Espanola, New Mexico Espanola Official seal of Espanola Motto: The heart of northern New Mexico where cultures unite.
Location of Espanola, New Mexico Location of Espanola, New Mexico Espanola is positioned in the US Espanola - Espanola State New Mexico Espanola / sp n jo l / is a town/city primarily in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in the United States.
Espanola was established in 1880 as a barns village and incorporated as a town/city in 1925.
The town/city is situated in an region Juan de Onate declared a capital for Spain in 1598.
Espanola has been called the first capital town/city in America. At the 2010 census, the town/city had a total populace of 10,495. Espanola is inside the Albuquerque Santa Fe Las Vegas combined statistical area.
6 Plaza De Espanola Espanola was referred to as La Vega de los Vigiles (Vigil's Meadow) before the existence of barns s. It is believed that the town that began as Espanola was titled by barns workers.
The name became official by 1900 and Espanola became a small barns town.
The Espanola region (known as the "San Juan Valley" to the early Spaniards) is also known as the first European-founded capital of the "New World." He declared the region a capital for Spain, the region of Don Diego de Vargas' new villa at Santa Cruz. Onate appeared in the Espanola region on July 11, 1598, at the confluence of the Chama River and the Rio Grande, where he established a camp at a place then called Yunque-Yunque.
Downtown Espanola, 1885 The Espanola train depot, 1920 Businessman and self made millionaire Frank Bond was a pivotal part of Espanola's expansion Prior to the arrival of the narrow gauge Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (Chili Line) in 1880, the hamlet on the west-side of the Rio Grande was known as La Vega de los Vigiles in reference to the Vigil family who initially settled that area.
With the coming of the barns the name of the hamlet was changed to Espanola.
The Chili Line ran dominantly through the Rocky Mountain region announced a route extension of its narrow gauge into northern New Mexico.
The route would extend into what today is the downtown Espanola area, and the barns began selling lots in the area.
Espanola was the command posts for all the Bond family interests which encompassed over 12 businesses athwart New Mexico. The Espanola station however, encompassed an engine facility station along with a roundhouse and turntable so it could service the locomotives.
The facilities were assembled but torn down or no longer in use after six years; plans for the town had changed. The barns would later reach Santa Fe to connect with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in late 1887.
In 1925 Espanola was incorporated as a city. As the populace rose, there was a high demand for enhance education in the city.
Espanola High School was established; it would be the biggest school in the region for decades.
The first high school in the area, however, was Santa Cruz High School.
Two miles away from downtown Espanola, it opened in 1906 in the historic Santa Cruz area.
Both high schools are no longer in existence after a consolidation of school districts in 1975. Espanola's populace would fall dramatically and many homes in the downtown became abandoned.
Many citizens saw Espanola as another floundered barns town. The town/city removed the barns tracks and the train depot in the 1960s, and the barns s completely vanished.
Businesses in Espanola vigorously opposed the abandonment of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad's narrow gauge amid the early 1940s.
Although Espanola was an integral part of the saga of barns assembly in the West, it was destined to turn into one of the region's first notable communities bereft of its trains.
Espanola followed many other New Mexico metros/cities in this trend, but in Espanola, it failed.
More undivided company began to move into town, but the expansion of Espanola had now period east athwart the Rio Grande.
Although a several buildings of historical significance remain in downtown Espanola, many are unused or abandoned.
Strip malls became visible in Espanola, the first being the 'Big Rock shopping center', established by petroleum tycoon Roy Honstein.
With the beginnings of Manhattan Project in close-by Los Alamos, many locals would find jobs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which would later employ nearly 9% of Espanola's population.
Although a plaza never existed in Espanola before the barns s, it was assembled to pay tribute to the Spanish culture in the area. Espanola Plaza, Replica convento In 1998, Espanola jubilated the 400th anniversary of the colonization by the Spanish and the beginning of the first permanent European colony in North America.
Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, visited Espanola for a rally at the city's New Plaza in the Main Street district. Espanola is positioned at 36 0 7 N 106 3 53 W (36.001884, -106.064587). According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 21.9 square kilometers (8.5 sq mi), with 21.7 square kilometers (8.4 sq mi) territory and 0.2 square kilometers (0.077 sq mi) water, for a total of 0.83%.
Espanola lies at an altitude of around 5,595 feet (1,705 m) with much variance.
It is in a valley nestled between the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountain peaks, and the meeting point of three rivers, the Rio Grande, the Rio Chama, and the Rio Santa Cruz.
July is the warmest month in Espanola, with an average high of 91 F (33 C).
Climate data for Espanola, New Mexico According to an annual report by the American Lung Association, the Santa Fe-Espanola CSA (metropolitan area) has the cleanest ozone layer in the nation (ranked #1), cleanest region in the nation for 24-hour particle pollution (ranked #1) and cleanest region in the nation for annual particle pollution (ranked #2). In the city, the populace was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older.
Largest Employers in Espanola 2 Espanola Public Schools 3 Espanola Presbyterian Hospital 9 Espanola City Government The Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos is the biggest employer in Espanola, it accounts for over 12% employment of residents.
The education zone is the second biggest employer, the Espanola Public Schools is the 16th biggest school precinct in New Mexico.
Recently, Northern New Mexico College has period its degree programs and made massive improvements to its campus, adding a new library and a new School of Education.
Espanola has seen much commercial evolution on Riverside Drive, the city's secondary chief road.
Espanola (especially the neighboring improve of Sombrillo) is also home to the biggest improve of ethnically diverse Sikhs in the world.
While most Sikhs descend from the Punjab region of India, the Sikhs in Espanola come from all over the world. The fountain at Plaza de Espanola was designed as a replica of the Alhambra.
Espanola's restaurants and convenience stores are prominent with travelers between Santa Fe and northern communities, as well as with small-town people.
The small-town fiestas are held in the summer and to memorialize the cultural range of the city.The fiestas include live New Mexico and/or nation music, vendors and parades.
There are many locations near Espanola that furnish for outside activeness such as hiking, biking, and river sports like rafting and kayaking.
Plaza de Espanola Park Valdez Park (dedicated in memory of Espanola native Phil Valdez) The town/city of Espanola is run by a mayor council government fitness under Strong-mayor form.
The mayor and eight-member town/city councilors from their respected districts are propel to a four-year term, elections are constant every two years, with no term limits.
Mayors of Espanola The City of Espanola is a part of the Espanola Public Schools district, with 6 of its 14 schools being positioned inside the city.
Espanola Valley High School Rodriguez "Espanola" Elementary Espanola Public Library is positioned inside the Richard Lucero Center at 313 North Paseo De Onate.
Debbie Rodella, New Mexico state legislator, was born in Espanola. "City of Espanola Home Page".
City of Espanola.
La Vega de Los Vigiles was a small farming community, today Espanola Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
Rio Grande Sun, Historical Issue on City of Espanola, 1961 62 "Full text of "New Mexico historical review"".
"Espanola, New Mexico".
Rio Grande Sun, Historical Issue on City of Espanola, 1975 Espanola Public School District.
Denver Rio Grande Rail Road Closes, Santa Fe New Mexican, 1998 When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment, Western United States.
Espanola officials plan to revitalize downtown, Santa Fe New Mexican, 1997[full citation needed] Santa Fe New Mexican.
"Monthly Averages for Espanola, NM".
"Santa Fe-Espanola, NM: State of the Air 2011 - American Lung Association".
"Albuquerque (city), New Mexico".
"Espanola Government".
"Welcome to the Espanola Public Library".
City of Espanola.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Espanola, New Mexico.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Espanola.
Espanola featured on NPR's State of the Re:Union Municipalities and communities of Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States Municipalities and communities of Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States State of New Mexico
Categories:
Cities in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico - Cities in Santa Fe County, New Mexico - Cities in New Mexico - Micropolitan areas of New Mexico - Populated places established in 1598 - 1598 establishments in New Spain - Espanola, New Mexico
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