The Taos News - Taos, NM

Newspapers have played a significant role in the town of Taos.Legend has it that, in the early 1830's Padre Antonio José Martinéz of Taos, published a Spanish language journal, El Crepuscúlo de la Libertad.Today, The Taos News' parent company still bears the name El Crepuscúlo, which means dawn.In the 1880's, Nino Valdez, Jr. and Lodren Brown published a Spanish language newspaper, the weekly El Heraldo de Taos, which lasted about four years. Valdez also printed at least two other weeklies between 1880 and the turn of the century with the help of his cousins Ambrocio, Judge Samuel Lavadie and Juan Vigil.An English-language weekly, The Taos Cressett appeared before the end of the 19th century. Published by Frank Staplin, who also ran a publication serving one of the area's many mining camps, the Cressett lasted about three years before Staplin moved on to Santa Fe to start the New Mexico State Record.In 1901, Antonio Baca began La Revista de Taos, which was combined two years later with an English journal, the Taos Valley News by Jose Montaner.Between 1907 and 1912, the Taos Recorder, La Revista Popular and El Buen Publico also left their marks on the publishing market in Taos.By 1934, Herman Baca of Santa Fe had obtained the Taos Valley News and its companion Spanish paper. The two were later consolidated into a journal with a new name the Taos Review, which was acquired and given another name change to El Taosêno by the Wheeler family.In 1948, E. C. Cabot obtained the equipment and promptly changed the name back to El Crepuscúlo. He published under that name for 11 years before selling out to Craig Vincent.The Taos News, a weekly, began in 1959 and was founded by Robert McKinney. It is now owned by Robin McKinney Martin and is presently the only newspaper serving all of Taos County.