Mora Valley (1)

Historical marker location:

State Route 34, Mora vicinity, New Mexico

( north of Mora)

Archaeological evidence indicates that humans have traversed this valley for thousands of years. A number of Pueblo sites dating from the 12th century have been discovered in the vicinity. The valley was permanently settled by Spanish colonists before 1818. By the 1850s, its wheat fields and gristmills supplied the military depot at nearby Fort Union and travelers along the Santa Fe Trail.

During World War II, New Mexico was the site of several top-secret military installations, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the atomic bomb was developed. The laboratory is still one of the largest employers in the state and conducts research in fields such as nuclear energy and national security.