City of Albuquerque
Alburquerque; present-day Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, 33rd largest city, and 61st largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of 816,811 as of July 1, 2006.
Surronded by such natural beauty as the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande
Albuquerque was founded in 1706 by the Spanish and named by Don Francisco Cuervo the provincial governor in honour of Don Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, Duke of Albuquerque. As a farming comuntity and military outpost, Albuquerque (Old Town) was built with a central plaza in a traditional Spaniish village style. Open to the public today and one of the cities most popular tourist stops.
In 1926 Route 66 ran north-south along 4th St. It was realigned in 1937 in a east-west direction along Central Ave.
Information found at en.wikipedia.org
City of Rio Rancho
http://www.nm-riorancho.civicplus.com
Rio Rancho is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S and forth largest in New Mexico. As of the 2006 census estimate population is 71,607 and expected to reach 125,000 by 2010.
The Rio Racho area was originally part of the Alameda Gtant, which was founded by the Spanish in 1710. By the early twentieth century, much of the land grant had been sold to land investment companies. AMREP Southwest, Inc. purchased 55,000 acres (220 km²) in 1961 and turned the land into a housing development called "Rio Rancho Estates"
Since the 1990s, Rio Rancho has taken steps to become more independent from neighboring Albuquerque, including the establishment of separate school and library systems and attempts to attract businesses to the area. The city's latest project is the Downtown City Centre development that includes a new city hall building and a multipurpose arena, Santa Ana Star Center.
Information found at en.wikipedia.org
City of Corrales
It is a part of the Albuquerque metropolitan area. With proximity to the Rio Grande, the village was founded for agricultural purposes. The Rio Grande Bosque on the eastern edge of the village provides refuge for native animals and plants. The village fights hard to maintain its rural character in light of being surrounded by rapidly growing cities.
Information found at en.wikipedia.org
City of Los Lunas
Los Lunas has a rich and colorful history. Located on the San Clemente Grant, it was given to Don Felix Candelaria in 1716, two years after his mother petitioned for the land. Shortly after Don Candelaria received the grant, the Luna family made claim to the grant and then took possession.
Antonio Jose Luna was born in 1808 and is sometimes referred to as the father of Los Lunas. He became a civic and political leader and married Isabella Baca, daughter of a prominent family from Belen, a community ten miles south of Los Lunas.
Information found at www.loslunasnm.gov
City of Belen
Belén was founded in 1740 when the town was settled by two Spaniards named Captain Don Diego Torrés and Antonio Salazar, who was Torrés' bother-in-law. They named the town Belén, Spanish for Bethlehem, in honor of that town.
The forty families who founded Belén were the beginning of a community based on agriculture. By the 19th century, Belén's economy had expanded into sheep herding and the town was slowly growing.
After New Mexico became a territory of the United States in 1846, immigrants began arriving and the Belén area began to develop as a mercantile center with trade base extending west to the Arizona line and east to the Estancia Valley.