Tome, New Mexico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tome, New Mexico
Census-designated place
Historic Tome Jail on the plaza
Tome, New Mexico Location in New Mexico
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	Valencia
Area
• Total	5.52 sq mi (14.31 km2)
• Land	5.52 sq mi (14.31 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	4,830 ft (1,470 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,718
• Density	311.01/sq mi (120.08/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	87060
Area code(s)	505
GNIS feature ID	2633186

Tome (pronounced Toe-MAY) is a small village in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. It's located in the beautiful Rio Grande valley, close to a special place called Tome Hill (El Cerro Tomé). This hill is important for Catholic pilgrimages.

The village is along New Mexico State Road 47. It is neighbored by Valencia to the north and Adelino to the south. Tome is also home to the Valencia Campus of the University of New Mexico. It has its own post office with ZIP code 87060. In 2020, about 1,718 people lived in Tome.

Tome was first settled in 1739. It was once an important town on the Camino Real, a historic road. However, it faced challenges from Native American attacks and floods in the 1800s. Tome was the main town (county seat) of Valencia County for a while, from 1852 to 1872, and again briefly in 1875.

History of Tome

Tome's story began in 1659 when the land was given to a person named Tomé Domínguez de Mendoza. During the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, Spanish settlers, including Domínguez, had to leave. Sadly, 38 members of his family were killed. Because of this, Domínguez did not return to the area even after the Spanish came back in 1692.

Settlement and Early Life

In 1739, a group of 29 settlers from Albuquerque asked to use the abandoned land. The governor, Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza, agreed. He gave them the "Town of Tome Grant." Like other Spanish towns, Tome had a main plaza (a central square) surrounded by houses and a church.

Life in Tome was not always easy. The town often suffered from floods and attacks from Native American groups. Despite these problems, Tome was a well-known stop on the Camino Real. This was a very important road for travel and trade. Many travelers wrote about Tome in their journals. In 1776, a priest named Fray Atanasio Domínguez reported that Tome had 727 people. This made it about the same size as Albuquerque at that time.

Changes and Challenges

In 1821, Mexico became independent from Spain. By this time, Tome was big enough to have its own local government. It had an alcalde (like a mayor) and an ayuntamiento (a council that made laws). During the Revolt of 1837, leaders met in Tome to plan how to take back Santa Fe.

In 1852, the United States took control of the area. Tome was then chosen as the county seat for Valencia County. An American lawyer, William W.H. Davis, visited Tome in 1853. He wrote that Tome was once a very busy town. However, attacks from the Navajo people caused many residents to leave. Trade slowed down, and the town looked run-down. He noted that it was starting to improve a little.

The county seat moved to Belen from 1872 to 1874, then back to Tome. In 1875, a new two-story adobe courthouse was built in the plaza. A stone jail building was also built next to it, which you can still see today. However, the county seat moved permanently to Los Lunas the very next year.

In 1968, there was a big discussion in the community. People debated whether to sell the original land grant, which was still active after almost 200 years. The land was eventually sold. But in 2013, the community was able to buy back the important Tome Hill. This hill is very special to the people of Tome.

Population Information

Education

The schools in Tome are split between two districts. About half of Tome is in Belen Consolidated Schools and the other half is in Los Lunas Public Schools. Students in the Belen district attend Belén High School.

Notable Person

• Rosa Maria Calles, an artist and playwright, is from Tome.

See also

In Spanish: Tome (Nuevo México) para niños