Historical Marker
Saint Vrain’s Mill
This stone building is one of the finest examples of the water-powered flour mills established along the Mora River in the mid-nineteenth century. This mill was constructed about 1864. It is one of several built by Ceran St. Vrain, a French Canadian who came to New Mexico in the 1820s. St. Vrain was one of the region’s most prominent merchants when he died in Mora in 1870.
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.