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Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

—newspaper titles
—digitized titles
118historic places
—earliest paper
1848formed
40,363pop. 2020
36cemeteries
—CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The National Register of Historic Places includes 118 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1966; 3 are also National Historic Landmarks. Most listings are in or near Tierra Amarilla, Los Ojos, Espanola.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers

Library of Congress

Newspaper directory data for New Mexico is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Rio Arriba titles at the Library of Congress.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

28 of 118 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

118 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
Abiquiu Mesa Grid GardensAbiquiuSite1982
Adams Canyon Site (LA 55824)Tierrra AmarillaSite1987
Adolfo Canyon Site (LA 5665)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Apodaca, Martin, HomesteadCounselorSite2017
Archeological Site No. AR-03-10-02-357LlavesSite1989
Becker, George, House, Bunk House and BarnLos OjosBuilding1985
Blanton Log HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Bond, Frank, HouseEspanolaBuilding1980
Boulder Fortress (LA 55828)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Burns Lake BungalowLos OjosBuilding1985
Cabresto Mesa Tower Complex (LA 2138)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Cagle's Site (LA 55826)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Canyon View Ruin (LA 55827)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Casa Mesa Diablo (LA 11100)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Casados HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Castles of the Chama (AR-03-10-01-216)LlavesSite1989
Chimayo Trading Post and Trujillo, E.D., HouseEspanolaBuilding1999
Citadel, The (LA 55828)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Compressor Station Ruin (LA 5658)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Corral Canyon Pueblo SiteEspanolaSite1990
Corral Mesa Cavate Pueblo SiteEspanolaSite1990
Crevice Ruin (LA 13218)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Crow Canyon Archeological DistrictFarmingtonDistrict1974
Crow Canyon Site (LA 20219)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Delgadito Pueblito (LA 5649)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Dogie Canyon SchoolCounselorSite2017
El Barranco Community DitchLos BrazosStructure1986
El Buen Pastor CemeteryCounselorSite2017
El Porvenir Community DitchEncenadaStructure1986
Embudo Historic DistrictEmbudoDistrict1979
Encenada Community DitchEncenadaStructure1986
Foothold Ruin (LA 9073)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Forest Service Site No. AR-03-10-01-374CoyoteSite1993
Forest Service Site No. AR-03-10-01-390CoyoteSite1993
Foster HotelChamaBuilding1986
Frances Canyon RuinBlancoSite1970
Frances Canyon Ruin (LA 2135) (Boundary Increase)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Garcia Canyon Pueblito (LA 36608)Tierrra AmarillaSite1987
Gomez Canyon Ruin (LA 55831)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Gomez Point Site (LA 58832)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Gonzales, Tomas, HouseAbiquiuBuilding1996
Gould Pass Ruin (LA 5659)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Haynes Trading Post SiteCounselorSite2018
Hill Road Ruin (LA 55833)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Hooded Fireplace Ruin (LA 5662)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Hupobi-ouingeOjo CalienteSite1985
Jaramillo, Ramon, House and BarnEncenadaBuilding1986
Jicarilla Apache Historic DistrictDulceDistrict1984
Kin Naa daa (Maize House) (LA 1872)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Kin Yazhi (Little House) (LA 2433)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Ku-ouingeEspanolaSite1993
La Puente Community DitchLa PuenteStructure1986
La Puente Historic DistrictLos OjosDistrict1985
Largo School Ruin (LA 5657)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Leaf Water Pueblo(LA 300)HernandezSite1983
Los Brazos Historic DistrictLos OjosDistrict1985
Los Luceros HaciendaLos LucerosDistrict1983
Los Ojos (Parkview) Fish HatcheryLos OjosBuilding1985
Los Ojos (Parkview) Historic DistrictLos OjosDistrict1985
MacFie, Franklin, HouseHernandezBuilding2024
Manzanares, Tony, HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Martinez, Gilbert, BarnLos OjosBuilding1985
Martinez, Margarita, HomesteadCounselorSite2017
Martinez, Teodoro, HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Mesa Prieta PetroglyphsVelardeDistrict1998
Miera, Luciano,Store-HomesteadCounselorSite2017
Nogales Cliff House (AR-03-10-02-124)LlavesSite1989
O'Keeffe, Georgia, Ghost Ranch HouseAbiquiuDistrict2020
O'Keeffe, Georgia, Home and Studio NHLAbiquiuBuilding1998
Old Fort (LA 1869)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Ortega, Victor, CabinCebollaBuilding1988
Our Lady of Lourdes GrottoLos OjosStructure1987
Overlook Site (LA 10732)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Parkview Community DitchLos OjosStructure1986
Plaza Blanca Community DitchPlaza BlancaStructure1986
Plaza Blanca Historic DistrictPlaza BlancaDistrict1986
Pointed Butte Ruin (LA 10733)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Ponsipa'AkeriOjo CalienteSite1993
Pork Chop Pass Site (LA 5661)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Posi-ouingeOjo CalienteSite1993
Pueblito Canyon Ruin (LA 1684)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Pueblito East Ruin (LA 55834)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Puye Ruins NHLEspanolaSite1966
Rattlesnake Ridge SiteLlavesSite1992
Ridge Top House (LA 6287)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Rincon Largo Ruin (LA 2436 and LA 2435)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Rincon Rockshelter (LA 55835)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Rio Grande Bridge at San Juan PuebloAlcaldeStructure1997
Romine Canyon Ruin (LA 55836)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Romine Ranch Site (LA 55837)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
San Antonio de Padua del Quemado ChapelCordovaBuilding1978
San Gabriel de Yungue-Ouinge NHLEspanolaSite1966
San Joaquin ChurchEncenadaBuilding1986
San Juan PuebloSante FeDistrict1974
Sanchez, Samuel, BarnsLos BrazosBuilding1986
Sanchez, Samuel, HouseLos BrazosBuilding1986
Sanchez-March HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Santa Clara PuebloEspanolaDistrict1974
Santa Rosa de Lima de AbiquiuAbiquiuSite1978
Shaft House (LA 5660)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Split Rock Ruin (LA 5664)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Tapicito Ruin (LA 2298)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Three Corn Ruin (LA 1871)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Tierra Amarilla AFS P-8 Historic DistrictTierra AmarillaDistrict2001
Tierra Amarilla Community DitchTierra AmarillaStructure1986
Tierra Amarilla Historic DistrictTierra AmarillaDistrict1986
Tower of the Standing God (LA 55839)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Truby's Tower (LA 2434)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Trujillo, Manuelita, HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Trujillo, Sr., Fernando, HouseLos OjosBuilding1985
Tsama PuebloAbiquiuSite1983
TsipingCanonesSite1970
Unreachable Rockshelter (LA 55841)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Valdez, Miguel, BarnEncenadaBuilding1986
Vicenti SiteDulceSite1979
Vigil, Senon S., HomesteadCounselorSite2017
Wall, The (LA 55840)Tierra AmarillaSite1987
Whitaker Dinosaur QuarryAbiquiuSite2018

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Rio Arriba was formed in 1848 (1848-07-04) from unknown / original county.

RIO ARRIBA established as one of seven original New Mexico counties on 22 Sep 1846 under Kearny's Code of Laws for occupied Mexican territory. Western portion included within the Mexican Cession of 4 July 1848. Eastern portion overlaps Texas claims.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Rio Arriba County population from 1850 to 2020 (Census historical series).

41k25k9,2941850188019201940196020002020
18501860188019001920194019501960198020002020
10,6689,84911,02313,77719,55225,35224,99724,19329,28241,19040,363

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

36 cemeteries and 9 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 36 of 36 listed
NameLatLon
Abbey of Christ in the Desert Cemetery36.37782-106.6812
Abiquiu Catholic Cemetery36.20365-106.31658
Ancones Cemetery36.4271-106.06281
Apostolic Cemetery36.20107-105.86209
Apostolic of Jesus Christ Cemetery36.14479-105.98796
Campo Santo Cemetery36.01049-105.85786
Canjilon Cemetery36.47612-106.43947
Carracas Cemetery36.99968-107.25001
Cañon Plaza Catholic Cemetery36.54399-106.14403
Cedar Grove Cemetery36.48668-106.49086
Cementerio de San Juan Nepomuseno36.3402-106.19288
Chama Cemetery36.90143-106.57023
Chili Catholic Cemetery36.10297-106.15127
Cordova Cemetery36.01019-105.85895
Dixon Cemetery36.19461-105.88598
El Jardin de los Flores Cemetery36.01808-105.95034
El Rito Community Cemetery36.35031-106.18236
El Santuario Cemetery36.19835-105.88839
Gomez Cemetery36.91535-107.00165
Holy Family Church Cemetery36.00664-105.95262
La Cueva Cemetery36.36777-106.05004
Las Trampas Cemetery36.12426-105.76226
Martinez Cemetery36.9325-107.0167
Martinez Cemetery36.12252-105.78335
New Santa Cruz Cemetery35.99225-106.04725
Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Cemetery36.05435-106.06768
Ojo Sarco Cemetery36.12778-105.79787
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Cemetery36.14528-105.98664
San Miguel Cemetery36.18679-106.44364
San Miguel Cemetery36.95862-106.14835
San Miguel Cemetery36.00725-105.86057
Truchas Pueblo Cemetery36.04443-105.81336
Tusas Cemetery36.66224-106.09476
Wirt Cemetery36.92889-107.01059
Women's Club Cemetery35.99285-106.09186
Youngsville Cemetery36.19515-106.55879
Historical populated places — 9 of 9
NameLatLon
Biggs36.90557-106.79226
Burns Canyon36.46528-106.7825
Diamante36.93251-106.81698
Hopewell36.46528-106.7825
La Cueva36.36752-106.04974
Pounds36.68973-107.08337
Rosa36.99056-107.41366
San Antonio36.8614-106.14947
Vaqueros36.7589-107.19977

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.