Española, New Mexico

Española
City
City of Española
Nickname:  The Heart of Northern New Mexico
Location of Española, New Mexico
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	Rio Arriba
Founded	1598
Government
• Mayor	Joseph Maestas (D)
Area
• City	8.5 sq mi (21.9 km2)
• Land	8.4 sq mi (21.7 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Population  (2005)
• City	13,213
• Density	1,156/sq mi (446.4/km2)
• Metro	16,092
ZIP codes	87532, 87533
Area code	505
FIPS code	35-25170
GNIS feature ID	928729
Website	www.espanolaonline.com

Española is a city in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. At the 2000 census the city had a total population of 11,688. In 2005 Española had a population of 13,213 within the city limits, and including surrounding unincorporated communities such as Santa Cruz, El Llano, Fairview and Sombrillo had a total of 16,092. The City Council is considering adding El Llano to City Limits; if it does, the city will have a population of 15,110. Española for years had been losing population until large growth of the area brought back jobs and more homes. It is the principal city of the Española Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Santa Fe-Española Combined Statistical Area.

It is one of the very few U.S. cities to have an eñe in its name.

History

The Bond House started as a two-room adobe in 1887. It is now a museum

The area now known as Española was the first European-founded capital of the "New World" (see below). In 1880, when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (the "Chile Line") was being constructed in the area, Amado Lucero and his wife Josefita opened a restaurant to accommodate the railroad workers. The daughter of the famous Don Rafael Lopez of Santa Fe, Josefita could easily trace her roots to the earliest Spanish settlers of the region. Consequently, the railroad workers referred to the restaurant as "Española's", that is, the Spanish lady's restaurant. Soon the railroad started calling the area "Española" and the name stuck. Amado, Josefita and their daughter Eliza Lucero Hill are buried at the foot of the altar inside the Church of the Holy Cross in nearby Santa Cruz. Descendants of theirs continue to reside in the Española Valley.

Española has grown to include many of the adjacent rural communities. This includes the area in which Don Juan de Oñate declared a capital for Spain in 1598. Oñate arrived in the Española Valley on July 11 1598 at the confluence of the Chama River and the Rio Grande, where he established a camp at a place then called Yunque-Yunque. He created a Spanish settlement in an area already inhabited by the indigenous descendants of the Anasazi. The treatment of the natives was typical of the Conquistadores at that time, with enslavement and brutality being a mainstay, despite the initially warm welcome.

In 1998, someone cut the foot off of a sculpture of Oñate in the Oñate Monument Visitors Center to protest the recently erected monument. This action is believed to be prompted Oñate's having the foot of Acoma Pueblo warriors cut off in retaliation for the killing of his nephew.

Española is also considered one of the heroin capitals of the United States. The rate of substance abuse here is three times the state average and fifteen times the national average.

Geography

Española is located at 36°0′7″N 106°3′53″W (36.001884, -106.064587).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.9 square kilometers (8.5 square miles). 21.7 square kilometers (8.4 square miles) of it is land and 0.2 square kilometers (0.1 square miles) of it is water. The total area covered by water is 0.83%.

Española is over a mile high at an elevation of around 5,595 feet (1,705 m) with much variance. It is in a valley nestled between the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, and the meeting point of three rivers, the Rio Grande, the Rio Chama, and the Rio Santa Cruz.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1940	4,868		—
1950	5,392		10.8%
1960	6,102		13.2%
1970	7,995		31.0%
1980	10,030		25.5%
1990	9,972		−0.6%
2000	11,688		17.2%
2005 (est.)	13,213

At the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 11,688 people, 5,751 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city. As of the 2003 census estimates the population for the city had raised to 12,988. The population density was 1,155.4 people per square mile (446.4/km²). There were 5,107 housing units at an average density of 189.2/square kilometer (489.8/square mile). The racial makeup of the city was 67.55% White, 0.58% African American, 2.86% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 25.56% from other races, and 3.25% from two or more races. 84.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,751 households, of which 35.6% had children under the age of eighteen living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of single individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was sixty-five years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was thirty-four years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females aged eighteen and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,144, and the median income for a family was $32,255. Males had a median income of $25,558 versus $23,177 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,303. 21.6% of the population and 16.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.1% of those sixty-five and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy

An Arizona-based arts and crafts company will likely build a store in town soon; a major health food grocer is also expressing interest in building an Española store. Computer and communications firms are moving in, some planning new buildings, others starting-up in home offices. A Wal-Mart opened in 1999 creating 400+ jobs, Lowe's Home Inprovement opened in 2006 adding another 300+ Jobs. Many of the residents are employed at near-by Los Alamos National Laboratory as well.

At Española Industrial Park, Nambe Mills (relocated from Santa Fe in what will be a multi-phase move of their entire silver working operation) is in the forefront of an industrial expansion that may soon see a host of businesses taking advantage of the city's relatively low-cost industrial land.

Agriculture

The acequias, or irrigation ditches, set up by the Spanish helped them to prosper as an agrarian society. These life-giving lines are, in some ways, the only things that remain unchanged in Española today. While there is a tangible feeling of pride for culture and family amongst Hispanics and Natives, there is an ever-increasing influence and presence of people that do not belong to either of these groups.

The prosperous agrarian society of the Natives and the Spanish was replaced by a money-based system with the introduction of the railroad. As is typical throughout history, this disadvantaged many locals. They were forced to adopt a system for which they lacked the education. Many continued to farm, and their families still do today; however, they were taught to farm to sell rather than to sustain, and so were also disadvantaged. With poverty and gentrification came fewer resources for the community.

Largest employers

• Los Alamos National Labs
• San Juan Minning & Mineral Plant
• Española Valley Hospital
• Wal-Mart
• Espanola City Government
• Lowe's Home-Improvement

Culture

Immigrant culture

There has been a steady influx of documented immigrating to the Valley for the last decade, which has significantly increased their visibility and influence in the area. Española (especially the neighboring community of Sombrillo) is also home to the largest community of ethnically diverse Sikhs in the world. While most Sikhs descend from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, the Sikhs in Española come from all over the world, and continue to attract people from these locations, which adds to the cultural mix that is Española.

Lowriders

Some time after lowriding had appeared in Española in the early 1950's, the city had dubbed itself "Lowrider Capital of the World". It was only by 1993 that MTV had broadcast that title to the rest of the world.

Activities

Española's restaurants and convenience stores are popular with travelers between Santa Fe and northern communities, as well as with local people. The local fiestas are held in the fall and include live New Mexican-style Spanish or country music, vendors, and many locals. Every Friday and Saturday night the streets fill with cruisers. There are many locations near Española to do almost any outdoor activity.

Community facilities

Community/aquatic centers

• Penny Roybal Garcia Aquatic Center
• Richard R. Lucero Aquatic Center

Community parks & recreation facilities

• Espanola Main Street Park & Plaza
• Ranchitos Park
• Valdez Memorial Park
• Senior Veteran Memorial Park

Public/community libraries

• Richard Lucero Center

Educational facilities

Elementary schools

• James H. Rodriguez Elementary
• Eutimo Tim Salazar (Fairview) Elementary
• Tony E. Quintana (Sombrillo) Elementary

Middle schools

• Carlos F. Vigil Middle School

High schools

• Española Valley High School
• McCurdy High School

Colleges

• Northern New Mexico College

External links

• City of Española
• Española Online
• Española Valley Chamber of Commerce
• McCurdy School
• Rio Grande Sun - Local Newspaper
• Abiquiu Online - Serving the Northern New Mexico Area