Taos Valley facts for kids
Taos Valley, also known as Lower Taos Canyon, is a beautiful valley found in Taos County, New Mexico. It's surrounded by some amazing natural features. These include the deep Rio Grande Gorge, the Arroyo Hondo (which is like a big ditch or ravine) of Rio Hondo, and the tall Taos Mountain range. Inside the valley, you'll find important places like Ranchos de Taos, the historic Taos Pueblo, and the lively Taos Plaza.
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What is Taos Valley?
The Taos Valley is a special place with a lot to see. If you visit the Taos Valley Overlook, which is part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, you can get an amazing view. This spot is about 11 miles (18 km) away and shows off the whole valley and the huge Rio Grande Gorge.
Rivers of the Valley
Four different rivers flow through the Taos Valley, bringing life to the area. These rivers are:
- Rio de Taos
- Rio Lucero
- Rio de las Trampas
- Rio de San Fernando
History of Taos Valley
People have lived in and traveled through the Taos Valley for a very long time. Scientists have found proof that it was an important route for travel and trade for over 9,000 years!
Early Homes in the Valley
Around 900 A.D., people started building the first permanent homes here. These included "pit houses" (homes built partly underground) and "room blocks" (groups of rooms). It's believed that the Ancestral Puebloans moved into the Taos Valley and areas near the Rio Grande around this time.
The Taos Pueblo People
The Taos Pueblo people made the valley their home starting around 1100 or 1200 A.D. This is when they began building their famous multi-story homes.
European Visitors Arrive
The first Europeans came to the valley in the 1500s. Capitan Hernando Alvarado arrived on August 29, 1540. He was part of a big trip led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Alvarado met the Tiwa people who lived at Taos Pueblo.
Later, from 1610 to 1617, a priest named Fray Francisco de Zamora lived at Taos Pueblo. He helped spread the Catholic religion throughout the Taos Valley.
Spanish Settlement and Changes
In 1680, the Pueblo people bravely fought back and pushed the Spanish out of the area. But 16 years later, in 1696, Diego de Vargas helped the Spanish resettle the areas around Ranchos de Taos, Taos Pueblo, and Taos Plaza.
By 1776, the Taos Valley had about 306 people of Spanish descent living in 67 families. Ranchos de Taos was the most populated part of the valley back then. The Spanish brought new ideas and things to the region:
- They introduced modern ways to water crops using ditches called acequias.
- They brought new fruits and vegetables to grow.
- They also brought livestock like cows and sheep.
In return, the Pueblo people taught the Spanish how to build strong homes using adobe, a special kind of mud brick.
