History
La Luz was settled around 1860 by Spaniards fleeing flooding along the Rio Grande near Belen, New Mexico (Gutierrez). The town was originally called Presidio (Threinen), but the name La Luz came about by very practical means. When settlers were arriving to the area, they would light a fire to let those traveling behind them that the way was safe (Gutierrez). The fire generated a light that led the travelers, so the Spanish word for "the light" became what is now La Luz. Though the area was inhabited by Apaches, these settlers found a place where they could settle that offered water without the flooding that came with living on the Rio Grande.
Website by J. Harris