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Belen is a small city a short drive south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. We passed through on our drive to Truth or Consequences.
History
Belen was founded as Nuestra Señora de Belén in 1740 by Spanish colonists Diego Torres and Antonio Salazar. Many genízaro families (detribalized Native Americans) were among its first settlers. Spanish authorities established a fort in the settlement in 1760, and the first Catholic parish was founded in 1793. That church was demolished in 1910 and its adobe was used to pave what is now Becker Avenue.
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached the town in 1880, and the Town of Belen was established in 1884. It was officially incorporated as a municipality in 1918. One interesting fact is that the waffle fry slicer was invented in Belen in 1950 by William F. Beavers, owner of B&B Cafe on Becker Avenue.
Today, there’s not much to see in Belen other than a few historic buildings along Becker and Dalies Avenues. There’s a commemorative gate where those two streets intersect with Main Street.
Harvey House Museum
The main reason we stopped in Belen was to visit the Harvey House Museum, which was unfortunately closed. It’s housed in an original Harvey House restaurant built in 1910 by the Fred Harvey Company. It contained a lunchroom, formal dining room, kitchen, bakery, newsstand, and sleeping rooms for the Harvey Girls who served the meals. The restaurant operated until 1939.
The Harvey House Museum contains Harvey House and Santa Fe Railway memorabilia as well as exhibits on town history. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 5pm and is operated by the Belen Public Library. Admission is US$5 (as of August 2023).
