Spanish colonials who settled Taos Valley shortly after 1600 were killed during the 1680 Pueblo uprising, but the Spanish returned in 1696 and eventually reestablished Don Fernando de Taos. By 1820 the village was a trading center frequented by beaver-trapping mountain men. In 1847 Taoseños protesting U.S. occupation during the Mexican War killed territorial governor Charles Bent in his home, now the Governor Bent Museum. A Civil War takeover by Confederate sympathizers was averted when residents, including Army scout Kit Carson, took up arms. In the early 1900s artists attracted by the region’s beauty founded the famed Taos Society of Artists.
Taos’s climate is pleasant year-round, with 70% of possible hours annually filled with sunshine. Winter temperatures can drop as low as 10°F [-12°C], while daytime temperatures in the summer average around 82°F [28°C].
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