Nara Visa

The name is a Spanish surname heard through English. A sheepherding family named Narvaez lived along the creek in the 1880s, and newcomers turned the name into Nara Visa. The school the panel praises was built by J. Champ Berry of Amarillo for about $3,500 and dedicated on September 22, 1921, and it taught children until 1968. The adobe gym came later than the panel's 1935: the National Register dates the WPA work to 1936 and 1937, in bricks made without straw. Its auditorium has hosted a yearly cowboy gathering.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Nara Visa Founded 1902 Elevation 4200 ft. The area is rich in prehistoric evi- dence, and home of the buffalo and Plains Indians. Explored by the early Spanish, the area was settled when the Rock Island Railroad was built thru in 1901. The brick building, built in 1921, was home for a fine school. The adobe gym was built in 1935 by WPA laborers. The buildings are listed on the National and State Historic Registers. Now a Commu- nity Center, it is the heart of com- munity activity.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Ute Lake State Park — 24 mi