Las Vegas, San Miguel County Seat
courtesy of Las Vegas/San Miguel Chamber of Commerce
A Brief Overview
The original Las Vegas is a rich and vibrant city with a rich and vibrant past. Hermit Peak, 10,263 feet, overlooks the city, which is nestled near the heart of a spectacular wilderness area, sweeping forest lands, fascinating historic sites and wonderful national parks. Las Vegas, once the principal town on the Santa Fe Trail, reflects its history with 900 buildings in nine historic districts on the National Registry (more than any city in the U.S.). The well preserved, late 1800s architectural styles are an array of Victorian, Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Italianate, and Romanesque. Las Vegas has worked at preserving its history and culture, so each day Las Vegans walk companionably with the past and the present.
Distance (Miles) from Las Vegas to
- Albuquerque, NM: 123 miles
- Denver, CO: 327 miles
- El Paso, TX: 327 miles
- Santa Fe, NM: 68 miles
Average Elevation
- 6,470 feet
Population
- 1994: 15,591
- 1990: 14,753
- 1980: 14,322
- 1970: 13,835
Climate (30 year normals)
- Average annual temperature: 50
- Average temperature, January: 32
- Average temperature, July: 69
- Annual rainfall: 15.1 inches
- Average snowfall: 35 inches
- Avg. % of relative humidity: 50%
- Prevailing wind direction: S
Lodging
- Total number of Lodging Places: 30
- Total number of Rooms: 665
Education
- Las Vegas City Public Schools
- Armand Hammer College
- Luna Community College
- New Mexico Highlands University
Total Number of Churches
- 24
For History Buffs
The fertile valley of Las Vegas, also known as "The Meadows," was occupied as early as 8,000 B.C. by Paleo-Indians. Sedentary Pueblo Indians were present in the area during the 1100s and 1200s until forced out either by drought or the pressure of Apache Indian attack.
In subsequent years, nomadic Plains Indians, and later, the Comanches, camped in the Las Vegas area on their way to raid Pecos and the other Pueblo and Spanish settlements to the west. A succession of Spanish explorers, starting with Coronado in 1541, passed through going in the opposite direction on their way to search the plains for fabled cities of gold.
By the 1790s the increase of population in the Rio Grande Valley caused Spanish settlement to expand into the valleys along the eastern face of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The Santa Fe Trail came through the center of what would become Las Vegas in 1821. When the community was founded in 1835, the trail continued to occupy what is now Bridge Street, the Plaza and South Pacific Avenue. These three routes have been designated as part of the National Santa Fe Historic Trail.
The significance of the Santa Fe Trail has never left the area. As exporters sent their wares west, enterprising Las Vegans traded east. A large influence in the growth and development of Las Vegas was Fort Union. Built in 1851 to protect the Santa Fe Trail, the fort helped stimulate the economy of Las Vegas as the Army bought supplies and staples for the several hundred or so soldiers and civilians stationed there.
The hustle and bustle of this western city brought those seeking their fortunes and others who would stop at nothing to make theirs without conscience and honest labor. Among those notorious men and women were the likes of Billy the Kid, Vicente Silva and his gang, Belle Sidons (alias Monte Verde), Jesse James, Doc Holliday, and his girlfriend Big Nosed Kate. Holliday operated a dental office and a saloon and gambling hall in Las Vegas before moving on to Tombstone.
When General Stephen W. Kearney took possession of New Mexico for the United States in 1846, he found a thriving community here of 1,500 Spanish settlers. Their presence can be traced back to 15 Spanish families who petitioned the Mexican Government for a grant to establish Las Vegas in 1835. Kearney raised the United States flag and first claimed the New Mexico territory on the plaza in Las Vegas.
On July 4, 1879, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived in Las Vegas, heralding a new era of prosperity as waves of immigrants from every walk of life soon followed. Las Vegas has the most interesting and colorful architecture in the state thanks to the variety of immigrants and the new availability of building materials shipped by the railroad. New Mexico's first phone system and its first opera house were established here. Las Vegas was New Mexico's first territorial capital (for one day). Brought by the railroad, European immigrants settled in with a sense of permanence – and their settlement resulted in the myriad architectural treasures that give Las Vegas its special charm.
Cattle ranching was and still is one of the mainstays of the economy in San Miguel County, so it comes as no surprise that one spur of the famous cattle trail, the Goodnight-Loving Trail, should come through the county to Las Vegas where the cattle could be shipped by rail.
Even as Las Vegas prospered from 1880 to 1905 its trade area was gradually whittled down as additional rail lines criss-crossed the territory and Clovis, Tucumcari, Roswell and Carlsbad rose in competition with Las Vegas.
Las Vegas provided 21 Rough Riders to Teddy Roosevelt in 1898, most of whom were at his side during the famed charge up San Juan Hill. The town hosted the first Rough Riders Reunion – attended by the soon-to-be President himself. Reunions continued until the 1960s.
Hollywood cowboy Tom Mix chose Las Vegas as the filming location for some of the country's earliest westerns. A local agricultural depression in the mid-20s, which caused the closing of four of the city's six banks, followed by the depression of the 1930s, put a definite end to Las Vegas' prosperity. A long period of dormancy and gradual growth has followed.
Put On Your Walking Shoes
The Historic Resources of Las Vegas is the term used by the National Register of Historic Places for the 918 structures listed on the Register in Las Vegas. This community contains a broad collection of buildings and sites chronicling the early Spanish era, the Santa Fe Trail, the coming of the railroad and the early 20th century.
Legens and Lore
La Llorona
La Llorona is the boogie woman for many youngsters across New Mexico. She hides under bridges and cries, frightening children in the night. There are multiple versions on how she came to be; however, belief in her hauntings abound.
Rattlesnake Sam, Big Nosed Katie, and Hoodoo Brown
…were among the group of disreputable gang of outlaws, gamblers, desperados and ne'er-do-wells who arrived with the Railroad. Some have said that Las Vegas eclipsed Dodge City and Tombstone for its unsavory characters prior to the turn of the century.
Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett
Billy the Kid reportedly complained that the jail in Las Vegas was a terrible place. Whether that was before or after Pat Garrett successfully repulsed a lynch mob from taking the Kid at the depot is unknown. Even Doc Holliday found Las Vegas as a profitable site for a gambling hall.
Vicente Silva
Las Vegas desperados were not confined to new arrivals alone. Vicente Silva, a local tavern owner, organized local Hispanics into the Silva Gang, who were responsible for murders, thefts, and livestock rustling before they were stopped.
The Hanging Windmill
The citizens of Las Vegas, tired of the mayhem and crime, used the windmill in the Old Town Plaza for hanging "criminals" they dragged from jail. Although the windmill is long gone, numerous photos exist of it in use.
The Hermit
In the 1870s a wandering Italian nobleman arrived in Las Vegas and took up residence on the massive peak at the head of the Gallinas Canyon. He soon became known as the Hermit and the mountain on which he resided known as Hermit's Peak. Locals performed pilgrimages to visit the hermit, and after a few years he moved to a more remote area of New Mexico to the south.
Montefiori Cemetary
During the mid-1800s many Jewish merchants settled in the Las Vegas area. They eventually built the first Synagogue in New Mexico Territory and the first official cemetary. The cemetary is open to the public; however, the synagogue serves as the Newman Center for NMHU today.
For Art & Culture Lovers
Las Vegas was recently listed as one of the top ten artists communities in the United States. Many artists have found the scenic surroundings and natural beauty of the area to be conducive to creating works of art. Las Vegas has several galleries featuring local artists' works and many artists selling in Santa Fe and Los Angeles.
San Miguel County still represents the rich mixture of cultures that settled in the area in the early 1800s. Eastern Europeans, German Jews, French expatriates, Spanish and Basque and Native Americans all found homes here. Today surnames reflect this colorful mixture as does the food. Look for some of the best New Mexican food in the state, especially around holidays when torta de huevos and empanadas are available.
The unique heritage of Las Vegas makes the city a treasure trove for antique hunters. The community features a number of shopping venues for collectors, dealers and anyone interested in this city's abundant remains of history.
Plaza Antiques
1805 Plaza
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-454-9447
visit website
Antique Accents
Old Town Plaza
20th Century Store
514 Douglas Avenue
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-425-3180
Duke Antiques & RV Park
857 Airport Road
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-425-6978
Las Vegas City Museum and Rough Riders Memorial
The museum came into being after veterans from Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders regiment named Las Vegas as their official reunion home. Mementos and artifacts from the Spanish American War accumulated over time until there was a large enough collection to warrant a permanent location. Along with the Rough Riders collection came an increasing number of domestic artifacts that reveal much about Las Vegas and San Miguel County. The artifacts are diverse and run the gamut from Rio Grande weavings to porcelain dolls, elegant Spanish Colonial furniture, tools and historic documents.
Las Vegas City Museum
729 North Grand
Las Vegas, NM
454-1401
www.lasvegasmuseum.org
New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Highlands University is one of New Mexico's oldest colleges and was once the state's largest university. NMHU is the perfect place to start out or start over. The only four-year public college in northern New Mexico, Highlands is known for its small classes, personalized education, student achievement and excellent faculty. Choose from undergraduate and graduate programs in arts and sciences, business, education and social work at the main campus in the heart of Las Vegas or at any one of the outreach sites.
Campus visits are encoraged and welcome, and student ambassadors are available for informal tours. Accommodations for overnight visits for students and parents may be arranged. Contact the Office of Admissions at least a week in advance of the planned visit.
New Mexico Highlands University
Office of Admissions
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-454-3439
877-850-9064
www.nmhu.edu
For More Information About Las Vegas
Part of the information on this page is reproduced from the Las Vegas-San Miguel Tourism and Relocation Guide, Legacy Publishing, Inc., 1-800-559-0426.
