Tome, New Mexico Explained

Official Name:Tome, New Mexico
Settlement Type:Census-designated place
Pushpin Map:New Mexico
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:New Mexico
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Valencia
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:14.31
Area Land Km2:14.31
Area Water Km2:0.00
Area Total Sq Mi:5.52
Area Land Sq Mi:5.52
Area Water Sq Mi:0.00
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1718
Population Density Km2:120.08
Population Density Sq Mi:311.01
Timezone:Mountain (MST)
Utc Offset:-7
Timezone Dst:MDT
Utc Offset Dst:-6
Elevation Ft:4830
Coordinates:34.7436°N -106.7281°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:87060
Area Code:505
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:2633186

Tome (Spanish; Castilian: Tomé) is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. It is located in the Rio Grande valley near the foot of Tome Hill (El Cerro Tomé), a notable Catholic pilgrimage site. The village lies along New Mexico State Road 47 and is neighbored by Valencia to the north and Adelino to the south. It is the location of the Valencia Campus of the University of New Mexico.[2] Tome has a post office with ZIP code 87060.[3] [4] The population was 1,867 as of the 2010 census.[5]

The community was established when land abandoned by Tomé Domínguez de Mendoza following the Pueblo Revolt was granted to a new group of settlers in 1739. Once an important town on the Camino Real, it suffered due to Native American attacks and flooding during the 1800s. It was the seat of Valencia County from 1852 to 1872, and again briefly in 1875.

For census purposes, Tome was previously combined with Adelino in the Tome-Adelino census-designated place (CDP). The CDP was split prior to the 2010 Census.[6]

History

Tome was originally part of an encomienda granted to Tomé Domínguez de Mendoza in 1659.[7] During the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, Domínguez fled to El Paso along with the other surviving Spanish settlers, but 38 members of his household were killed. Understandably, he was hesitant to return and remained in El Paso even after the Spanish reconquered New Mexico in 1692.[8]

In 1739, a group of 29 settlers from Albuquerque petitioned to take over the abandoned land. Governor Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza granted the request and conveyed to them the Town of Tome Grant.[9] Like other Spanish colonial towns, Tome had a central plaza surrounded by houses and a church. Although plagued by flooding and Native American attacks, it was a notable waypoint on the Camino Real and was frequently mentioned in travelers' accounts. In 1776, Fray Atanasio Domínguez reported that the town had 727 inhabitants, which made it about the same size as Albuquerque at the time.[8]

In 1821, Mexico gained its independence from Spain. By this point Tome was sizable enough to have its own local government with an alcalde (mayor) and ayuntamiento (legislative council). During the Revolt of 1837, counter-revolutionaries led by Manuel Armijo met at Tome to formulate a plan for retaking Santa Fe. In 1852, now under the control of the United States, Tome was designated the county seat of Valencia County.[8] An account of the town was given by U.S. Attorney William W.H. Davis in 1853 as he traveled the territorial District Court circuit:[10]

The county seat was moved to Belen from 1872–4, then back to Tome. In 1875, a new two-story adobe courthouse was built on the plaza with an adjacent stone jail building which is still standing. Despite this brand-new facility, the county seat was moved permanently to Los Lunas the following year.[8] In 1968, the community was divided over whether to sell the land grant, still in force after almost 200 years, to a private developer. Ultimately the land was sold, but the grant was able to reacquire the spiritually significant El Cerro Tome Site in 2013.[11]

Demographics

Education

About half of Tome is in Belen Consolidated Schools and the other half is in Los Lunas Public Schools.[12] Belén High School is the Belén district's comprehensive high school.

Notable person

Further reading

The Tome, New Mexico storyF StanleyPep, Texas, 1966

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory. United States Census Bureau. October 12, 2022.
  2. Web site: About us . UNM Valencia . October 27, 2017.
  3. Web site: USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code . 2012-02-15 . United States Postal Service . 2012.
  4. Web site: Postmaster Finder - Post Offices by ZIP Code . . August 18, 2013.
  5. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2011-05-14.
  6. Web site: 2010 Place Relationship File . U.S. Census Bureau . October 26, 2017.
  7. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=96000739}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: El Cerro Tome Site ]. . July 9, 1996 . October 26, 2017.
  8. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=77000932}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Tome Jail ]. . October 5, 1977 . October 26, 2017.
  9. Web site: Bowden . J.J. . Town of Tome Grant . New Mexico Office of the State Historian . October 26, 2017.
  10. Book: Davis . William Watts Hart . El Gringo, or, New Mexico and her people . 1857 . Harper and Brothers . 352–353 . October 26, 2017 . en . Internet Archive.
  11. News: Sanchez . Aurelio . Tomé Hill 'back in the hands of the people' . October 27, 2017 . Albuquerque Journal . November 7, 2013.
  12. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Valencia County, NM. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022-09-04.