Belen in Valencia County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
"Bethlehem"
Belen, New Mexico
Photographed by James Hulse, April 10, 2025
1. "Bethlehem" Marker
Inscription.
"Bethlehem". Belen, New Mexico. In 1740, Belen, the Spanish word for Bethlehem, was founded on the west bank of the Rio Grande by Captain Don Diego Torres and his brother-in-law, Antonio Salazar. Subsistence farming and ranching was the mainstay of the region until the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1881. In 1908, the Belen Cut-Off was built to reduce rail grades through the Rocky Mountains easing rail transit from Chicago to California. Situated on the main transcontinental rail route linking the Eastern United States to the West, the Cut-Off established Belen as the Rail "hub" of New Mexico and brought commerce and prosperity to Valencia County and the region. The rail yard contained miles of track, a roundhouse, an ice plant and the depot. In 1918, after New Mexico attained statehood, Belen became a Village and in 1940, a Town. The current City of Belen was incorporated in 1966. Every year on Thanksgiving weekend, we celebrate our culture and history with an electric light parade and by illuminating the City with thousands of lights.
In 1740, Belen, the Spanish word for Bethlehem, was founded on the west bank of the Rio Grande by Captain Don Diego Torres and his brother-in-law, Antonio Salazar. Subsistence farming and ranching was the mainstay of the region until the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1881. In 1908, the Belen Cut-Off was built to reduce rail grades through the Rocky Mountains easing rail transit from Chicago to California. Situated on the main transcontinental rail route linking the Eastern United States to the West, the Cut-Off established Belen as the Rail "hub" of New Mexico and brought commerce and prosperity to Valencia County and the region. The rail yard contained miles of track, a roundhouse, an ice plant and the depot. In 1918, after New Mexico attained statehood, Belen became a Village and in 1940, a Town. The current City of Belen was incorporated in 1966. Every year on Thanksgiving weekend, we celebrate our culture and history with an electric light parade and by illuminating the City with thousands of lights.
Location. 34° 39.652′ N, 106° 46.598′ W. Marker is in Belen, New Mexico, in Valencia County. It is at the intersection of South Main Street and Dalies Ave, on the left when traveling south on South Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 S Main St, Belen NM 87002, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Rio Grande Valley and in Greater Albuquerque. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds
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itself in what was once New Spain and also the Republic of Texas.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 124 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on June 8, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
