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
Geography and climate
Taos is located at 36°23′38"N 105°34′36"W (36.393979, -105.576705).
The town has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all land.
Taos is located near the
Rio Pueblo de TaosThe Rio Pueblo de Taos, also known as Rio Pueblo, is tributary of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. From its source in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains it flows about , generally south and west, to join the Rio Grande in the Rio Grande Gorge...
, a tributary of the
Rio GrandeThe Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
. Just to the west of Taos is the
Rio Grande GorgeThe Rio Grande Gorge runs from northwest to southeast of Taos, New Mexico, through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field. The gorge depth is 800 feet just south of the Gorge Bridge, which spans the gorge ten miles northwest of Taos....
, cutting through the
basaltBasalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
flows of the
Taos Plateau volcanic fieldThe Taos Plateau volcanic field is an area of extensive volcanism in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is the second largest volcanic field in the Rio Grande Rift, spreading over 7,000 km2. The age of most of the vents and associated lava flows in the field is estimated to be...
and crossed by the
Rio Grande Gorge BridgeThe Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the "Gorge Bridge," is a cantilever truss bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge northwest of Taos, New Mexico, United States...
, now a part of
U.S. Route 64U.S. Route 64 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 160 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The highway's eastern terminus is at NC 12 and U.S. Route...
.
The elevation of the town is 6967 feet (2,123.5 m). Just north of Taos is Wheeler Peak, at 13161 feet (4,011.5 m), the highest point in New Mexico. Taos has a semi-arid climate (
KöppenThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk) with extreme diurnal variations of temperature and low rainfall. Even when summer days get extremely hot, nights can be pleasantly cool.
Education
Elementary, Middle and High Schools
- The town's public schools are operated by Taos Municipal Schools
Taos Municipal Schools is a school district based in Taos, NM, USA. Taos Municipal Schools serves the areas of Taos, Cañon, West Taos, El Prado, Arroyo Hondo, and Talpa with a total area of .. The school district has a total of six schools...
include Arroyos del Norte Elementary School, Enos García Elementary (also Taos Elementary School), Ranchos Elementary School, Taos Middle School, Taos High SchoolTaos High School is the public high school in Taos, New Mexico, US. It is located outside of Taos Pueblo, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Approximately 25,000 people live in the area served by the Taos Municipal School District, which also includes Carson National Forest, Taos...
and Taos Cyber Magnet School.
- Charter schools include Anansi Charter School, Taos Academy (State Charter), Taos Municipal Charter School and Vista Grande High School. Also in the area are additional alternative and private schools: Chrysalis Alternative School, Sped Discipline, Yaxche Private School, Taos Christian Academy, and San Francisco De Asis School.
Universities
- Dallas-based Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
operates a 295 acres (1.2 km²) campus at Fort Burgwin in Taos.
- Albuquerque-based University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
(UNM) operates a community campus in Taos, with eight affiliated buildings in Taos, such as the UNM Harwood Museum of ArtHarwood Museum of Art is located in Taos, New Mexico. Founded in 1923 it is the second oldest art museum in New Mexico. Its collections include a wide range of Hispanic works and visual arts from the Taos Society of Artists, Taos Moderns, and contemporary artists. In 1935 the museum was...
and Taos High SchoolTaos High School is the public high school in Taos, New Mexico, US. It is located outside of Taos Pueblo, at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Approximately 25,000 people live in the area served by the Taos Municipal School District, which also includes Carson National Forest, Taos...
where some classes are held.
Government
The town of Taos is incorporated under the mayor-council form of government. The town was incorporated on May 7, 1934. The town seal is a logo of the town of Taos with the year of incorporation "1934" in the center, and on the outer edge, the words "Town of Taos, New Mexico".
The elective officers of the town include: the mayor, 4 members of the governing body forming the town council, and a municipal judge. The town council is the board of finance of the town. The town manager and finance director serve as the nonvoting members to the board of finance. Key positiongs within the town government are town manager, appointed by the major, Town Attorney, Town Clerk, Town Engineer and Chief of Police.
The current town officers serving from serving from March 2010-March 2014 are:
- Mayor: Darren Cordova (Democrat) serving from March 2010-March 2014.
- Town council members: Michael A. Silva, Rudy Abeyta, Amy Quintana and Gene Sanchez. Silva and Abeyta are serving from March 2010-March 2014; Quintan and Sanchez from March 2008-March 2012.
Taos is predominantly made up of Democrats; In 2008, approximately 74% of registered Taos County voters were Democrats, 13% Republicans and about 13% were alternate parties or decline to affiliate with a party.
Public Transportation
Chile Line, Taos public transportation
- The Chile Line, operated by the town of Taos, is Taos' only public transportation system. The transit system provides paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
service for citizens with special needs and ensures that all route buses are American Disability ActThe Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
(ADA) equipped.
Taos Express
- Taos Express, a service of the Town of Taos, provides transportation on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from the Taos Plaza to the New Mexico Rail Runner
The New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a commuter rail system serving the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Mid Region Council of Governments , a regional government planning association, while...
, Santa Fe Municipal AirportSanta Fe Municipal Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Santa Fe, a city in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA...
, and Santa Fe transitSanta Fe Trails is the local transit agency in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe Trails operates eight bus routes which serve most areas of the city...
.
Regional public transportation
- The North Central Regional Transit District (NCRTD) has public transportation service between regional areas. The Taos region has service to Cerro, Penasco
Penasco is a census-designated place in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is on the scenic High Road to Taos. The population is estimated at about 2,320+ .-Geography:Penasco is located at ....
, QuestaQuesta is a village in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,864 at the 2000 census. Located on the Enchanted Circle scenic highway, near the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Red River, Questa is the least tourist-oriented town on the route...
, Red RiverRed River is a resort town in Taos County, New Mexico, United States located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 484 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, the Rio Grande corridor and the University of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
- Taos Klaur campus. At the OhKay OwingehOhkay Owingeh is a pueblo and census designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. Its elevation is and it is located at . One of its boundaries is contiguous with Española, about north of Santa Fe....
Casino passengers can connect to other regional routes, such as EspanolaEspañola also known as Espanola , is a city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States. A portion of the central and eastern section of the city is in Santa Fe County. Española was founded in 1880 as a railroad village, incorporated as a city in 1925. The city is situated in...
, Santa FeSanta Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, Los AlamosLos Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...
, and Northern PueblosThe Eight Northern Pueblos of New Mexico are Taos, Picuris, Santa Clara, San Juan, San Ildefonso, Nambé, Pojoaque, and Tesuque.Taos and Picuris are Tiwa-speaking pueblos; the rest speak Tewa. Tiwa and Tewa are closely related languages of the Kiowa Tanoan language family...
area. In 2003 the Regional Transit District Act was enacted, which authorized the creation of Regional Transit Districts (RTD's) in the state of New Mexico; In September, 2004, the North Central Regional RTD was the first RTD to be certified by the New Mexico Transportation CommissionThe New Mexico Department of Transportation is a state government organization which oversees transportation in the U.S. state of New Mexico...
.
Airports
Taos Regional AirportTaos Regional Airport is a public use airport located eight nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Taos, in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is owned by the Town of Taos. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is...
(SKX) is under the direct supervision of the Town of Taos. The airport is located just a few miles north of the Town of Taos on
U.S. Route 64U.S. Route 64 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 160 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The highway's eastern terminus is at NC 12 and U.S. Route...
towards the
Rio Grande Gorge BridgeThe Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the "Gorge Bridge," is a cantilever truss bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge northwest of Taos, New Mexico, United States...
.
Other airports in New Mexico include the
Santa Fe Municipal AirportSanta Fe Municipal Airport is a public airport located nine miles southwest of the central business district of Santa Fe, a city in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA...
and
Albuquerque International SunportAlbuquerque International Sunport is a public airport located 3 miles southeast of the central business district of Albuquerque, a city in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. It is the largest commercial airport in the state, handling 5,888,811 passengers in 2009...
.
Print and online newspaper publications
El Crepusculo de la Libertad was the first Taos newspaper, which began in 1834 with the first printing press west of the Mississippi. Its successor
The Taos News, which also does business as
El Crepusculo, is the primary printed newspaper in Taos.
Newspapers
- The Taos News
The Taos News is a weekly newspaper published in Taos, New Mexico by a private company "Taos News". It also does business as "El Crepusculo, Inc.", the name of the first newspaper published by Padre Martinez. The company is classifed under Newspaper Publishing and Printing Manufacturers...
, a weekly online and print publication.
- Sangre de Cristo Chronicle serves Angel Fire, New Mexico
Angel Fire is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2000 census. It is a popular ski resort destination, with a base elevation of 8,600 feet and a summit of 10,677 feet with over of skiable terrain.To the north, off U.S...
, Red RiverRed River is a resort town in Taos County, New Mexico, United States located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 484 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Cimarron-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 917 people, 382 households, and 255 families residing in the village. The population density was 479.5 people per square mile . There were 449 housing units at an average density of 234.8 per square mile...
, Eagle NestEagle Nest is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 306 at the 2000 census. Situated on the Enchanted Circle Highway, Eagle Nest is a small summer-home and resort area...
, Taos, Las VegasLas Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
, QuestaQuesta is a village in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,864 at the 2000 census. Located on the Enchanted Circle scenic highway, near the confluence of the Rio Grande and the Red River, Questa is the least tourist-oriented town on the route...
& Sipapu.
- The Santa Fe New Mexican
-External links:* - available to the public...
- Albuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
North Edition.
Online Taos news forums
- Taos News is an online news site by Topix that pulls and reports news articles about Taos. Taos Horse Fly is an online news forum by Lydia's Clear Blue Sky, LLC. TaosVision is an online site of video news highlights about Taos
Television
There are two local cable television stations: Taos Local Television Public Access Channel 2 and Channel 22. See also
List of television stations in New Mexico.
Radio
Radio stations in Taos include:
| Radio Station |
Frequency |
FM/AM |
Format |
| KBOM |
94.7 |
FM |
Top-40. |
| KKIT KKIT is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. The station, located in Taos, New Mexico, is owned by DMC Broadcasting....
|
95.9 |
FM |
"The Mountain", pop, rock, classic rock. |
| KKTC KKTC is a radio station licensed to Angel Fire, New Mexico, USA. The station is currently owned by DMC Broadcasting....
|
99.9 |
FM |
"True Country". |
KLNNFor the airport serving Willoughby, Ohio assigned the ICAO code KLNN, see Willoughby Lost Nation Municipal Airport.KLNN , known as Luna, is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Questa, New Mexico, USA. The station is currently owned by ASKK Media...
|
103.7 |
FM |
Adult contemporary music Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
. |
| KQBA KQBA is an American radio station licensed to Los Alamos, New Mexico, and serving the Santa Fe area and northern New Mexico...
|
107.5 |
FM |
Hot AC. |
| KRDR |
90.1 |
FM |
Variety. |
KTAOKTAO is a radio station licensed to serve Taos, New Mexico. The station is owned by Taos Communications Corporation. It airs an adult album alternative music format...
|
101.9 |
FM |
Solar radio station with an adult album alternative Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
music format. |
| KVOT KVOT is a radio station broadcasting a progressive talk radio format. The station, located in Taos, New Mexico, is owned by DMC Broadcasting....
|
1340 |
AM |
Talk (progressive). |
| KXMT KXMT is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish music format. Licensed to Taos, New Mexico, USA, the station is currently owned by Dmc Broadcasting....
|
99.1 |
FM |
Radio Exitos is the local 24-hour Spanish radio station serving Taos, northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. |
| KYBR KYBR is an American radio station licensed to Espanola, New Mexico, covering northern New Mexico including Santa Fe and Taos. It broadcasts a Regional Mexican format as "Radio Oso" and is owned by Rio Chama Broadcasting....
|
92.9 |
FM |
Spanish. |
In the media
On September 18, 1991, the
PBSThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
TV series
Reading RainbowReading Rainbow is an American children's television series aired by PBS from June 6, 1983 until November 10, 2006 that encouraged reading among children. The award-winning public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including scores of Emmy Awards, many for "Outstanding Children's...
shot its seventy-third episode "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" here. The title was based on a book by
Tomie dePaolaThomas Anthony "Tomie A." dePaola , is an American author and illustrator of over 200 children's books, including Caldecott Honor book Strega Nona and Newbery Honor book 26 Fairmount Avenue. DePaola was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 2011.-Biography:DePaola was born in Meriden,...
and was narrated by Harold Littlebird (born 1951).
Santa FeSanta Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
's Dominic C. Arquero introduced himself at this program's beginning.
The Taos Gorge Bridge is featured in the 2009 film,
Terminator SalvationTerminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
, the 1994 film
Natural Born KillersNatural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
, and in
Wild HogsWild Hogs is a 2007 comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007, though preview film screenings were held in select areas on February 24, 2007.-Plot:Doug...
.
Taos Hum
An ongoing low frequency noise, audible only to some, is thought to originate somewhere near this town and is consequently sometimes known as the
Taos HumThe Hum is a generic name for a series of phenomena involving a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming noise not audible to all people. Hums have been reported in various geographical locations. In some cases a source has been located. A Hum on the Big Island of Hawaii, typically related...
. Those who have heard the Hum usually hear it west of Taos near Tres Orejas. The Taos Hum was featured on the TV show
Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
, and it was also briefly mentioned in an episode of
The X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
.
Events
Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival
The
Taos Talking Pictures Film FestivalThe Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival ran from 1994 to 2003 with a peak budget of $750,000 in 2002 and attracted Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, James Coburn and Julia Roberts....
was a film festival held in the town from the mid 1990s to 2003. The festival's top prize was 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land.
Sister cities
Taos has one sister city, as designated by
Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
:
XaliscoXalisco is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The city had a population of 21,899 in the 2005 census while the municipality has an area of 290.6 km² and a population of 42,893...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Notable residents
- Lynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
, country/pop singer
- Ross Anderson
Ross Anderson is a FIS World Cup/Professional alpine Skier as well as Native American speed skier. He broke the former American Indian Record in 1997 with a speed of 137.86 mph flying by the former American Indian Record Holder held by Stew Young from the Tulalip tribe with a speed of...
, skier
- Charles Bent
Charles Bent was appointed as the first Governor of the newly acquired New Mexico Territory by Governor Stephen Watts Kearny in September 1846....
, first Territorial Governor of New Mexico
- Oscar E. Berninghaus
-Further reading:*Sanders, Gordon E. Oscar E. Berninghaus, Taos, New Mexico: Master Painter of American Indians and the Frontier West. Taos Heritage Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-9615-1771-9-External links:* * Paintings* *...
, artist
- Emil Bisttram
James Emil Bisttram was an American artist, who lived in New York and Taos, New Mexico, and was known for his modernist work.Bisttram was born in Hungary, near the Romanian border, in 1895. When he was 11 years old, his family immigrated to New York City. Emil grew up in the tenement buildings...
, artist
- Ernest L. Blumenschein
Ernest Leonard Blumenschein was an American artist andfounding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico and the American Southwest.-Early life and education:...
, founding member, Taos Society of ArtistsThe Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
- Dorothy Brett
Dorothy Brett British-American painter, remembered as much for her social life as for her art. Born into an aristocratic British family she associated with such notables and Virginia Woolf, John Huxley, Gilbert Cannan, and George Bernard Shaw. Her sister Sylvia became Ranee of Sarawak.In 1924...
, artist and personality
- Julia Cameron
Julia B. Cameron is an American teacher, author, artist, poet, playwright, novelist, filmmaker, composer, and journalist. She is perhaps most famous for her book The Artist's Way...
, author of The Artist's WayThe Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path To Higher Creativity is a self-help book by American author Julia Cameron, together with Mark Bryan. The book was written to help people with artistic creative recovery, which teaches techniques and exercises to assist people in gaining self confidence in...
- Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
, frontiersman
- E. Irving Couse
Eanger Irving Couse was an American artist and a founding member and first president of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico, and the American Southwest...
, artist
- Judson Crews
Judson Crews was an American poet, bookseller and small press publisher.Crews was born and raised in Waco, Texas. He first opened his Motive Bookshop and issued his first Motive Press publications in Waco. In 1947 he moved both concerns to Taos, New Mexico and married Taos photographer Mildred...
, poet and publisher
- Andrew Dasburg
Andrew Michael Dasburg was an American modernist painter and "one of America's leading early exponents of cubism".-Biography:...
, artist
- Ronald Davis
Ronald Davis , born 1937, is an American painter whose work is associated with Geometric abstraction, Abstract Illusionism, Lyrical Abstraction, Hard-edge painting, Shaped canvas painting, Color field painting, and 3D Computer Graphics...
, artist
- W. Herbert Dunton
William Herbert "Buck" Dunton was an American artist and a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico, and the American Southwest.-Early life and education:...
, artist
- Nicolai Fechin
Nicolai Ivanovich Fechin was a Russian-American painter known for his portraits and works featuring Native Americans. After graduating with the highest marks from the Imperial Academy of Arts and traveling in Europe under a Prix de Rome, he returned to his native Kazan, where he taught and painted...
, artist
- R. C. Gorman
Rudolph Carl Gorman was a Native American artist of the Navajo Nation. Referred to as "the Picasso of American Indian art" by the New York Times, his paintings are primarily of Native American women and characterized by fluid forms and vibrant colors, though he also worked in sculpture, ceramics,...
, artist
- William Victor Higgins
William Victor Higgins was an American painter and teacher, born at Shelbyville, Indiana. He studied at the Art Institute in Chicago and at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. In Paris he was a pupil of Robert Henri, René Menard and Lucien Simon, and when he was in Munich he studied with Hans von...
, artist
- Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, actor, director, artist
- Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
, author
- Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson may refer to:*Gary Johnson , former Governor of New Mexico and candidate for President in 2012*Gary Johnson , American politician, Wisconsin State Assembly...
, former two-term governor of New Mexico
- Brandie Knight
Brandie Knight is an American writer, who has spent over twenty years in the entertainment industry, and co-producer of the award-winning documentary "a/k/a Tommy Chong"...
, author, film producer
- D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
, author
- Mabel Dodge Luhan
Mabel Evans Dodge Sterne Luhan , née Ganson was a wealthy American patron of the arts. She is particularly associated with the Taos art colony.-Early life:...
, patron of the arts
- Agnes Martin
Agnes Bernice Martin was an American abstract painter, often referred to as a minimalist; Martin considered herself an abstract expressionist.She won a National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998....
, artist
- Thomas "Doc" Martin
Thomas Paul "Doc" Martin, M.D. was an American physician. He was one of the first American residents of Taos County, New Mexico and the first practicing physician in Taos.-Early life and education:...
, physician
- Antonio José Martínez
Father Antonio José Martínez was a New Mexican priest, educator, publisher, rancher, farmer, community leader, and politician. He lived through and influenced three distinct periods of New Mexico's history: the Spanish period, the Mexican period, and the American occupation and subsequent...
, priest
- John Nichols
John Treadwell Nichols is an American novelist.-Biography:Nichols is the author of the "New Mexico trilogy", a series about the complex relationship between history, race and ethnicity, and land and water rights in the fictional Chamisaville County, New Mexico...
, writer
- Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt
Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt was a Swedish-American artist who painted seascapes and depictions of New Mexico's indigenous culture.-Background:...
, artist
- Bert Geer Phillips, artist
- Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
, actress
- Julius Rolshoven
Julius Rolshoven was a well-traveled American painter, with work firmly in the academic tradition.Rolshoven was born and raised in Detroit...
, artist
- Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
, former Secretary of Defense of the United States (part-time resident)
- Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant
Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant was an American journalist and writer....
, journalist and writer
- Joseph Henry Sharp
Joseph Henry Sharp was an American painter and a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists, of which he is considered the "Spiritual Father". Sharp was one of the earliest European-American artists to visit Taos, New Mexico, which he saw in 1893 with John Hauser when he visited in 1893...
, artist
- Larry Torres
Larry Torres is an Associate Professor of Foreign Languages at the University of New Mexico in Taos, New Mexico and has taught Russian, French, Spanish, English, Bilingual Education, and Ancient Languages for 32 years. As of 2003 he was the head of the university's Fine Arts and Culture Department...
, foreign language professor
- Walter Ufer
Walter Ufer was an American artist based in Taos, New Mexico. His most notable work focuses on scenes of Native American life, particularly of the Pueblo Indians....
, artist
- Danelle Umstead
Danelle D’Aquanni Umstead is an American alpine skier and Paralympian.She is part of the US Paralympics team. She competed at the women's slalom, giant slalom, downhill, Super-G and combined at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, with her husband Rob Umstead as her sighted guide...
, Paralympic skier
External links