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95-475: The Chili Line was officially known as the Santa Fe Branch. Its nickname has been attributed to its freight, which prominently featured New Mexico chile peppers , and to the gastronomy of its patrons. The original ambitious plans of Denver and Rio Grande Railway founder William J. Palmer projected a 2,400-mile (3,900 km) north-south narrow gauge route from Denver to Mexico City following

190-673: A millennium . It is estimated that the pueblo was built between 1000 and 1450 A.D., with some later expansion, and the pueblo is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States. Located in a tributary valley off the Rio Grande , it is the most northern of the New Mexico pueblos . The pueblo, at some places five stories high, is a combination of many individual homes with common walls. There are over 1,900 Taos Puebloans living within

285-589: A union station . Operations of the line were often described as adventurous. The branch served remote areas such as the stop at Buckman, New Mexico , which was the Los Alamos Ranch School 's link to the outside world until 1921; a stop near a new road bridge across the Rio Grande at Otowi served this purpose when a new road to Los Alamos was completed in 1924. Passenger trains were pulled by 4-4-0s until replaced by class T-12 4-6-0s in

380-510: A warm-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), though it borders on a semi-arid climate ( BSk ) due to the low rainfall. The town is characterized by extreme diurnal variations of temperature . Even when summer days get extremely hot, nights cool off considerably. Dirt roads and driveways in Taos can experience a particularly bad mud season when winter weather is followed by unseasonably warm temperatures. This occurs because area soil

475-552: A bitter-sweet flavor when it matures into its red color, and its heat is similar to the 'Heritage 6-4'. These ancient Pueblo varieties should not be confused with a chile grown in Pueblo, Colorado , also called "Pueblo chile", which is the green Numex Mirasol chile, another cultivar of the New Mexico chile. The Anaheim pepper is a mild variety of the cultivar 'New Mexico No. 9' and commonly grown outside of New Mexico. It

570-798: A children's parade on Saturday and the larger Fiesta Parade on Sunday. Located just north of the Taos Plaza, this street was the location of Governor Charles Bent's home. Governor Bent was scalped and killed by Pueblo warriors during the Taos Revolt on January 19, 1847. During the Taos Revolt, Bent's horses were set free from their stable. The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Taos that provides free residency to eleven artists, with each year divided into three residency sessions of three months apiece at Casa Encantado. Abbie Conant , former principal trombonist of

665-558: A community campus in Taos, with eight affiliated buildings in Taos, such as the UNM Harwood Museum of Art and Taos High School where some classes are held. The Earthship Academy (or Earthship Biotecture Academy) is offering training in Earthship design principles, construction methods and philosophy. Earthship is a particular type of sustainable architecture and design, based around solar power . The town of Taos

760-521: A crop's taste, making the New Mexican region, including the Rio Grande bosque , mountains , and high deserts , a favorable environment for plant propagation and growth. To ensure that a variety's lineage remains disease-resistant and maintains optimal growth within its heritage region, seeds from specific plants are carefully selected. An example of a New Mexican chile grown outside the state

855-429: A dish is sometimes referred to as "Christmas" style. Both green and red chile can be dried and turned into a powder, though this is more common with red chile. Chile is used in the state to construct both decorative and functional ristras (arrangements of drying pepper pods) and chile wreaths. Some varieties have colorful fruit and are used as ornamental plants. Some chile varieties such as 'NuMex Garnet' are used as

950-561: A green to a ripened red, is popular in the cuisines of the Southwestern United States , including Sonoran and Arizonan cuisine, and it is an integral staple of New Mexican cuisine . It is also sometimes featured in broader Mexican cuisine . Chile is one of New Mexico's state vegetables, and is referenced in the New Mexico state question "Red or Green?". The flavor of New Mexico green chile has been described as lightly pungent, similar to an onion, or like garlic with

1045-534: A household in the town was $ 25,016, and the median income for a family was $ 33,564. Males had a median income of $ 27,683 versus $ 23,326 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 15,983. About 17.9% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 24.4% of those age 65 or over. Taos is located at 36°23′38″N 105°34′36″W  /  36.39389°N 105.57667°W  / 36.39389; -105.57667 (36.393979, −105.576705). The town has

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1140-561: A means to dry and procure red chile. In addition to local restaurants, many national food chains such as Applebee's , Domino's Pizza , McDonald's , and Jack in the Box operating in New Mexico offer green chile on many of their menu items, bowing to local demand. In modern everyday English in most of the world, chile , chili , and chilli all refer to the fruit of C. annuum ; in Spanish, chile (chee-le), from Nahuatl chīlli ,

1235-552: A pigment stock to produce red dye. Ongoing drought, unpredictable weather, and environmental concerns have strained New Mexico's production of chile peppers, the state's primary agricultural produce. In 2019 average chile sales price was $ 793 per ton, and accounted for $ 50M in sales within New Mexico. Of the 1,644,000 short hundredweight (164,400,000 lb) of peppers produced in the United States in 2019, 1,261,000 short hundredweight (126,100,000 lb) were produced in New Mexico, or about 77% of US chile pepper production. Chile

1330-453: A powder. These dried or powdered fruits are turned into a red chile sauce. The dried peppers are rehydrated by boiling in a pot, and then blended with various herbs and spices, such as onion, garlic, and occasionally Mexican oregano. Red chile powder is usually simply blended with water, herbs, and spices; the addition of flour or other thickening agents is often considered to be non-traditional or non-purist. Serving both red and green chile on

1425-637: A road bridge crossed the Rio Grande , providing access to the Pajarito Plateau at the foot of the Jemez Mountains . Today's Old Buckman Road roughly traces this part of the Chili Line and remnants of its grade are still visible. From Buckman, the line closely follows the easy grades of the Rio Grande north towards Embudo, through an iron truss bridge crossing the river at Otowi and passing through Santa Clara and Española. From Embudo

1520-502: A slight variance in taste, and widely varying appearances and heat levels. Some varieties may turn yellow, orange, or brown. The most common New Mexico chile plants are the 'New Mexico 6-4', 'Big Jim', 'Sandia', 'No. 6', and 'No. 9' cultivars. The improved 'Heritage 6-4', 'Heritage Big Jim', and 'Sandia Select' cultivars provide a better yield and uniformity. Peppers like the ' Chimayó ', 'Velarde', 'Jemez', 'Escondida', 'Alcalde', 'San Felipe', 'Española', and several others, represent what

1615-534: A state in 1912. For historical reasons, the American flag is displayed continuously at Taos Plaza (both day and night). This derives from the time of the American Civil War , when Confederate sympathizers in the area attempted to remove the flag. The Union officer Kit Carson sought to discourage this activity by having guards surround the area and fly the flag 24 hours a day. Anton Docher ,

1710-553: A subtly sweet, spicy, crisp, and smoky taste. The ripened red chile retains this flavor, but adds an earthiness and bite. The spiciness depends on the variety. Various types of chile plants were first grown by the Puebloan peoples, who continue to grow their own strains, each with a distinct pungency, sweetness, taste, and heat. For example, the Zia Pueblo chile has a bitter-sweet flavor when it matures into its red color. When

1805-558: A successful punitive expedition in 1779 against the Comanches. Between 1780 and 1800, Don Fernando de Taos (now simply Taos) was established. Between 1796 and 1797, the Don Fernando de Taos land grant gave land to 63 Spanish families in the Taos valley. It was built as a fortified plaza with adobe buildings and is now a central plaza surrounded by residential areas. Mountain men who trapped beaver nearby made Taos their home in

1900-477: A total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km ), all land. Taos is located within two watersheds, categorized as subwatersheds or HUC12s in the United States. The town is mostly located in the Outlet Rio Fernando del Taos Watershed, where its two waterbodies are rated as impaired. A coalition of local organizations are working to improve the watershed's health. The northern edge of town is within

1995-525: A trestle over the Santa Fe River and entering the line's servicing facilities near the original depot. The railroad then crossed another trestle as it meandered through Santa Fe. The tracks then followed the right-of-way of Rio Grande Boulevard to a crest above the northwestern part of the city. A 22-mile (35 km) two percent grade to a townsite at Buckman along the edge of the Caja del Rio where

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2090-483: Is a cultivar group of the chile pepper from the US state of New Mexico , first grown by Pueblo and Hispano communities throughout Santa Fe de Nuevo México . These landrace chile plants were used to develop the modern New Mexico chile peppers by horticulturist Fabián García and his students, including Roy Nakayama, at what is now New Mexico State University in 1894. New Mexico chile, which typically grows from

2185-462: Is consistently ranked the best mountain bike trail in New Mexico. There are also numerous hot springs along the Rio Grande and in the Taos Mountains . Ojo Caliente offers locations where visitors can enjoy access to mineral springs as well as massages and other spa treatments. Among hot springs in the area is a historical site called Stage Coach, which used to double as a brothel during

2280-410: Is elemental to dishes such as enchiladas, burritos, burgers, french fries, or rice. Chile is also served whole raw, fried, or baked chiles rellenos . New Mexican-style chile rellenos follow the much more traditional Mexican technique of being covered with egg batter and fried, although variations and casseroles do exist. The red chile (the matured green chile) is frequently dried and ground to

2375-477: Is heavy with silt , which makes it vulnerable to frost heaving . The town's public schools operated by Taos Municipal Schools include Arroyos del Norte Elementary School, Enos García Elementary (also Taos Elementary School), Ranchos Elementary School, Taos Middle School, Taos High School and Taos Cyber Magnet School. Charter schools include Anansi Charter School, Taos Academy (State Charter), Taos Municipal Charter School and Vista Grande High School. Also in

2470-423: Is incorporated under the mayor-council form of government. The town was incorporated on May 7, 1934. The town seal is a logo of the town of Taos with the year of incorporation "1934" in the center, and on the outer edge, the words "Town of Taos, New Mexico". The elective officers of the town include the mayor, four members of the governing body forming the town council, and a municipal judge. The town council

2565-474: Is known as New Mexico's unique landrace chile, which provide their own unique tastes and usually command a higher price. According to Taos academic and writer Larry Torres , green chile is referenced in an old New Mexico poem: "Roses are red. Chile is green. Our love will never vanish, just like tortillas and beans." Taos, New Mexico Taos ( / t aʊ s / ) is a town in Taos County , in

2660-447: Is loaded into the cylinder by the retailer, who usually assumes a role also called a "chile roaster", via a hatch in the mesh side. The drum is then turned, either by motor or hand crank, and the chile tumbles within over the flames, ensuring the chile pods are heated on every side as they shed their skins; this ensures the chile skins blister appropriately to allow for easier peeling of the chile. Skins, seeds, and other debris falls through

2755-532: Is planted in New Mexico in March and April, and harvested between July and October for green chile, and between October and December for red chile. Harvest is done by both local farmhands and hired help; and in the Mesilla Valley by seasonal Mexican farmworkers who harvest the chile, and then travel back into Mexico. Because the plants are delicate and produce fruits continuously until the frost, and because

2850-512: Is related to the 'New Mexico No. 6 and 9', but when grown out of state they have a higher variability rate. The name 'Anaheim' derives from Emilio Ortega, a farmer who brought the seeds from New Mexico to the Anaheim, California , area in 1894. The chile "heat" of 'Anaheim' chile varies from 500 to 2,500 on the Scoville scale . In Colorado , 'Numex Mirasol' chile peppers are grown near

2945-708: Is site of other performances and lectures. The Town of Taos Convention Center offers a venue for other local performances. The Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival was a film festival held in the town from the mid-1990s to 2003. The festival's top prize was 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land. The Carson National Forest and Rio Grande del Norte National Monument provide many opportunities for recreation, such as hiking, skiing, fly fishing, horseback riding, golfing, hot air ballooning, llama trekking , rafting, and mountain biking. The South Boundary National Recreation trail, east of town in Carson National Forest,

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3040-628: Is the 'Anaheim' pepper which is extremely resilient in multiple altitudes. An aspect of the New Mexico chile plants regards reintroducing seeds from their heritage soil, since each successive generation becomes susceptible to disease and loss of flavor. Therefore, local chile farmers usually order seeds from their heritage soils, every few generations, to reinvigorate their crop. This allows New Mexico chile growers to perpetuate successful productions. New Mexico chile plants grown in New Mexico are valued for their flavor, texture, and hardiness due to their growing environment. The plants were originally grown by

3135-551: Is used for the pepper. In New Mexican English , however, chile (chill-ee) refers to the fruit, while chili refers only to a meat-based dish known as Texas chili con carne . "Green chile chili" is chili con carne made with green chile. The word chile , as used in "green chile", "red chile", or by itself, is also used in lay terms to refer specifically to the New Mexico variety, while other varieties are referred to as peppers (e.g. jalapeño pepper, ghost pepper). Many organizations, including farmers, breeders, consumers, and even

3230-575: The Chile Pepper Institute in 1992 at New Mexico State University to study New Mexico's state vegetable and peppers from around the world. New Mexico chile is exported worldwide to Europe , Australia , and Japan , among other places. Fruits of New Mexico chile plants are grown from seeds – and each individual strain is specifically bred and grown to be disease-resistant and provide consistent and healthy plants within their specific regions. Altitude, climate, soil, and acreage affects

3325-555: The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and seasonal Taos resident, runs a studio three blocks from the plaza. In addition to the studio having capacity to seat 60, there is also a two bedroom living space. In addition to her and her husband's own performances, the studio has hosted poetry readings, presentations and performance from local Taoseñas and fellows from the Wurlitzer Foundation. Many of

3420-768: The San Francisco de Asis Mission Church . About 20 miles (32 km) northwest is the D. H. Lawrence Ranch (originally known as the Kiowa Ranch and now owned by the University of New Mexico ), the home of the English novelist in the 1920s. It is believed that his ashes are buried there at the D. H. Lawrence Memorial. There are three art museums in Taos: Harwood Museum of Art , Taos Art Museum and Millicent Rogers Museum that provide art from

3515-590: The Santa Fe Railyard where the railroad shared a station with the 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) New Mexico Central Railway , and also at the line's northern terminal. The original terminal facilities in Santa Fe included a three-stall engine house and a coal shed on the tail of a wye opposite a two-story island depot. These facilities were later replaced by infrastructure capable of tendering petroleum-fueled engines and

3610-523: The Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages. Initially, relations of the Spanish settlers with Taos Pueblo were amicable, but resentment of meddling by missionaries, and demands by encomenderos for tribute, led to a revolt in 1640; Taos Indians killed their priest and a number of Spanish settlers and subsequently fled the pueblo, not returning until 1661. In 1680, Taos Pueblo joined

3705-553: The Taos Plaza honoring the feast of the two patron saints of Taos, Santa Ana and Santiago. It is normally celebrated the third weekend of July. A commemorative mass and procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church officially opens the event on Friday evening, followed with the crowning of the Fiestas Queen. The celebration continues with musical and dance performances scheduled on the plaza every hour. Two parades are staged,

3800-532: The "Padre of Isleta", first served as a priest in Taos before leaving for Isleta in 1891. Beginning in 1899, artists began to settle in Taos; six formed the Taos Society of Artists in 1915. In time, the Taos art colony developed. Many paintings were made of local scenes, especially of Taos Pueblo and activities there, as the artists often modelled Native Americans from the pueblo in their paintings. Some of

3895-434: The 2010 census Taos had a population of 5,716. The median age was 44. The ethnic and racial composition of the population was 40.1% non-Hispanic white, 0.7% African American, 1% Asian, 5.3% Native American, 0.3% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 5.4% reporting two or more races and 51.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,700 people, 2,067 households, and 1,157 families residing in

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3990-650: The D&;RG and the New Mexico Central Railway opened Santa Fe Union Station on a site adjacent to the AT&;SF's depot . The new station replaced an older one on the north side of the Santa Fe River next to the D&RG's terminal facilities. The D&RG was interested, along with others, in connecting Taos to its system, but surveys indicated that such a connection was not feasible. Instead

4085-611: The D&RG publicly signed a restrictive territorial agreement that prevented the southward expansion of the D&RG beyond Española , where service began on New Year's Eve 1880, for ten years. To fill the approximately 35-mile (56 km) gap the Texas, Santa Fe and Northern Railroad (TSF&N) was formed. The long-term plans of the TSF&;N called for the construction of a 1,258-mile (2,025 km) railroad spanning from Texas to Utah . The company proposed to first connect Española to

4180-651: The D&RGW's famous network in the Rocky Mountains . Prior to the conflict, the D&RG had built tracks over La Veta Pass to Alamosa in the San Luis Valley . By 1880 narrow gauge tracks were in place as far south as Antonito and the construction of a line towards Albuquerque was underway. The AT&SF reached Santa Fe (as a branch of its main line) in February 1880. In March the AT&;SF and

4275-515: The Hallack & Howard Lumber Company for finished lumber products. A line along the Rio Chama from Chamita to the D&RG's San Juan Extension was under construction, with a railbed built as far as Abiquiú . This line started at a wye junction north of the depot at Española and immediately south of the Chili Line's Rio Chama trestle, however, no track was ever laid beyond the wye. In 1903

4370-534: The Hatch Valley, also grow award-winning chile. Towns and cities across New Mexico have strong chile traditions, including Hatch, Chimayó , Española , Lemitar , and San Antonio ; and in the Albuquerque metropolitan area from Albuquerque , Bosque , Corrales , Los Ranchos de Albuquerque , and Bosque Farms . Hatch chile refers to varieties of species of the genus Capsicum which are grown in

4465-425: The Hatch Valley, an area stretching north and south along the Rio Grande from Arrey, New Mexico , in the north to Tonuco Mountain to the southeast of Hatch, New Mexico . The soil and growing conditions in the Hatch Valley create a unique terroir which contributes to the flavor of chile grown there. Most of the varieties of chile cultivated in the Hatch Valley have been developed at New Mexico State University over

4560-568: The New Mexico Department of Tourism make efforts to educate the general public about the differences in spelling within the state, as using chili while referring to New Mexican chile may be taken as an insult to some locals. US Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico made this spelling official as chile for the fruit, by entering it into the Congressional Record . None of these spellings should be confused with

4655-798: The Pueblo Native Americans, Taos Society of Artists and modern and contemporary artists of the Taos art colony . The town has more than 80 art galleries, and there are several houses of the Taos Society of Artists . There are several local venues for the performing arts in Taos. The Taos Center for the Arts (TCA) draws nationally renowned and local performers at the Taos Community Auditorium. They also present independent film series. Three chamber music groups perform at TCA: Taos School of Music, Taos Chamber Music Group, and Music from Angel Fire. The Harwood Museum of Art

4750-525: The Puebloans, and each of their distinct Pueblo plants grows best in its heritage soil. This same trend has continued with other New Mexico chile varietals grown by Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers. Among New Mexico-grown chile, the ones with the most accolades are grown along the Rio Grande, especially along the Hatch Valley. Multiple other locations in the Rio Grande Valley , outside of

4845-696: The Rio Fernando del Taos- Rio Pueblo del Taos Watershed. Just to the west of Taos is the Rio Grande Gorge , cutting through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field and crossed by the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge , now a part of U.S. Route 64 . The elevation of the town is 6,969 feet (2,124 m). Just north of Taos is Wheeler Peak , at 13,161 feet (4,011 m), the highest point in New Mexico. Taos has

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4940-428: The Spanish arrived, they introduced European cultivation techniques to the chile plants, and eventually created cultivars in their towns. The New Mexican type cultivars were developed by the horticulturist Fabián García, whose major release was the ' New Mexico No. 9 ' chile pepper in 1913. Earlier work was done by Emelio Ortega (see section "Anaheim Pepper" below). These cultivars are "hotter" than others to suit

5035-456: The area are additional alternative and private schools: Chrysalis Alternative School, Sped Discipline, Yaxche Private School, Taos Christian Academy, and San Francisco De Asis School. The Bureau of Indian Education -operated Taos Day School is in nearby Taos Pueblo . Dallas -based Southern Methodist University operates a 295-acre (119 ha) campus at Fort Burgwin in Taos. Albuquerque -based University of New Mexico (UNM) operates

5130-775: The artists' studios have been preserved and may be viewed by visitors to Taos. These include the Ernest L. Blumenschein House , the Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios , and the Nicolai Fechin house, all of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Influential later 20th-century Taos artists include R. C. Gorman and Agnes Martin . A number of Foundations host artist residencies in Taos including

5225-483: The availability of the fruit. A chile roaster consists of a drum with the long side of heavy gauge steel diamond mesh and the ends of thick plate steel discs, mounted horizontally on a frame over powerful propane burners. A shaft usually runs through the center of the drum to act as an axle, a design pioneered by Emilio Ortega while in California. A customer's chile purchase (usually a standard-size produce box-full)

5320-777: The birthplace of the Taos Society of Artists . On Ledoux street, just south of the Taos Plaza, is the Ernest L. Blumenschein House and Harwood House . The center of the Taos Downtown Historic District is the Taos Plaza. Just west of that is the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church . North of the Taos Plaza is the Governor Charles Bent House and the Taos Inn . Further north in Taos The Bernard Beimer House. On

5415-438: The bottom of the drum. This process is the most popular method since it offers a physical display of the chile; it offers the sound of the chile crackling, and the sight of the blistering and falling skins, accompanied by the widely distributed smell of the roasting peppers which has become a staple during the early New Mexican autumn, as well as the state's official aroma. The skins of the roasted peppers are inedible, and peeling

5510-589: The chile to prepare them for freezer storage is a traditional family communal activity. Some people eat the fresh roasted chile as a snack, but the Chile Pepper Institute recommends cooking them to 165 °F (74 °C) before consuming to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens . Horno -roasting chile, while done less often, is a more traditional method. A more common method is simply roasting over an open flame on gas stove-tops and grills. The chile roasting season in New Mexico lasts until

5605-415: The choices of chile sauce typically offered at local restaurants and is usually asked as quoted. To answer "Christmas" is to choose both red and green on the same dish, an option originally suggested by waitress Martha Rotuno at Tia Sophia's restaurant in Santa Fe. Chile is also one of the official state vegetables of New Mexico and the scent of "roasting green chile" is the official state aroma . One of

5700-643: The city of Pueblo, where they are known as "Pueblo chile". These should not be confused with the ancient chile varieties grown by the Puebloan peoples . On July 12, 2021, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station started growing New Mexico chile from seeds packaged in soil on Earth, in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH). 'Numex Española Improved' was chosen from more than two dozen varieties for its performance in testing environments. The peppers were grown aboard

5795-473: The construction of its own east-west transcontinental route , the D&RG had to look for alternative routes to the south as its conflict with the ATSF festered. The conflict eventually resulted in the D&RG shifting its attention to lucrative mining opportunities to the west. Palmer's "dream of a road to Mexico City finally went glimmering" but the line along the Rio Grande became the exotic southern extent of

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5890-662: The course of the Rio Grande for much of the distance. As early as 1878 it was reasoned that such a route would not be possible, but Palmer did receive a concession in September 1880 from the Mexican government to build a different north-south line, the National Railroad of Mexico . Initially planning to access the Territory of New Mexico via Raton Pass , a route that the AT&SF had already begun grading for

5985-531: The early 1800s. Mexico ceded the region to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after the Mexican–American War . After the U.S. takeover of New Mexico in 1847, Hispanics and American Indians in Taos staged a rebellion, known as the Taos Revolt , in which the newly appointed U.S. Governor, Charles Bent , was killed. New Mexico was a territory of the United States beginning in 1850 and became

6080-503: The early 1900s. Freight trains pulled by class C-19 2-8-0s carried livestock, wool, fruit, chili, beans, sugar, flour, manufactured goods, timber coal, petroleum products, cement, minerals and ores. Heavier rail was laid in 1928 so Rio Grande class K-28 2-8-2s could replace the older locomotives and eliminate need for helper engines . In later years a daily mixed train typically operated providing connections at Alamosa to an overnight standard gauge train to and from Denver. A meal stop

6175-407: The first freeze of the year, which usually occurs in late October. Sacks of green chile often contain many red chiles as it gets later in the season. This mixed chile is called autumn roast, or chile pintado in Spanish, and is a local favorite for many people. Though most New Mexico type peppers are long pod-type peppers, that ripen from green to red, the multitude of New Mexico type cultivars have

6270-424: The greater pueblo-area community. Many of them have modern homes near their fields and live there in the summer months, only staying at their homes within the main North or South pueblo buildings during cooler weather. About 150 people live within the main pueblo buildings year-round. The Taos Pueblo was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Taos was established c.1615 as Don Fernando de Taos , following

6365-410: The historic sites are homes and studios of artists, including the Mabel Dodge Luhan House , Eanger Irving Couse House and Studio—Joseph Henry Sharp Studios , the Nicolai Fechin House , the Leon Gaspard House , and the Ernest Martin Hennings House. Doc Martin's restaurant in the historic Taos Inn was previously the office of Thomas "Doc" Martin while other parts of the inn served as his home and

6460-467: The last 130 years. Hatch chile can be purchased locally in many parts of the Southwest. Some distributors use the "Hatch" name, but do not actually grow and process their chile in the Hatch Valley. To protect Hatch and other New Mexican growers, state legislators passed a 2012 law prohibiting the sale in New Mexico of chile described as "New Mexican" unless grown in New Mexico or came with a prominent "Not grown in New Mexico" disclaimer. Chile grown around

6555-401: The line began its most steep (4%) and twisting climb through the Rio Grande Gorge to Barranca where alternating but steady 1% grades led the line away from the Rio Grande towards Antonito and Alamosa. New Mexico chile New Mexico chile or New Mexican chile (Scientific name: Capsicum annuum ' New Mexico Group '; Spanish : chile de Nuevo México , chile del norte )

6650-432: The line's infrastructure for use on a railroad along the Burma Road in a then embattled Southeast Asia . Despite some local outcry and national media attention the railway was completely dismantled in 1942. As of 2017, the majority of the Chili Line's former right of way is still relatively intact. The socio-economic impact of the Chile Line was important to the farmers and residents of Northern New Mexico. For generations

6745-451: The name of a station 20 miles (32 km) from Taos was restyled Taos Junction in 1915. The line struggled to turn a profit; road transportation began to outcompete the train, and the quality of the timber shipments was low. The railroad continued to operate until the Interstate Commerce Commission approved DRG&W's abandonment in 1941. The line closed amid Santa Fe's annual fiesta in September 1941. The DR&GW proposed reusing some of

6840-523: The nation in chile production with 63,075 short tons (57,221 t) harvested. A certification program was started in 2014, New Mexico Certified Chile, which certifies the growing and sale of New Mexican chile; restaurants and other vendors may display a "New Mexico Certified Chile" placard or window sticker. The program protects New Mexico chile consumers from falsely labeled products, while protecting farmers from potential diminished demand, which allows larger amounts of New Mexico chile to be grown within

6935-462: The nation of Chile (pronounced: CHEE-lay), which has a separate, unrelated etymology. (See: Etymology of Chile ) The first crop of chile of the year usually arrives at retail in New Mexico and surrounding areas by August, which signals the start of "roasting season". Retail establishments around the state, including national chains such as Albertsons and Walmart , set up apparatuses called 'chile roasters' outside, and display signage advertising

7030-518: The north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains . Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Chacón to act as fortified plaza and trading outpost for the neighboring Native American Taos Pueblo (the town's namesake) and Hispano communities, including Ranchos de Taos , Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado , and Arroyo Seco . The town

7125-666: The official license plate designs in New Mexico, the Chile Plate , features red and green chile, and the tagline "Chile Capital of the World" in yellow type. The lamp posts on Elephant Butte Dam 's crest road were lit red and green, a reference to the dam and its reservoir being the source of irrigation and electricity for the chile-growing Hatch region. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish 's "Special Trout Waters" fishing water designations are listed as "Red Chile Waters", "Green Chile Waters", or "Xmas Chile Waters", depending on

7220-508: The pods are easily damaged, machine harvesting of chile is especially difficult. Currently, development, breeding, and engineering is being done to produce a successful chile harvester and machine-harvestable breeds. This puts a limit on the amount of chile that can be economically harvested in New Mexico even if water were unlimited. Of 9,100 acres (3,700 ha) of chile crops planted in 2019, 8,700 were harvested; 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) were harvested as "all red". In 2019, New Mexico led

7315-401: The population. There were 2,067 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.0% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

7410-428: The prestigious Helene Wurlitzer Foundation which began hosting painters, writer, composers, sculptors, poets and filmmakers at Casa Encantado in 1954. Taos is home to more than twenty sites on the National Register of Historic Places . About 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Taos is Taos Pueblo . Picuris Pueblo is located about 25 miles (40 km) south. The Fiestas de Taos is an annual community celebration in

7505-490: The primary mode of production was subsistence farming. The introduction of the railway meant that farmers could now transport their goods to market much faster. Trains would deliver the mail and barrels of potable water from Antonito and San Antonio creeks for sale in localities with severe water shortages. When engineers would pass by towns and blow their whistles, women would bring laundry baskets and collect hot water to do laundry. Brakemen would deliver newspapers from Alamosa to

7600-506: The restrictions in place at the trout fishing location. The village of Hatch, New Mexico , in the Hatch Valley is the center of chile farming in the southwest, and bills itself as the "Chile Capital of the World". The village has hosted an annual "Chile Festival" every summer since 1971. A ristra is an arrangement of drying chile pods. It is a popular decorative design in the state of New Mexico, and in media nationwide as symbol of New Mexican culture. Some households still use ristras as

7695-426: The silhouette of the fruit, has become a symbol of New Mexican cultural identity , and is featured prominently in both food and nonfood corporate logos, in public artworks, media, infrastructure (i.e. bridges, lamp posts, etc.) and traditions around the state. New Mexico is the only state with an official State Question : "Red or green?" and a State Answer : "Red and green" or "Christmas". "Red or green?" refers to

7790-786: The southwestern edge of the Taos Historic district is La Loma Plaza Historic District . East of the plaza on Kit Carson Road is the Kit Carson House . North of Taos is the Turley Mill and Distillery Site and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge . Just outside Taos in Ranchitos is the Martinez Hacienda , the home turned museum of the late Padre Antonio José Martínez . South of Taos is the Ranchos de Taos Plaza with

7885-479: The spacecraft utilizing specially formulated fertilizers, with the fruit later evaluated for flavor, texture, and piquancy. These were the first Capsicum plants grown off of Earth. In October, after tending and pollinating the plants for three months, the astronauts harvested the chile and prepared "space tacos". Green chile is served roasted and peeled, whole or diced, as a powder, and in various sauces. The most common uses are often served diced, or in sauces and

7980-480: The state. When the program was first introduced, it had garnered some criticism, especially in regard to restrictions on farmers who have been growing chile plants from seed lineages more than 400 years old. New Mexico chile has had a significant impact on New Mexico's cuisine , art, cultures, and even its legislature. Just as with the Zia sun symbol , the chile pepper and its shape, the red and green coloration, and even

8075-441: The tastes of New Mexicans in their traditional foods. Selective breeding began with 14 lineages of 'Pasilla' , 'Colorado', and 'Negro' cultivars, from throughout New Mexico and Southern Colorado . These first commercially viable peppers were created to have a "larger, smoother, fleshier, more tapering and shoulderless pod for canning purposes". Paul Bosland, an expert on chile genetics, breeding, and germplasm evaluation, founded

8170-454: The territorial capital and then south to coal fields near Madrid, New Mexico . Work on the link to Santa Fe was stalled for several years because of money problems and the line further south was not built. With new management in place construction resumed in earnest in October 1886 and by January 1887 the narrow gauge tracks from Santa Fe to Española were complete. An excursion train between

8265-815: The times of the Old West. Nearby, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad provides a ride through the Toltec Gorge and Rocky Mountain passes in an authentic narrow-gauge steam railroad . In the winter, many people come to Taos to ski in the mountains. Nearby Wheeler Peak , at 13,161 feet (4,011 m), is the highest peak in New Mexico. The Taos area has four ski areas – Taos Ski Valley , Red River ski area, Sipapu (ski area) and Angel Fire ski area . Other winter activities include hot air ballooning, horseback riding, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, ski skating, ice skating, ice fishing and snowmobiling. As of

8360-443: The town are marketed under the name of the town, and are often sold fresh-roasted in New Mexico and nationwide in late summer and early autumn. Pueblo chile plants have been cultivated by the Puebloan peoples of New Mexico for centuries. The Acoma Pueblo chile is mild, with a lightly flavorful pungency. The Isleta Pueblo chile develops a fruity sweet flavor as it grows into its red chile state. The Zia Pueblo chile develops

8455-429: The town. The population density was 874.5 inhabitants per square mile (337.6/km ). There were 2,466 housing units at an average density of 458.8 per square mile (177.1/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 68.04% White , 0.53% African American , 4.11% Native American , 0.62% Asian , 0.11% Pacific Islander , 21.66% from other races , and 4.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 54.34% of

8550-516: The two cities on January 9, 1887 was attended by 200 people. The TSF&N was absorbed by the Santa Fe Southern Railway in 1889 and by 1895 was a unit of the D&RG as the Rio Grande and Santa Fe Railroad . Only a few branches were constructed along the Chili Line. During the 1880s and 1890s two short timber spurs were built, one from No Agua to Stewart Junction, and another west from Taos Junction to La Madera for use by

8645-401: The various stops free of charge by tossing them from the moving trains. One engineer reportedly would deliver a bone daily from an Alamosa butcher shop to Taos Junction for a "loyal newspaper delivery dog ('Minnie')". The railroad was almost completely narrow gauge ; Palmer had reasoned that the smaller-scale railroads were advantageous in mountainous areas. There was some dual-gauge track in

8740-578: The widespread Pueblo Revolt . After the Spanish Reconquest of 1692, Taos Pueblo continued armed resistance to the Spanish until 1696, when Governor Diego de Vargas defeated the Indians at Taos Canyon. During the 1770s, Taos was repeatedly raided by Comanches who lived on the plains of what is now eastern Colorado . Juan Bautista de Anza , governor of the Province of New Mexico , led

8835-399: Was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males. The median income for

8930-428: Was incorporated in 1934. As of the 2021, its population was 6,567. Taos is the county seat of Taos County. The English name Taos derives from the native Taos language meaning "(place of) red willows". Taos is the principal town of the Taos, NM, Micropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Taos County. The Taos Pueblo , which borders the north boundary of the town of Taos, has been occupied for nearly

9025-440: Was often scheduled at Embudo . In 1890 a trip from Santa Fe to Antonito was scheduled to take eight hours. In 1941 the same trip on train 426 took seven hours and fifteen minutes, an average speed of 17.3 miles per hour (27.8 km/h), nevertheless the trip to Denver was easily much quicker though longer by way of the AT&SF. Just north of Santa Fe's Union Station the line began street running Guadalupe Street before crossing

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