Luis Lopez, New Mexico facts for kids

Luis Lopez is a small community in New Mexico, United States. It's not a city, but a special type of area called an unincorporated community and a census-designated place. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially part of a city or town, but the government still counts its population. Luis Lopez is located in Socorro County, right next to the Rio Grande river. It sits between the towns of Socorro and San Antonio.

History of Luis Lopez

In 1667, a person named Captain Luis López was the alcalde mayor (which means a main mayor or local governor) of a Native American village called Piro Pueblo of Senecú. It seems he owned a large farm or ranch, called a hacienda, on the east side of the Rio Grande river.

Later, in the 1700s, this ranch was mentioned by travelers. However, it had been left empty after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. This was a time when Native American groups fought against Spanish rule.

The village of Luis Lopez itself was likely started in the early to mid-1830s. Back then, it was on the west side of the Rio Grande, a bit east of where it is today.

Changes Over Time

Luis Lopez has been counted in the U.S. census almost every ten years since 1850. The only time it wasn't counted was in 1870. Because of this, some people think the village might have been empty for a short time. It then might have moved to its current spot, which is a bit higher up.

Even today, most of Luis Lopez is in a flood plain. This is a flat area of land next to a river that can get flooded. However, the community is protected from the Rio Grande by special walls called levees. In May 1941, there was a very bad flood, and families living in the flood plain had to leave their homes for safety.

The Luis Lopez School District joined with the Socorro School District in 1952. After that, the school building closed. But the building was still used for many years as a place for community events.

Today, Luis Lopez is made up of farms and a small neighborhood. New water wells have helped the community grow. It is now like a small suburb of Socorro.

Education in Luis Lopez

Students in Luis Lopez attend schools that are part of the Socorro Consolidated Schools district. The main high school for students in this area is Socorro High School.