Los Lunas Water System

Los Lunas Water System Municipal Water Report Info

Los Lunas possesses a fascinating historical legacy. Located on the San Clemente Grant, this land was originally awarded to Don Felix Candelaria in 1716, just two years after his mother petitioned for it. Shortly thereafter, the Luna family claimed rights to the grant and established their presence in the area.

Antonio Jose Luna, born in 1808, is often recognized as the founding father of Los Lunas. He emerged as both a civic and political leader, eventually marrying Isabella Baca from a prominent family in Belen, a community ten miles south. Their son Salomon later married Adelaida Otero, granddaughter of Antonio Jose Otero from Valencia, creating a powerful alliance between two influential Republican families who dominated Valencia County politics for nearly a century.

Through the Luna family's considerable influence, the county seat relocated from Tome to Los Lunas in 1876. When the Santa Fe Railroad arrived, a depot was constructed that facilitated livestock transportation, feed delivery, supplies, and general merchandise. This station also served as a telegraph communication hub and provided passenger and baggage services.

The Village of Los Lunas officially incorporated in 1928 with Antonio J. Archuleta serving as the first mayor. Electricity reached the area in the early 1930s, while water and sewer infrastructure followed later that decade when the population was recorded at 513 residents. For many years, the Village Hall occupied the building that now houses the public library, before relocating to a new facility in the mid-1990s that accommodates administration, police, and council chambers.