cor por ated ▁community ▁near ▁the ▁Car son ▁National ▁Forest ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁state ▁of ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁county ▁seat ▁of ▁Rio ▁Ar rib a ▁County . ▁ ▁T ierra ▁Am ar illa ▁is ▁Spanish ▁for ▁" Y ellow ▁So il ". ▁The ▁name ▁refers ▁to ▁cl ay ▁depos its ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Ch ama ▁River ▁Valley ▁and ▁used ▁by ▁Native ▁American ▁pe op les . ▁T ew a ▁and ▁N ava jo ▁to pon ym s ▁for ▁the ▁area ▁also ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁yellow ▁cl ay . ▁ ▁History ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁ 5 0 0 0 ▁years ▁of ▁habit ation ▁in ▁the ▁Ch ama ▁River ▁Valley ▁including ▁pueblo ▁sites ▁south ▁of ▁Ab iqu iu . ▁The ▁area ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁trade ▁route ▁for ▁pe op les ▁in ▁the ▁present - day ▁Four ▁Corn ers ▁region ▁and ▁the ▁Rio ▁Grande ▁Valley . ▁N ava jos ▁later ▁used ▁the ▁valley ▁as ▁a ▁st aging ▁area ▁for ▁ra ids ▁on ▁Spanish ▁settlement s ▁along ▁the ▁Rio ▁Grande . ▁Writ ten ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁T ierra ▁Am ar illa ▁local ity ▁by ▁path find ing ▁Spanish ▁fri ars ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁suitable ▁for ▁past oral ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁use . ▁The ▁route ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁fri ars ▁from ▁Santa ▁Fe ▁to ▁California ▁became ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Tra il . ▁During ▁the ▁Californ ian ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁the ▁area ▁became ▁a ▁st aging ▁point ▁for ▁west ward ▁fortune ▁seek ers