NARA VISA

NAME: Nara Visa COUNTY: Quay ROADS: 2WD GRID: 6 CLIMATE: Snow in Winter. Warm Summers. BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round

COMMENTS: Semi-Ghost. Population of 104 current residents. Most businesses closed. Lots of intact buildings including a gas station and tavern. Also lots of vintage cars and trucks rusting away. Post office established in 1902 still open. REMAINS: Disentegrating buildings including Chevron station and old tavern. Also rusted antique cars and trucks

Nara Visa, New Mexico, in the southwest United States, may have been named for an Hispanic sheepherder whose last name was "Narvaez". In the 1880's, the nearest English-speakers could get to pronouncing his names was something like "Senor Narvis". "Narvas" was further mispronounced as "Nara Visa". The local creek became known as "Nara Visa Creek". When the railroad arrived in 1901, the place became officially known as "Nara Visa". Officials of the post office, which opened in 1902, also agreed to the name. Quay County was created in February, 1903, named for Matthew S. Quay, a U. S. Senator from Pennsylvania who championed the fight for statehood for the New Mexico Territory.. Submitted by: Mark Dierker

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