HISTORY   

The Belen, New Mexico, area is rich in history and culture. Dating back to the 1600's, our history is as varied as America's.

Two Spaniards, Captain Don Diego Torres and Antonio Salazar, Torres’ brother-in-law, founded Belen in 1740. They named it Belen, Spanish for Bethlehem, in honor of that town. The forty families who founded Belen began a community based on agriculture. By the 19th century, Belen’s economy had expanded into sheep herding, and the town grew. After New Mexico became a territory of the United Stated in 1846, immigrants began arriving and the Belen area developed as a mercantile center with trade base extending west to the Arizona line and east to the Estancia Valley.

The arrival of the railroad in 1880 eventually brought shops, a roundhouse, ice plant, and yards containing miles of track and a depot. In 1918, the village of Belen came into existence. The first village ordinance was passed July 1, 1919 to provide for methods of enacting ordinances that would result in officials and taxes as well as fire and police protection. A Harvey House was opened in 1919. Today the building houses a museum.

Belen became a town in 1940 and then a city in 1966. Today Belen boasts stores, motels, restaurants, friendly residents, and interesting places to visit and enjoy.

Belen’s friendliness comes from being a well-established community that welcomes everyone. Many people have strong roots in the area and those people embrace everyone, especially folks who love the area and make it their home. The old-fashioned values in the greater Belen area bring citizens together to support their community and each other. In Belen, the sense of community has been strong for decades and will continue to be strong because of the citizens.

The City of Belen has prepared for growth within its community. Improvement projects have been made on all four entrances into the City and revitalization of our downtown area.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument consists of the well-preserved ancient ruins of Indian Pueblos. In the stones of the Salinas Valley pueblo ruins lie the faint echoes of the communities that lived there more than three centuries ago. The monuments three sites commemorate the stable agricultural society where members lived in apartment-like complexes and participated, through rule and ritual, in the cycles of nature. Salinas National Monument is open daily except Christmas. The park visitor’s center is in Mountainair, a 45-minute drive from Belen.

On the way to the visitor’s center, stop at the Abo Monument located on US 60. You’ll find sophisticated church architecture and a large unexcavated pueblo.

After a tour of the visitors center, then its off to Grand Quivira ruins, which feature two churches, excavated Indian structures, exhibits and a 40 minute video.

The third site is Quarai, which has the most complete church and includes artifacts on display.

The Manzano Mountain Wilderness encompasses 36,970 acres and offers a myriad of trails and picnic grounds, which are located in Belen’s backyard on the Mountainair Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. Accessible trails lie on both sides of the mountain and picnic areas abound. Wilderness elevations range from 6,000 feet in the foothills to 10,098 feet on Manzano Peak. The district office is in Mountainair where advice on trails and recreation is offered.