Mora County, New Mexico
| Mora County, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
Mora County Courthouse in Mora
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|
 Location in the U.S. state of New Mexico |
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 New Mexico's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1860 |
| Seat | Mora |
| Largest village | Wagon Mound |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,934 sq mi (5,009 km2) |
| • Land | 1,931 sq mi (5,001 km2) |
| • Water | 2.3 sq mi (6 km2), 0.1% |
| Population | |
| • (2010) | 4,881 |
| • Density | 2.5/sq mi (1/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Website | countyofmora |
Mora County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,881. Its county seat is Mora.
Prior to Spanish conquest, the Mora area was Indian country. Although not an area of heavy Indian settlement by such tribes as the Pueblo Indians, the Mora valley was much used by nomadic tribes: the Utes, Navajos and Apache.
The Mora Valley then became a travel-way for various Spanish explorers and others. It was not settled until the early part of the 19th century. The history of the settlement of Mora dates to 1817 when a group of settlers petitioned for a priest.
The next significant event was the Mexican Land Grant through which on September 28, 1835 Governor Albino Pérez, the governor of the New Mexico Territory, gave land title for over 800,000 acres (3,200 km²) to some 25 families.
"Mora" is actually today three plazas and three villages; Mora, Cleveland (originally San Antonio), and Chacon. Holman (originally Agua Negra) lies between Chacon and Cleveland.
Historical and genealogical records for Mora are difficult to obtain for a number of reasons. One is that US Army forces entered the area in 1848 and destroyed Mora while quashing Native American rebellion; most of the archives were lost. "Not until artillery was brought up (by the United States Army) and Mora practically destroyed did the insurgents yield." A US Government Proclamation at the time (February 15, 1847) wrote that the US Army " proceeded with a body of men and one canon to Moro and razed the towns (Upper and Lower Moro) to the ground."
In April 2013, Mora County became the first county in the United States to ban oil and gas drilling on both public and private lands.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,934 square miles (5,010 km2), of which 1,931 square miles (5,000 km2) is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) (0.1%) is water. The highest point in the county is the summit of Truchas Peak at 13,102'.
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,180 people, 2,017 households, and 1,397 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 2,973 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.88% White, 0.10% Black or African American, 1.14% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 36.97% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races. 81.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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