Amalia is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Taos County,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, United States. A valley town nestled between many mountains in the Sangre De Cristo mountain range. The Costilla Creek runs alongside the community.

Description

Amalia is located near the

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

border, on New Mexico State Road 196. Amalia has a post office, with the ZIP code 87512. The 87512

ZIP Code Tabulation Area ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics. These were introduced with the Census 2000 and continued with the 2010 Census and 5 year American Community ...

had a population of 230 at the 2000 census. As of the 2020 census the Zip Code Tabulation Area population was reported at 213. In the 1940 census the population was reported at 558.

History

Amalia was formerly known as Pina, perhaps a modification of the Spanish word for 'pine'. A post office was established in 1900; in 1919, the settlement was renamed after the given name for unknown reasons. Amalia was established in 1849 by

settler A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...

s who arrived through the Sangre De Cristo Land Grant. In 1902, the Defensive Association of the Land Settlers of Rio Costilla was formed to advocate for the settlers and their families in retaining ownership of their land. Between 1902 and 1921, numerous court battles were fought, but many resulted in decisions against the settlers. In 1921, the association disbanded, but settlers continued their fight. In 1941, a resolution was sent to many government officials, including former Governor Miles, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, the Farm Security Administration (FSA), other New Mexico state politicians, and the press. The resolution expressed the objection of the sale of land to Thomas Campbell by the State Tax Commission. Once again, the law was not in favor of the settlers. However, in 1942, with the help of a loan from the FSA, they were able to repurchase their land. Around this same time, the Rio Costilla Cooperative Livestock Association (RCCLA), primarily made up of the children of the Defensive Association members, was established. The RCCLA continues to advocate for settlers, along with owning and operating a piece of the grant. In summer of 2018, at a remote site with a small camping trailer within a surrounding wall of car tires, five adults, 11 hungry children (ages 1 to 15), and later a dead child, were found. Court documents stated the children had been trained for shootings at schools. Federal terrorism, kidnapping, and firearms charges were brought against the five adults in March 2019; in 2024, one was sentenced to 15 years in prison and the other four to a

life sentence Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life imprisonment are c ...

under a federal kidnapping statute minimum sentencing dating to the Lindbergh kidnapping.

Recreation

Amalia is home to the Ute Creek Ranch, a boarding and training facility for horses. Ute Creek Ranch offers training from a multidisciplinary perspective in

dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...

jumping Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and ...

, and

natural horsemanship Natural horsemanship is a collective term for a variety of horse training techniques which have seen rapid growth in popularity since the 1980s. The techniques vary in their precise tenets but generally share principles of "a kinder and gentler ...

. Many

outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...

opportunities exist in Amalia, including

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

, RVing, cross country skiing,

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

, horseback riding,

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

, photography and painting, river rafting,

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

ing, and wildlife viewing. The Rio Castillo Park is also located in Amalia.

Education

Amalia is zoned in the Questa Independent School Districthttps://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st35_nm/schooldistrict_maps/c35055_taos/DC20SD_C35055.pdf

References

External links