New Mexico Ghost Towns

 

NUTRIAS  

 

County: Rio Arriba  

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Year Established: Approx 1890 

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Year Abandoned: Unkown 

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Location: 9 Miles south of Tierra Amarilla, 2 miles east of US 84

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About: While not as well-known as some of New Mexico's larger ghost towns, Nutrias offers a glimpse into the past of these early, resilient communities in northern New Mexico.

 

Nutrias is a fascinating ghost town located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Its name comes from the Rio Nutrias, a westward-flowing stream whose name is an archaic Spanish term for "beavers river," due to the presence of beavers in its pools. 

 

Like many communities in Rio Arriba County, its early history is tied to land grants and settlement by farmers and herders. These communities often faced challenges such as Ute raids, leading to periods of abandonment and re-inhabitation.

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While the exact abandonment date for Nutrias is unknown, it's generally considered a ghost town. Many New Mexico ghost towns were either mining communities that boomed and then faded, or farming communities that silently dwindled.

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Not much is left of the original settlement, primarily a cemetery (Saint Rita Catholic Cemetery) and one or two unknown structures.

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Remains: Not much left but the cemetery and one building. 

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