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Lordsburg, New Mexico

Lordsburg is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States. Hidalgo County includes the southern "bootheel" of New Mexico, along the Arizona border. The population was 2,797 at the 2010 census, down from 3,379 in 2000.

History
Lordsburg was founded in 1880 on the route of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Continental Divide Trail starts at the Crazy Cook Monument and travels through Lordsburg. Local lore is that Billy the Kid washed dishes in Lordsburg hotel kitchens such as the Stratford Hotel, and La Fonda, the historic "inn at the end of the Santa Fe Trail" during his teenage years.

New Mexico state song
Lordsburg is the birthplace of the official New Mexico state song, "O Fair New Mexico". It was written by Lordsburg resident Elizabeth Garrett, the blind daughter of famed sheriff Pat Garrett. In 1917, Governor Washington Ellsworth Lindsey signed the legislation making it the official state song. In 1928, John Philip Sousa presented Governor Arthur T. Hannett and the people of New Mexico an arrangement of the state song embracing a musical story of the Indian, the cavalry, the Spanish and the Mexican.

Lordsburg Municipal Airport
The Lordsburg Municipal Airport (KLSB) began operations in the mid-1920's and was the first airport in New Mexico. Initially the airfield was a cleared parcel of land where pilots could takeoff and land in any direction. Dirt runways were later constructed. In 1927, Lordsburg was one of the stops on Charles Lindbergh's transcontinental Spirit of Saint Louis air tour. In the early 1950s the airport was served by the original Frontier Airlines (1950–1986) which flew DC-3s on a route from El Paso to Phoenix that included stops at Las Cruces, Deming, and Lordsburg, as well as Clifton, Safford, and Tucson, Arizona. In the mid-1970's one runway had to be relocated to permit the construction of Interstate 10 around Lordsburg and a new paved runway was then constructed. The airport is owned by the City of Lordsburg and is southeast, about one mile outside the city limits.

World War II
Lordsburg held as many as 1,500 Japanese Americans in a Japanese American internment camp operated by the U.S. Army during World War II. On July 27, 1942, shortly after the Lordsburg Internment Camp was opened, Private First Class Clarence Burleson, a sentry at the facility, allegedly shot two Japanese American internees under questionable circumstances. One of the victims, Hirota Isomura, apparently died instantly. The other, Toshiro Kobata, died before dawn. After a military investigation and court-martial, Burleson was found to have lawfully killed the two men. The camp operated until July 1943. The incident inspired an episode of the new Hawaii 5-0 series, "Ho'oani Makuakane", Episode 4/9 (original air date December 13, 2013).

The camp at Lordsburg also held captured German and Italian soldiers.

Rest stop
For many years, Lordsburg has been a popular rest stop for people traveling to and from the West Coast by car on Interstate 10 and its precursor highway, U.S. Route 80. At 641 mi from downtown Los Angeles, Lordsburg can comfortably be reached by car in less than one day. As Lordsburg had one of the few motels in the Southwest that would accept black guests (El Paso being a notable exception), it was especially popular with black travelers in the mid-20th century during the end of legal segregation.

There are 12 motels and hotels in Lordsburg. Over 300 rooms are available to guests.

Geography
Lordsburg is in northern Hidalgo County, at the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 70. I-10 leads east 60 mi to Deming and 120 mi to Las Cruces, while to the west it leads 155 mi to Tucson, Arizona. US 70 follows I-10 to the east out of Lordsburg but leads northwest 153 mi to its terminus at Globe, Arizona.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Lordsburg has a total area of 21.7 km2, all land.

Climate
Lordsburg has a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), just avoiding designation as a desert climate (BWk).

Typical for the more southerly and lower elevations of the Intermountain West, summers are extremely hot during the daytime, with maxima above 90 F for over four months on an average of 122 afternoons during a full year. 100 F is exceeded on average during 30 afternoons each year, and the record high of 114 F was set during a notorious southwestern heatwave on June 27, 1994. Humidity in early summer is very low, but increases in late summer due to the monsoon, which, between July and early October brings the majority of the year's limited precipitation. From October temperatures cool off rapidly, and by November most mornings are below 32 F, but afternoons remains comfortable to warm all through the winter, with only 10.1 afternoons failing to reach 50 F and only one afternoon every two years not topping freezing. Minima fall below freezing on an average of 108 mornings, but 0 F has been reached only during two exceptional cold waves in January 1962 and December 1978, when the record low of −14 F was reached on the 9th.

Except for the freakishly wet December 1991 when 4.55 in fell from a series of subtropical cyclones, monthly rainfalls above 4.00 in are restricted to the monsoon season: the wettest month between 1971 and 2000 was July 1981 with 5.34 in. The wettest day has been June 28 of 1981 with 3.00 in. Snowfall is very rare; the median for the year is zero and the mean only 3.5 in; with the heaviest snowfall between 1971 and 2000 being of 11.0 in during Christmas and Boxing Days, 1987.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,379 people (2,398 est. 2019 ), 1,220 households, and 854 families residing in the city. The population density was 403.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 168.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 80.70% White, 0.56% African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 13.97% from other races, and 3.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.43% of the population. There were 1,220 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,036, and the median income for a family was $28,026. Males had a median income of $25,952 versus $18,177 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,877. About 28.6% of families and 32.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.5% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

Cultural reference
Lordsburg is the final destination in Stagecoach, the 9th greatest Western film of all time according to the American Film Institute, starring John Wayne in his breakthrough role as the Ringo Kid, and directed by John Ford. In 1995, this film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry.

Education
Lordsburg High School's mascot is the Maverick. Its school colors are orange and black. Students compete in football, volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, cheer, and boys' and girls' track and field, baseball and softball.

Media
Lordsburg once had two radio stations. During the 1960s KLHS broadcast on 950 kHz AM with 1,000 watts days. This station later moved to Bayard, 55 mi northeast of Lordsburg. The FCC later assigned 97.7 to KXKK in the 1980s, now KPSA-FM; this station has since moved to 98.5.

Bus
Greyhound Lines maintains a terminal in Lordsburg.

Airports
Grant County Airport,(49 miles) northeast of Lordsburg.
 * Lordsburg Municipal Airport, private, charter and military (first airport in New Mexico)
 * Tucson International Airport, 150 mi west of Lordsburg, is the nearest public airport with scheduled passenger flights.
 * El Paso International Airport, 170 mi east of Lordsburg

Rail

 * Amtrak's Sunset Limited /Texas Eagle combined train route stops at Lordsburg station 3 times a week in each direction. Eastbound trains depart at 11:43am on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while Westbound trains depart at 4:53pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
 * The Union Pacific Railroad's mainline and the Arizona Eastern Railway with its branch to Clifton, Arizona, serve Lordsburg.

title: Lordsburg, New Mexico


text:
Virden, New Mexico

Virden is a village in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 152 at the 2010 census.

History
Known as Richmond prior to 1916, the area was originally owned by the New Mexico Mining Company, and was the location of a stamp mill for the silver ore mined in nearby Ralston. After the mine was closed, the site was sold in 1916 to Mormons who had left the Mormon Colonies in Chihuahua during the Mexican Revolution. The Mormons renamed the village after the rancher who sold them the land.

Geography
Virden is located near the northern end of Hidalgo County on the north bank of the Gila River. New Mexico State Road 92 passes through the village, leading northwest 7 mi to Duncan, Arizona, and south seven miles to its terminus at U.S. Route 70. Lordsburg, the Hidalgo County seat, is 32 mi southeast of Virden via US 70.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Virden has a total area of 0.6 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 143 people, 48 households, and 38 families residing in the village. The population density was 640.1 PD/sqmi. There were 63 housing units at an average density of 282.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.10% White, 1.40% African American, 1.40% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.29% of the population.

There were 48 households, out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.1% were married couples living together, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.50.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the village was $23,184. There were 2.6% of families and 14.1% of the population living below the poverty line, including 26.1% of under eighteens and 6.7% of those over 64.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Virden, New Mexico


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Eunice, New Mexico

Eunice is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,922 at the 2010 census.

Description
The mayor of Eunice, as of March 2018, was Billy Hobbs. A URENCO USA National Enrichment Facility, which uses Zippe-type centrifuge technology to enrich uranium, has been in operation 5 mi east of Eunice since 2010.

Geography
Eunice is located in southeastern Lea County. It is bypassed to the east by New Mexico State Road 18, which leads north 19 mi to Hobbs, the largest city in the county, and south 23 mi to Jal. State Road 176 runs east-west through the center of Eunice. Carlsbad is 68 mi to the west, and the Texas border is 5.5 mi to the east. Andrews, Texas, is 37 mi east of Eunice via NM-176 and Texas State Highway 176.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Eunice has a total area of 10.2 km2, of which 0.02 sqkm, or 0.22%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,562 people, 942 households, and 709 families residing in the city. The population density was 877.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of 380.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 71.00% White, 1.09% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 24.43% from other races, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.62% of the population.

There were 942 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,722, and the median income for a family was $38,808. Males had a median income of $30,216 versus $21,400 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,373. About 14.2% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Highways

 * NM 18
 * NM 23
 * NM 176
 * NM 207
 * NM 234

Railroad
The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service.

Education
The school district is Eunice Municipal Schools.

Sports
Eunice high school baseball has produced 17 state championships. This record ranks fifth in the nation.

Eunice is the childhood home of Josh Lynn.

title: Eunice, New Mexico


text:
Hobbs, New Mexico

Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 40,508 at the 2020 census, increasing from 34,122 in 2010.

Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Lea County.

History
Hobbs was founded in 1907 when James Isaac Hobbs (1852–1923) established a homestead and named the settlement. In 1910, the Hobbs post office opened, with James Hobbs as the first postmaster. By 1911, about 25 landowners lived in Hobbs.

The small, isolated settlement expanded rapidly following the discovery of oil by the Midwest Oil Company in 1927. A refinery was built the following year, and in 1929, the town of Hobbs was officially incorporated. At the peak of this oil boom, over 12,000 people lived in Hobbs. When the Great Depression hit, oil prices dropped and the population fell to only about 3,000 in 1931. A few years later, though, activity picked up in the oilfields and the population climbed to about 14,000 in 1940.

On June 23, 1938, seven local men were killed and five more injured when an explosive charge used in oil drilling detonated prematurely.

Following the outbreak of World War II, Hobbs Army Airfield was built north of town in 1942. In 1948, the city bought the air base and converted it into the Hobbs Industrial Air Park, which is still used for soaring competitions.

The first college in Hobbs opened in 1956. It was initially the First Baptist College, and in 1962, it became the College of the Southwest. The name was changed again to University of the Southwest in 2008. A second college, New Mexico Junior College, opened in 1966.

An ordinance was passed in Hobbs in November 2022 to prevent abortion clinics from operating.

Geography
Hobbs is in eastern Lea County, less than 4 mi west of the Texas border. U.S. Routes 62/180 pass through the city, leading east 29 mi to Seminole, Texas, and west 69 mi to Carlsbad. State Road 18 also passes through Hobbs, leading northwest 21 mi to Lovington, the Lea county seat, and south 61 mi to Kermit, Texas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Hobbs has a total area of 68.5 km2, of which 0.1 sqkm, or 0.14%, is covered by water. Land in the city drains either east to Seminole Draw or southeast to Monument Draw, both of which are tributaries of Mustang Draw in Texas and ultimately part of the Colorado River watershed.

Climate
Hobbs, like many parts of eastern New Mexico, has a semiarid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk). The city experiences hot summers and chilly winters. With around 70% of precipitation coming in the high solar half of the year, Hobbs may also be defined as a dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa).

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, 40,508 people, 12,028 households, and 8,572 families resided in the city.

2010 census
As of 2010, 33,405 people, 10,040 households, and 7,369 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,514.0 PD/sqmi. The 11,968 housing units averaged 632.3 per mi2 (244.1/km$2$). The racial makeup of the city was 63.5% White, 6.8% African American, 1.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 24.5% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 42.18% of the population.

Of the 10,040 households, 39.8% had children under 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were not families. About 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72, and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city, the age distribution was 30.4% under 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,100, and for a family was $33,017. Males had a median income of $31,352 versus $20,841 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,209. About 20.2% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The largest industries in Hobbs are mining/quarrying and oil and gas extraction, followed by retail trade and educational services. Hobbs is also home to Zia Park, a racetrack, hotel and casino with over 750 slot machines and table games.

Arts and culture

Located in Hobbs are the headquarters of the Soaring Society of America and Zia Park Casino, Hotel, and Racetrack, which offers live and simulcast racing, casino games, dining, and a 154-room hotel. The property is owned and operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc.

Highways

 * US 62 runs east & west
 * NM 18 runs north & south
 * NM 132 runs north

Railroad
The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service.

Airport
Lea County Regional Airport serves Hobbs with one commercial passenger airline flying to it.

Education

 * University of the Southwest is a private, four-year Christian university
 * New Mexico Junior College is a public junior college
 * Hobbs Municipal Schools is the local school district.
 * Hobbs High School

Notable people

 * Tony Benford, assistant coach with TCU's men's basketball team
 * Ryan Bingham, country singer/songwriter
 * Ray Birmingham, national champion collegiate baseball coach
 * Bill Bridges, professional basketball player
 * James O. Browning, federal judge
 * Diane Denish, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico
 * Tharon Drake, swimmer, U.S. Paralympic medalist 2016
 * Rob Evans, former head basketball coach at the University of Mississippi and Arizona State University
 * Colt McCoy, NFL quarterback
 * Steve Pearce, former Republican congressman for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district
 * Guy Penrod, gospel singer
 * Timmy Smith, former NFL player
 * Ralph Tasker, high school basketball coach
 * Jeff Taylor and son Jeffery Taylor, professional basketball players
 * Harry Teague, former Democratic congressman for New Mexico's 2nd congressional district
 * Scott Terry, former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds
 * Polo Urias, singer

title: Hobbs, New Mexico


text:
Nocturne

A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night.

History
The term nocturne (from French nocturne "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensemble piece in several movements, normally played for an evening party and then laid aside. Sometimes it carried the Italian equivalent, notturno, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Notturno in D, K.286, written for four lightly echoing separated ensembles of paired horns with strings, and his Serenata Notturna, K. 239. At this time, the piece was not necessarily evocative of the night, but might merely be intended for performance at night, much like a serenade. The chief difference between the serenade and the notturno was the time of the evening at which they would typically be performed: the former around 9:00 pm, the latter closer to 11:00 pm.

In its form as a single-movement character piece usually written for solo piano, the nocturne was cultivated primarily in the 19th century. The first nocturnes to be written under the specific title were by the Irish composer John Field, generally viewed as the father of the Romantic nocturne that characteristically features a cantabile melody over an arpeggiated, even guitar-like accompaniment. However, the most famous exponent of the form was Frédéric Chopin, who wrote 21 of them. Later composers to write nocturnes for the piano include Gabriel Fauré, Alexander Scriabin, Erik Satie (1919), Francis Poulenc (1929), as well as Peter Sculthorpe. In the movement entitled 'The Night's Music' ('Musiques nocturnes' in French) of Out of Doors for solo piano (1926), Béla Bartók imitated the sounds of nature. It contains quiet, eerie, blurred cluster-chords and imitations of the twittering of birds and croaking of nocturnal creatures, with lonely melodies in contrasting sections. American composer Lowell Liebermann has written eleven Nocturnes for piano, of which No.6 was arranged by the composer as Nocturne for Orchestra. Other notable nocturnes from the 20th century include those from Michael Glenn Williams, Samuel Barber and Robert Helps.

Other examples of nocturnes include the one for orchestra from Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream (1848), the set of three for orchestra and female choir by Claude Debussy (who also wrote one for solo piano) and the first movement of the Violin Concerto No. 1 (1948) by Dmitri Shostakovich. French composer Erik Satie composed a series of five small nocturnes. These were, however, far different from those of Field and Chopin. In 1958, Benjamin Britten wrote a Nocturne for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings, and the third movement of his Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (1943) is also titled "Nocturne".

Nocturnes are generally thought of as being tranquil, often expressive and lyrical, and sometimes rather gloomy, but in practice pieces with the name nocturne have conveyed a variety of moods: the second of Debussy's orchestral Nocturnes, "Fêtes", for example, is very lively, as are parts of Karol Szymanowski's Nocturne and Tarantella (1915) and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji's Symphonic Nocturne for Piano Alone (1977–78).

Principal composers of nocturnes

 * Charles-Valentin Alkan: five for solo piano
 * Anton Stepanovich Arensky: two nocturnes for piano, each part of a set: No. 1 from Six Pieces, Op. 5 (1884); No. 3 from Twenty-four Characteristic Pieces, Op. 36 (1894); a nocturne for two pianos, no. 8 from Variations (Suite No. 3), Op. 33
 * Arno Babajanyan: his nocturne, a lyrical piece in easy listening genre and a song performed by Muslim Magomayev, is one of his most popular works
 * Mily Balakirev: 3 for solo piano
 * Samuel Barber: the last of Four Songs, for voice and piano, Op. 13 (1938–40) is titled "Nocturne" (to a text by Frederic Prokosch), and this song also exists in a version with orchestra; Nocturne (Homage to John Field), for piano, Op. 33 (1959)
 * William Basinski: Nocturnes
 * Arnold Bax: Nocturnes, for soprano and orchestra (1911)
 * Jackson Berkey: 24 Nocturnes for solo piano and Four Nocturnes for Orchestra
 * Georges Bizet: Premier nocturne en fa majeur Op. 2 and Nocturne in D major.
 * Alexander Borodin: his String Quartet No. 2 third movement Notturno contains one of his most popular melodies (1881)
 * Lili Boulanger: Nocturne pour violon et piano (1911)
 * Benjamin Britten: Nocturne, from On This Island, Op. 11
 * Frédéric Chopin: 21 for solo piano
 * Carl Czerny: 17 for solo piano
 * Claude Debussy: 3 for orchestra and choir, one for solo piano
 * Norman Dello Joio: Two Nocturnes, for piano (E major, F♯ major, 1946)
 * Antonin Dvořák: Nocturne in B for string orchestra (1883)
 * Roger Evernden: 10 Nocturnes for solo piano (2019)
 * Gabriel Fauré: 13 for solo piano
 * John Field: originator of the piano nocturne, wrote 18 of them
 * Irving Fine: Notturno, for strings and harp (1950–51)
 * Mikhail Glinka: three nocturnes: E-flat major, "La Separation" in F minor, "Le Regret" (lost)
 * Louis Moreau Gottschalk: four for piano solo, "Pensée poétique" (1852–53), "Solitude" (1856), "Murmures Eoliens" (1860), "La chute des feuilles" (1860)
 * Edvard Grieg: the fourth piece of his Lyric Pieces, Op 54 is a nocturne
 * Arthur Honegger: Nocturne for orchestra (1936, partly based on music from ballet Sémiramis)
 * Vasily Kalinnikov: Nocturne in F♯ minor, for piano (1894)
 * Jan Kalivoda: Six Nocturnes for Viola and Piano, op. 186
 * Friedrich Kalkbrenner: 4 nocturnes for solo piano
 * Kevin Keller: 10 nocturnes for piano and treatments
 * Ignace Leybach: now known only for his Fifth Nocturne
 * Lowell Liebermann: 11 for solo piano and Nocturne for Orchestra
 * Malcolm Lipkin: Eight Nocturnes for solo piano (1987-2006)
 * Franz Liszt: one for solo piano entitled En rêve ('In a dream' or 'While dreaming'), plus his collection of three Liebesträume (Love Dreams), a series of three Notturnos, of which no.3 is the most famous, Les cloches de Genève: Nocturne (The Bells of Geneva: Nocturne) in B major
 * Sergei Lyapunov: Nocturne, for solo piano, in D-flat major, op. 8
 * Donald Martino: Notturno, for six instrumentalists (1973, winner of the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for Music)
 * Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote the incidental music, for William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream
 * Johann Kaspar Mertz: 3 Nocturnes for Guitar, opus 4.
 * Ernest John Moeran: Nocturne, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra (1934, text by Robert Nichols)
 * Andrzej Panufnik: Nocturne for orchestra (1947, rev. 1955)
 * Francis Poulenc: eight for solo piano (1929)
 * Sergei Rachmaninoff: three for solo piano (1887–1888) and one Op. 10 No. 1 from Morceaux de Salon (1894)
 * Ottorino Respighi: one piano nocturne as part of his Six Piano Pieces R.44 (1904)
 * Erik Satie: five for solo piano (1919)
 * Maria Schneider: Nocturne, on her album Allégresse (2000)
 * Clara Schumann (Clara Josephine Wieck): Nocturne in F major Op.6 No.2 from Soirées Musicales (1819–1896)
 * Robert Schumann: four Nachtstücke
 * Alexander Scriabin: four nocturnes, including one written for the left hand only (opus 9, 1894)
 * Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: over 30 for solo piano
 * Maria Agata Szymanowska: Nocturne in B-flat and Nocturne Le Murmure
 * Alexandre Tansman: Four Nocturnes, for piano (1952)
 * Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Nocturne (No. 4 of Six Pieces, Op. 19) (1873), and Tchaikovsky's arrangement for cello with small orchestra for Anatoly Brandukov, from a transcription for Wilhelm Fitzenhagen (1888)
 * Sigismond Thalberg: 7 nocturnes for piano (Opp. 16, 21, 28, 51 and 1 without op. number)
 * Edgard Varèse: Nocturnal, for soprano, bass, chorus, and small orchestra (text from Anaïs Nin: The House of Incest, 1961), and Nocturnal II (Nuit), for soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, 1 or 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, percussion, and double bass (text from Anaïs Nin: The House of Incest, 1961–65)
 * Ralph Vaughan Williams: Three Nocturnes, for baritone, semi-chorus, and orchestra (text by Walt Whitman, 1908); "nocturne", the first of Three Poems by Walt Whitman (1925)
 * Heitor Villa-Lobos: Nocturne for solo piano, from Hommage à Chopin (1947)
 * Almeida Prado: 14 nocturnes for solo piano (1985-1991)

Popular music

 * Eden: One on his debut EP End Credits
 * Maxence Cyrin: ten on his 2014 album Nocturnes (Solo Piano)
 * Earle Hagen (and Dick Rogers): Harlem Nocturne (1939)
 * Joe Jackson: One on his 1987 album Will Power, four on his 1994 album Night Music
 * Billy Joel: One on his 1971 album Cold Spring Harbor
 * Warren Zevon: One on his 1987 album Sentimental Hygiene
 * Kate Bush: One on her 2005 album Aerial, Side Sky of Honey
 * Wild Nothing: Nocturne (2012)
 * Tesseract: One on their 2013 album Altered State
 * Jay Chou: One on his 2005 album November's Chopin
 * Vangelis: Nocturne: The Piano Album (2019)
 * Daniel Liam Glyn: Electronic / Ambient concept album Nocturnes (2020)
 * Laufey: Nocturne (Interlude) in her Bewitched album (2023)

title: Nocturne


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Distributive justice

Distributive justice concerns the socially just allocation of resources, goods, opportunity in a society. It is concerned with how to allocate resources fairly among members of a society, taking into account factors such as wealth, income, and social status. Often contrasted with just process and formal equal opportunity, distributive justice concentrates on outcomes (substantive equality). This subject has been given considerable attention in philosophy and the social sciences. Theorists have developed widely different conceptions of distributive justice. These have contributed to debates around the arrangement of social, political and economic institutions to promote the just distribution of benefits and burdens within a society. Most contemporary theories of distributive justice rest on the precondition of material scarcity. From that precondition arises the need for principles to resolve competing interest and claims concerning a just or at least morally preferable distribution of scarce resources.

In social psychology, distributive justice is defined as perceived fairness of how rewards and costs are shared by (distributed across) group members. For example, when some workers work more hours but receive the same pay, group members may feel that distributive justice has not occurred. To determine whether distributive justice has taken place, individuals often turn to the behavioral expectations of their group. If rewards and costs are allocated according to the designated distributive norms of the group, distributive justice has occurred.

Types of distributive norms
Five types of distributive norm are defined by Donelson R. Forsyth:

 * 1) Equality: Regardless of their inputs, all group members should be given an equal share of the rewards/costs. Equality supports that someone who contributes 20% of the group's resources should receive as much as someone who contributes 60%.
 * 2) Equity: Members' outcomes should be based upon their inputs. Therefore, an individual who has invested a large amount of input (e.g. time, money, energy) should receive more from the group than someone who has contributed very little. Members of large groups prefer to base allocations of rewards and costs on equity.
 * 3) Power: Those with more authority, status, or control over the group should receive more than those in lower level positions.
 * 4) Need: Those in greatest needs should be provided with resources needed to meet those needs. These individuals should be given more resources than those who already possess them, regardless of their input.
 * 5) Responsibility: Group members who have the most should share their resources with those who have less.

Theories of distributive justice
The listed theories below are three of the most prominent Anglo-American theories within the field. With this in mind, the list is in no way to be considered exhaustive for distributive justice theory.

Justice as fairness
In his book A Theory of Justice, John Rawls outlines his famous theory about justice as fairness. The theory consists of three core components:

 * 1) the equality of people in rights and liberties;
 * 2) the equality of opportunities for all; and
 * 3) an arrangement of economic inequalities focused on benefit maximisation for those who are least advantaged.

The just 'basic structure'
Building a modern view on social contract theory, Rawls bases his work on an idea of justice being rooted in the basic structure, constituting the fundamental rules in society, which shape the social and economic institutions, as well as the governance. This basic structure is what shapes the citizens’ life opportunities. According to Rawls, the structure is based on principles about basic rights and duties that any self-interested, rational individual would accept in order to further his/her own interests in a context of social cooperation.

The original position
Rawls presents the concept of an original position as a hypothetical idea of how to establish "a fair procedure so that any principles agreed on will be just." In his envisioning of the original position, it is created from a judgement made through negotiations between a group of people who will decide on what a just distribution of primary goods is (according to Rawls, the primary goods include freedoms, opportunities, and control over resources). These people are assumed to be guided by self-interest, while also having a basic idea of morality and justice, and thus capable of understanding and evaluating a moral argument. Rawls then argues that procedural justice in the process of negotiation will be possible via a nullification of temptations for these people to exploit circumstances so as to favor their own position in society.

Veil of ignorance
This nullification of temptations is realised through a veil of ignorance, which these people will be behind. The veil prevents the people from knowing what particular preferences they will have by concealing their talents, objectives, and, most importantly, where in society they themselves will end up. The veil, on the other hand, does not conceal general information about the society, and the people are assumed to possess societal and economic knowledge beyond the personal level. Thereby, such veil creates an environment for negotiations where the evaluation of the distribution of goods is based on general considerations, regardless of place in society, rather than biased considerations based on personal gains for specific citizen positions. By this logic, the negotiations will be sensitive to both those who are worst off, given that a risk of being in that category yourself will incentivize protection of these people, but also the rest of society, as one would not wish to hinder maximal utilisation for these in case you would end up in higher classes.

Basic principles of a just distribution
In this original position, the main concern will be to secure the goods that are most essential for pursuing the goals of each individual, regardless of what this specific goal might be. With this in mind, Rawls theorizes two basic principles of just distribution.

The first principle, the liberty principle, is the equal access to basic rights and liberties for all. With this, each person should be able to access the most extensive set of liberties that is compatible with similar schemes of access by other citizens. Thereby, it is not only a question of positive individual access but also of negative restrictions so as to respect others’ basic rights and liberties.

The second principle, the difference principle, addresses how the arrangement of social and economic inequalities, and thus the just distribution should look. Firstly, Rawls argues that such distribution should be based on a reasonable expectation of advantage for all, but also to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged in society. Secondly, the offices and positions attached to this arrangement should be open to all.

These principles of justice are then prioritised according to two additional principles:

1. the principles of the priority of liberty, wherein basic liberties only can be restricted if this is done for the sake of protecting liberty either:

2. inequality of opportunity, and the priority of efficiency & welfare, can only be acceptable if:

Utilitarianism
In 1789, Jeremy Bentham published his book An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Centred on individual utility and welfare, utilitarianism builds on the notion that any action which increases the overall welfare in society is good, and any action that decreases welfare is bad. By this notion, utilitarianism's focus lies with its outcomes and pays little attention to how these outcomes are shaped. This idea of utilisation maximisation, while being a much broader philosophical consideration, also translates into a theory of justice.

Conceptualising welfare
While the basic notion that utilitarianism builds on seems simple, one major dispute within the school of utilitarianism revolved around the conceptualisation and measurement of welfare. With disputes over this fundamental aspect, utilitarianism is evidently a broad term embracing many different sub-theories under its umbrella, and while much of the theoretical framework transects across these conceptualisations, using the different conceptualisation have clear implications for how we understand the more practical side of utilitarianism in distributive justice.

Bentham originally conceptualised this according to the hedonistic calculus, which also became the foundation for John Stuart Mill's focus on intellectual pleasures as the most beneficial contribution to societal welfare. Another path has been painted by Aristotle, based on an attempt to create a more universal list of conditions required for human prosperity. Opposite this, another path focuses on a subjective evaluation of happiness and satisfaction in human lives.

Egalitarianism
Based on a fundamental notion of equal worth and moral status of human beings, egalitarianism is concerned with equal treatment of all citizens in both respect and in concern, and in relation to the state as well as one another. Egalitarianism focuses more on the process through which distribution takes place, egalitarianism evaluates the justification for a certain distribution based on how the society and its institutions have been shaped, rather than what the outcome is. Attention is mainly given to ways in which unchosen person circumstances affect and hinder individuals and their life opportunities. As Elizabeth Anderson defines it, "the positive aim of egalitarian justice is...to create a community in which people stand in relation of equality to others."

The main issue with egalitarian conceptions of distributive justice is the question concerning what kind of equality should be pursued. This is because one kind of equality might imply or require inequality of another kind. Strict egalitarianism, for instance, requires the equal allocation of material resources to every person of a given society. The principle of strict equality therefore holds that even if an unequal distribution would make everyone better off, or if an unequal distribution would make some better off but no one worse off, the strictly egalitarian distribution should be upheld. This notion of distributive justice can be critiqued because it can result in Pareto suboptimal distributions. Thus, the Pareto norm suggests that principles of distributive justice should result in allocations in which it is no longer possible to make anyone better off without making anyone else worse off. This illustrates a concern for the equality of welfare, which is an ex post conception of equality as it is concerned with the equality in outcomes. This conception has been critiqued by those in favour of ex ante equality, that is equality in people´s prospects, which is captured by alternative conceptions of equality such as those that demand equality of opportunity.

While much academic work distinguishes between luck egalitarianism and social egalitarianism, Roland Pierik presents a synthesis combining the two branches. In his synthesis, he argues that instead of focusing on compensations for unjust inequalities in society via redistribution of primary goods, egalitarianism scholars should instead, given the fundamental notion upon which the theory is built, strive to create institutions that creates and promotes meaningful equal opportunities from the get-go. Pierik thus moves egalitarianism's otherwise reactive nature by emphasising a need for attention to the development of fundamentally different institutions that would eradicate the need for redistribution and instead focus on the initial equal distribution of opportunities from which people then themselves be able to shape their lives.

Outcomes
Distributive justice affects performance when efficiency and productivity are involved. Improving perceptions of justice increases performance. Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are employee actions in support of the organization that are outside the scope of their job description. Such behaviors depend on the degree to which an organization is perceived to be distributively just. As organizational actions and decisions are perceived as more just, employees are more likely to engage in OCBs. Perceptions of distributive justice are also strongly related to the withdrawal of employees from the organization.

Wealth
Distributive justice considers whether the distribution of goods among the members of society at a given time is subjectively acceptable.

Not all advocates of consequentialist theories are concerned with an equitable society. What unites them is the mutual interest in achieving the best possible results or, in terms of the example above, the best possible distribution of wealth.

Environmental justice
Distributive justice in an environmental context is the equitable distribution of a society's technological and environmental risks, impacts, and benefits. These burdens include exposure to hazardous waste, land appropriation, armed violence, and murder. Distributive justice is an essential principle of environmental justice because there is evidence that shows that these burdens cause health problems, negatively affect quality of life, and drive down property value.

The potential negative social impacts of environmental degradation and regulatory policies have been at the center environmental discussions since the rise of environmental justice. Environmental burdens fall disproportionately upon the Global South, while benefits are primarily accrued to the Global North.

In politics
Distributive justice theory argues that societies have a duty to individuals in need and that all individuals have a duty to help others in need. Proponents of distributive justice link it to human rights. Many governments are known for dealing with issues of distributive justice, especially in countries with ethnic tensions and geographically distinctive minorities. Post-apartheid South Africa is an example of a country that deals with issues of re-allocating resources with respect to the distributive justice framework.

Influenced figures
Distributive justice is also fundamental to the Catholic Church's social teaching, inspiring such figures as Dorothy Day and Pope John Paul II.

Hayek's criticism
Within the context of Western liberal democracies in the post-WWII decades, Friedrich von Hayek was one of the most famous opposers of the idea of distributive justice. For him, social and distributive justice were meaningless and impossible to attain, on the grounds of being within a system where the outcomes are not determined deliberately by the people but contrarily spontaneity is the norm. Therefore, distributive justice, redistribution of wealth, and the demands for social justice in a society ruled by an impersonal process such as the market are in this sense incompatible with that system.

In his book The Road to Serfdom, there can be found considerations about social assistance from the state. There, in talking about the importance of a restrictive kind of security (the one against physical privation) in front of one that necessarily needs to control or abolish the market, Hayek poses that "there can be no doubt that some minimum of food, shelter, and clothing, sufficient to preserve health and the capacity to work, can be assured to everybody". Providing this type of security is for Hayek compatible with individual freedom as it does not involve planning. But already in this early work, he acknowledges the fact that this provision must keep the incentives and the external pressure going and not select which group enjoys security and which does not, for under these conditions "the striving for security tends to become higher than the love of freedom". Therefore, fostering a certain kind of security (the one that for him socialist economic policies follow) can entail growing insecurity as the privilege increases social differences. Notwithstanding, he concludes that "adequate security against severe privation, and the reduction of the avoidable causes of misdirected effort and consequent disappointment, will have to be one of the main goals of policy".

Hayek dismisses an organizational view that ascribes certain outcomes to an intentional design, which would be contrary to his proposed spontaneous order. For this, Hayek famously firstly regards the term social (or distributive) justice as meaningless when it is applied to the results of a liberal market system that should yield spontaneous outcomes. Justice has an individual component for Hayek, is only understood in the aggregation of individual actions which follow common rules, social and distributive justice are the negative opposite as they need a command economy. Secondly, following Tebble's (2009) view, the concept of social justice is for Hayek a reminiscence of an atavistic view towards society, that has been overcome by the survival capacity of the catallactic order and its values.

The third Hayekian critique is about the unfeasibility of attaining distributive justice in a free market order and this is defended on the basis of the determinate goal that all distributive justice aims to. In a catallactic order, the individual morality should freely determine what are distributive fairness and the values that govern economic activity, and the fact that it is impossible to gather all the individual information in a single pursuit for social and distributive justice results in realizing the fact that it cannot be pursued. Lastly, Hayek claims for the incompatibility between the free market and social justice, for, in essence, they are different kinds of inequalities. The former is one determined by the interaction of free individuals and the latter by the decision of an authority. Hayek will, on ethical grounds, choose the former.

Libertarian perspective
One of the major exponents of the libertarian outlook toward distributive justice is Robert Nozick. In his book Anarchy, State, and Utopia he stresses how the term distributive justice is not a neutral one. In fact, there is no central distributor that can be regarded as such. What each person gets, he or she gets from the outcomes of Lockean self-ownership (a condition that implies one's labor mixed with the world), or others who give to him in exchange for something, or as a gift. For him, "there is no more a distributing or distribution of shares than there is a distribution of mates in a society in which persons choose whom they shall marry". This means that there can be no pattern to which to conform or aim. The market and the result of individual actions provided the conditions for libertarian principles of just acquisition and exchange (contained in his Entitlement Theory) will have as a result a distribution that will be just, without the need for considerations about the specific model or standard it should follow.

title: Distributive justice


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Procedural justice

Procedural justice is the idea of fairness in the processes that resolve disputes and allocate resources. One aspect of procedural justice is related to discussions of the administration of justice and legal proceedings. This sense of procedural justice is connected to due process (U.S.), fundamental justice (Canada), procedural fairness (Australia), and natural justice (other Common law jurisdictions), but the idea of procedural justice can also be applied to nonlegal contexts in which some process is employed to resolve conflict or divide benefits or burdens. Aspects of procedural justice are an area of study in social psychology, sociology, and organizational psychology.

Procedural justice concerns the fairness (formal equal opportunity) and the transparency of the processes by which decisions are made, and may be contrasted with distributive justice (fairness in the distribution of rights and outcomes), and retributive justice (fairness in the punishment of wrongs). Hearing all parties before a decision is made is one step which would be considered appropriate to be taken in order that a process may then be characterised as procedurally fair. Some theories of procedural justice hold that fair procedure leads to equitable outcomes, even if the requirements of distributive or restorative justice are not met. It has been suggested that this is the outcome of the higher quality interpersonal interactions often found in the procedural justice process, which has shown to be stronger in affecting the perception of fairness during conflict resolution.

Giving group members a voice
Procedural justice deals with the perceptions of fairness regarding outcomes. It reflects the extent in which an individual perceives that outcome allocation decisions have been fairly made. The use of fair procedures helps communicate that employees are valued members of the group. Procedural Justice can be examined by focusing on the formal procedures used to make decisions. Procedural justice, a subcomponent of organizational justice, is important in communication and in the workplace because it involves fair procedures, it allows the employees to have a say in the decision process, it gives employees fair treatment, and allows them to have more input in the appraisal process. Additionally, research by Tom R. Tyler and colleagues found that giving disgruntled group members a voice regardless of whether it is instrumental (i.e., a voice that affects the decision-making process) or non-instrumental (i.e., a voice that will not have any weighting on the decision-making process) is sometimes enough for a process to be viewed as fair.

The ability and right to a voice is linked with feelings of respect and value, which emphasizes the importance of the interpersonal factors of procedural justice. This is important in the workplace because employees will feel more satisfied and respected, which can help to increase job task and contextual performance. There is an emphasis on the interpersonal and social aspects of the procedure, which result in employees feeling more satisfied when their voices are able to be heard. This was argued by Greenberg and Folger. Procedural justice also is a major factor that contributes to the expression of employee dissent. It correlates positively with managers' upward dissent. With procedural justice there is a greater deal of fairness in the workplace.

Leventhal's Rules
In 1976, Gerald S. Leventhal attempted to articulate how individuals create their own cognitive maps about the procedures for allocating rewards, punishment, or resources in a given interaction setting or social system (be it a courtroom, classroom, workplace, or other context). He postulated seven categories of structural components to these procedures, and six justice rules by which the "fairness" of each component is evaluated. The seven types of structural components are: selection of agents, setting ground rules, gathering information, decision structure, appeals, safeguards, and change mechanisms. The six justice rules are: consistency, bias suppression, accuracy, correctability, representativeness, and ethicality. These became widely used and referenced, and known as "Leventhal's Rules."

With procedural justice in the workplace and in communication, things need to be fair to everyone, when something is applied it has to be applied to everyone and procedures need to be consistent with the moral and ethical values.

Rawls on procedural justice
In A Theory of Justice, philosopher John Rawls distinguished three ideas of procedural justice:
 * 1) Perfect procedural justice has two characteristics: (1) an independent criterion for what constitutes a fair or just outcome of the procedure, and (2) a procedure that guarantees that the fair outcome will be achieved.
 * 2) Imperfect procedural justice shares the first characteristic of perfect procedural justice—there is an independent criterion for a fair outcome—but no method that guarantees that the fair outcome will be achieved.
 * 3) Pure procedural justice describes situations in which there is no criterion for what constitutes a just outcome other than the procedure itself.

Evaluating the fairness of different procedural systems
There are three main approaches to evaluating whether a particular system of justice is fair: the outcomes model, the balancing model, and the participation model.

Outcomes model
The idea of the outcomes model of procedural justice is that the fairness of process depends on the procedure producing correct outcomes. For example, if the procedure is a criminal trial, then the correct outcome would be conviction of the guilty and exonerating the innocent. If the procedure were a legislative process, then the procedure would be fair to the extent that it produced good legislation and unfair to the extent that it produced bad legislation. This has many limitations. Principally, if two procedures produced equivalent outcomes, then they are equally just according to this model. However, as the next two sections explain, there are other features about a procedure that make it just or unjust. For example, many would argue that a benevolent dictatorship is not (as) just as a democratic state (even if they have similar outcomes).

Balancing model
Some procedures are costly. The idea of the balancing model is that a fair procedure is one which reflects a fair balance between the costs of the procedure and the benefits that it produces. Thus, the balancing approach to procedural fairness might in some circumstances be prepared to tolerate or accept false positive verdicts in order to avoid unwanted costs (political) associated with the administration of criminal process. Ronald Dworkin argued that a properly balanced procedure is one that values peoples' rights and treats persons equally.

The participation model
The idea of the participation model is that a fair procedure is one that affords those who are affected by an opportunity to participate in the making of the decision. In the context of a trial, for example, the participation model would require that the defendant be afforded an opportunity to be present at the trial, to put on evidence, cross examination witnesses, and so forth.

Group engagement model
Models have also been proposed to understand the psychological basis of justice. One of the more recent of these models is the group engagement model. The group engagement model (GEM), devised by Tom R. Tyler and Steven L. Blader, incorporates past psychological theories to explain the underlying psychological processes of procedural justice. Based on social identity theory and relational models of procedural justice, this model suggests that a group's procedural justice process influences members' identification with the group, which in turn influences their type of engagement within the group.

According to the model, group engagement is seen as either mandatory or discretionary behavior. Mandatory behavior is defined by Tyler and Blader as behavior that is required by the group and thus is motivated by incentives and sanctions. Conversely, discretionary behavior is motivated by internal values and is seen as more cooperative and  therefore ideal within a group. Depending on the procedural justice processes of the group, the social identity of the members will be influenced accordingly and different values will be emphasised. The more a member agrees with the type of procedural justice employed, the more they will identify with their group. This increased identification results in the internalization of the group's values and attitudes for the group member. This creates a circular relationship as the group's procedural justice processes will affect group members' levels of identification and, as a consequence, this level and type of identification will affect their own values of what is fair and unfair. This, in turn, will then affect how the individuals will engage with their group, with higher identification leading to discretionary and more desirable behavior.

Due process and natural justice
The idea of procedural justice is especially influential in the law. In the United States, for example, a concern for procedural justice is reflected in the Due Process clauses of the United States Constitution. In other common law countries, this same idea is sometimes called natural justice.

Natural justice generally binds both public and private entities, while the U.S. concept of due process has a "state action" requirement which means it applies only to state actors. But in the U.S., there are analogous concepts like fair procedure which can bind private parties in their relations with others.

title: Procedural justice


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Jal, New Mexico

Jal is a small city located in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. It is New Mexico's south-easternmost city, and shares a border with Texas to the east and south. The population was 2,047 at the 2010 census. Jal is historically important in the natural gas industry, from the early 1900s to the present day.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,047 people, with 788 occupied houses. The population density was 426.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1009 housing units at an average density of 210.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 84.81% White, 0.83% African American, 0.73% Native American, 11.82% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.12% of the population.

There were 788 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 19, 12.2% in their 20s, 10.1% in their 30s, 12.6% in their 40s, 13.2% in their 50s, and 22.4% who were 60 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,813, and the median income for a family was $51,538. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $30,147 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,597. About 12.0% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

History
During the early 1800s, the Cowden boys of Midland, Texas moved the entire John A. Lynch herd to the Monument draw, about 6 miles northeast of present-day Jal. All the cattle were branded with the JAL brand from shoulder to hip. In the process of trying to rebrand the Cowdens, they found it too big a task so they registered the brand under their name in Silver City, New Mexico Territory.

In 1913, Charles Justis (a merchant) applied for a post office under the name "Jal" to open six miles east of the city of Jal. However, in 1916, Jal became drought-stricken and the store and post office were relocated to Muleshoe Wells and the city of Jal was established in its present location.

On November 1, 1927, Texas Co. brought in the first well, the Rhodes #1. Then on June 2, 1928, a second well, serving up more than 90 million cubic feet of gas a day, was brought online 6 miles west of Jal. This created a “boom town,” with all the prosperity and problems that go with it. The Great Depression and low crude prices caused a sharp slump in drilling and people left in droves. Jal almost became a ghost town overnight.

In the summer of 1934, the Cooper #1 brought the “Big Boom” back to Jal. By then Jal had a passenger train and its population rose to around 500. Housing was in short supply and ranchers opened their homes to “roughnecks”. New businesses sprang up, and with the gas gathering system by El Paso Natural Gas, prosperity continued.

Government
In 1950, a city hall was built. In 1966, it received a renovation, and in 1987, it received another one. By 2019, the municipal authorities considered the 1950 building out of date, so that year they authorized a renovation of the 37900 sqft former Burke Junior High School, with city hall in a 14300 sqft eastern portion. This was under construction in 2021.

Education
It is within Jal Public Schools.

Highways

 * NM 18 runs north & south
 * NM 128 runs east & west
 * NM 205 runs southwest to Bennett

Railroad
The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service.

Airport
The city is served by the Lea County/Jal Airport about three miles to the northeast. The airport has a paved, 4700 ft. runway. Jal once saw commuter airline service in 1964 by Solar Airlines.

Climate
Jal experiences a cool semi-arid climate, typical of the high plains of eastern New Mexico. However, it borders a hot semi-arid climate.

Notable people

 * Charles T. Sinclair, robber and murderer
 * Kathy Whitworth, winner of 88 LPGA Tour events, more than anyone else; 1965 and 1966 female athlete of the year

title: Jal, New Mexico


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Lovington, New Mexico

Lovington is a city in, and the county seat of, Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 11,009 at the 2010 census, up from 9,471 in 2000.

Geography
Lovington is located slightly north of the center of Lea County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Lovington has a total area of 29.5 km2, of which 0.08 km2, or 0.26%, are water.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 9,471 people, 3,297 households, and 2,459 families living in the city. The population density was 1,983.6 PD/sqmi. There were 3,823 housing units at an average density of 800.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 59.85% White, 3.03% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 32.74% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.12%.

Of the 3,297 households 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 22.8% of households were one person and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.29.

The age distribution was 31.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median household income was $26,458 and the median family income was $30,064. Males had a median income of $28,547 versus $19,826 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,752. About 20.1% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

Highways

 * US 82 passes through the center of town, leading west 64 mi to Artesia and northeast 35 mi to Plains, Texas.
 * New Mexico State Road 18 leads southeast from Lovington 21 mi to Hobbs, the largest city in Lea County.
 * State Road 83 leads east 18 mi to the Texas border, where Texas State Highway 83 continues east 14 mi to Denver City, Texas.

Railroad
The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service. Lovington is the northern terminus of this line.

Education
Lovington Municipal Schools is the area school district. It operates Lovington High School.

Notable people

 * Ray Berry, American football player
 * Ronnie Black, professional golfer
 * Taymon Domzalski, retired professional and Duke University basketball star
 * Paul L. Foster, billionaire and President of Western Refining
 * Shirley Hooper, 18th Secretary of State of New Mexico
 * Sean Murphy, professional golfer
 * Earlene Roberts (1935–2013), politician
 * Ralph Tasker, basketball coach
 * Titanic Thompson, legendary gambler, raconteur
 * Brian Urlacher, retired NFL football player, pro football hall of fame class of 2018

title: Lovington, New Mexico


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Tatum, New Mexico

Tatum is a town in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 798 at the 2010 census, up from 683 in 2000.

Geography
Tatum is located in northern Lea County. U.S. Route 380 passes through the town, leading west 72 mi to Roswell and east 30 mi to Plains, Texas. New Mexico State Road 206 crosses US 380 in the center of Tatum, leading north 65 mi to Portales and south 22 mi to Lovington, the Lea county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tatum has a total area of 4.1 sqkm, of which 0.02 sqkm, or 0.47%, are water.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tatum has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Tatum was 115 F on June 28, 1994, while the coldest temperature recorded was -16 F on January 11, 1962, and January 13, 1963.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 683 people, 267 households, and 194 families residing in the town. The population density was 578.8 PD/sqmi. There were 391 housing units at an average density of 331.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 65.45% White, 1.02% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 30.31% from other races, and 2.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.34% of the population.

There were 267 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,833, and the median income for a family was $33,393. Males had a median income of $31,111 versus $19,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,728. About 16.6% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 21.6% of those age 65 or over.

Airport
Tatum Airport is a town-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Tatum.

Major roads

 * US_380.svg U.S. Route 380
 * New_Mexico_206.svg State Road 206

title: Tatum, New Mexico


text:
Carrizozo, New Mexico

Carrizozo is a town in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat, with a population of 996 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1899, the town provided the main railroad access for Lincoln County, and the town experienced significant population growth in the early decades of the 1900s. However, with declining relevance of the railroad, the population of the town has gradually declined. The town is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380.

Name
The name of the town is derived from the Spanish vernacular for reed grass (Carrizo), which grew significantly in the area and provided excellent feed for ranch cattle. The additional "zo" at the end of the town name was added to indicate abundance of Carrizo grass. The town is now often referred to colloquially as "Zozo".

History

Prior to 1899, the area was primarily a few ranches and a stagecoach crossing with limited permanent settlement. Lawrence Murphy, a merchant active in the Lincoln County War (1878), owned a major ranch in the area. The location of Carrizozo was selected as the site for a station on the El Paso and Northeastern Railway (EP&NE) main line in 1899. Carrizozo was chosen over the nearby booming mine town of White Oaks, resulting in large-scale migration from White Oaks to Carrizozo.

The railroad brought businesses, growing population, and increased importance to the town of Carrizozo. As a result, a county referendum in 1909 moved the seat of Lincoln County from the town of Lincoln to Carrizozo. This decision resulted in a four-year legal battle that was eventually resolved in favor of Carrizozo by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Gray v. Taylor. The result was a boom in which railroad access and political importance combined to lead to significant population growth in Carrizozo. The population reached around 2,000 by 1920.

During this time, Albert B. Fall, a U.S. Senator from New Mexico and later Secretary of the Interior, owned the Three Rivers Ranch just south of Carrizozo, but had to sell it to settle legal debts as a result of his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal (1922–1923). During the same time, journalist Quentin Reynolds visited the town and wrote a piece on it for Collier's. Later, he wrote in The Wounded Don't Cry that "I used to agree with Bugs that once you left New York, you were strictly on the horse and buggy circuit. But of late years I've had to modify that. Since then I've discovered New Orleans, San Francisco and a little place called Carrizozo, New Mexico, where I want to go when I die. I want to go there and gang around the drug store and sneak behind the prescription counter with Art Rolland and have a nip of what he calls Old Granddaddy then type out his prescriptions for him."

Carrizozo is about 35 mi east of the Trinity Site, where the first nuclear bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945. Residents reported tremors like an earthquake and, as the first major downwind settlement, the town received a significant part of the remnants of the mushroom cloud resulting in nuclear fallout of the area, which caused radioactive contamination. Bonito Lake which also lies within the estimated radioactive fallout zone of the 1945 Trinity test, was a water source for Carrizozo.

With the rise of the automobile, Carrizozo's proximity to the railroad became less important starting in the 1950s, and the last passenger train passed through in 1968. The result was a decrease in economic opportunity in Carrizozo, and the population fell back to about 1,200 people for much of the end of the 20th century. Recently, the town has seen increasing focus on tourism, and cherry cider produced in the town is known nationally.

Geography

Carrizozo is located at the northern end of the Tularosa Basin, which extends southward to the New Mexico–Texas border. The town itself is located in a flat area known prior to the founding of the town as the Corrizo flats, with typical Chihuahuan desert scrub and desert grasslands.

To the west of the town is the Carrizozo Malpais, a 40 mi lava flow that is about 1,500 years old and accessible through the Valley of Fires Recreation Area. To the northeast is Carrizo Mountain, a 9600 ft peak within the Sacramento Mountains, and to the southeast are the Sierra Blanca mountain range.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 996 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 78.71% White, 0.70% African American, 2.61% American Indian, 14.16% Other, and 3.82% identified as two or more. Hispanics of any race were 43.57% of the population. Of the population, 54.72% were men and 45.28% were women. Of these, 15.96% were under the age of 18, 24.50% were over 65, and 59.54% were between 18 and 65.

Transportation
Carrizozo is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380.

Railroad freight traffic is provided by Union Pacific.

For general aviation, the town is served by Carrizozo Municipal Airport.

Education
Carrizozo Municipal Schools is the local school district.

Points of interest

 * Carrizozo Women's Club (1920 Pueblo Revival style building listed in the National Register of Historic Places)
 * Carrizozo Heritage Museum (1940s built as a frozen food locker—converted into local history museum in 2003)
 * Lincoln National Forest (southeast of the city via U.S. Route 380 and NM 37)
 * Valley of Fires Recreation Area (west-northwest of the city via U.S. Route 380)

Film and television
A number of movies have been filmed in Carrizozo. Movies which have been filmed at least partially in Carrizozo include:
 * Wander (2020)
 * Gambit (2012)
 * This Must be the Place (2011)
 * The Book of Eli (2010)
 * Deja Vu, Hera's Odyssey (2004)
 * The Outfitters (1999)
 * Mad Love (1995)

Notable people

 * Albert B. Fall, first senator from the state of New Mexico (1912–1921)
 * Rick Geary, American cartoonist and illustrator, has lived in Carrizozo since 2007.
 * Charlie Siringo, famous Pinkerton detective assigned to Carrizozo to catch cattle thieves (1916–1917)
 * Earl Reece Stadtman, biochemist born in Carrizozo in 1919

title: Carrizozo, New Mexico


text:
Corona, New Mexico

Corona is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located along U.S. Route 54. The population was 172 at the time of the 2010 census.

History
Corona is the closest populated community to a purported UFO crash in 1947, approximately 30 mi to the southeast. The rancher who found the crash first came to Corona to report it to a few residents, before going to Roswell to tell officials there.

In 2004, Corona was the site of a 4000 acre forest fire, begun when an unknown arsonist lit a pile of pine needles.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 165 people, 81 households, and 46 families in the village. The population density was 161.4 PD/sqmi. There were 118 housing units at an average density of 115.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 73.33% White, 3.64% Native American, 18.18% from other races, and 4.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 42.42%.

Of the 81 households 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 37.0% of households were one person and 14.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.61.

The age distribution was 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 70.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males.

The median household income was $28,594 and the median family income was $33,438. Males had a median income of $22,386 versus $14,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $34,987. About 6.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

title: Corona, New Mexico


text:
Ruidoso, New Mexico

Ruidoso (Spanish for "noisy") is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 7,679  at the 2020 census. The city of Ruidoso Downs and the unincorporated area of Alto are suburbs of Ruidoso, and contribute to the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area's population of 21,223.

A mountain resort town, Ruidoso lies in the Sierra Blanca mountain range of south-central New Mexico, where it merges with the Sacramento Mountains to the south. Ruidoso is a resort community close to the slopes of Ski Apache, the Mescalero Apache Tribe-owned ski resort on Sierra Blanca, an almost 12000 ft mountain. The tribe also operates the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort in the area, which includes a casino, hotel, arcade room and golf course. Ruidoso is the largest community in Lincoln County, and serves as the regional economic hub.

In recent years the village is contending with serious questions about the adequacy of the local water supply and zoning enforcement. As in many small communities that have been recently "discovered", there is an ongoing debate about how best to plan for additional growth.

The village received its name from the Rio Ruidoso (Spanish for "Noisy River"), a small stream that weaves through the city.

History
Along the eastern foothills of White Mountain, retired army Captain Paul Dowlin built Dowlin’s Mill where the Carrizo Creek and Rio Ruidoso merge. He had served at nearby Fort Stanton. The Mill was also a general store, dance hall, and moonshine supply.

San Patricio, NM (in the Hondo Valley) was originally known as Ruidoso. In 1875, its name was changed in honor of a Catholic priest’s patron saint. Early Hispanos used the term “Ruidoso” to describe a noisy creek. Today’s Ruidoso grew up around Dowlin’s Mill. Will Dowlin survived his brother, after an employee shot Captain Paul dead.

By 1885, with a general store, blacksmith, post office, cabins along the Rio Ruidoso, and proximity to the Chisholm Trail Ruidoso, NM was born.

The Wingfield family operated a dairy and early post office. By 1914, cabins were being built in Upper Canyon. At Cedar Creek in 1935, a ski area opened on a sloping meadow.

On July 16, 1945, the Trinity (test) could be felt by local people like an explosion.

By 1947, a race track was opened at Hollywood Park. Visitors played golf in the Gateway area. Finally, in 1963 the Mescalero Apaches purchased the ski area now known as Ski Apache.

21st century
In December 2006, seven percent of eligible voters approved a $12.6 million bond issue to finance the expansion and modernization of the local wastewater treatment plant which was built in 1982. In 2011, construction was completed on a $36 million wastewater treatment plant. This state-of-the-art facility utilizes membrane technology to achieve discharge standards within regulatory guidelines. The plant was designed to accommodate future growth. The average daily volume is 1.6 million gallons. The plant can currently process up to 2.7 million gallons per day.

Late at night on July 26, 2008, through July 27, 2008, the town and the river were hit by devastating flash flooding. The remnant circulation of Hurricane Dolly passed over the area and brought as much as 9 in of rainfall. Hundreds of tourists, campers and residents were evacuated and the storm caused damage at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track. One person was killed in the flooding, approximately 900 persons required rescue, approximately 500 structures were damaged, and initial damage estimates for Ruidoso were in the range of $15– 20 million.

In March 2016, the village of Ruidoso entered into a Sister City relationship with Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico.

In April 2022, large parts of Ruidoso were threatened by the McBride Fire; over 200 structures were destroyed and 2 people were killed by the blaze, fueled by intense dryness and strong winds.

The Christmas Classic (2023), with Malin Akerman and Ryan Hansen, was filmed at Ski Apache, Alto, and Rio Ruidoso.

In June 2024, following the rapid spread of the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire, all 7,000 residents were ordered by officials to evacuate the village. Two people have been confirmed dead. As of July 3, 2024, the fires are at 87% and 84% containment respectively. Following the fires, floods led to further evacuations, but members of the village have begun to return in order to rebuild the community.

Geography
Ruidoso is in southern Lincoln County, with elevations ranging from 6400 ft at the village's southeast corner in the valley of the Rio Ruidoso up to over 7700 ft at the village's northern end near Alto. Ruidoso's southern border and westernmost border follow the Otero County line. The village is bordered to the east by the city of Ruidoso Downs. U.S. Route 70 passes through the southeast part of the village, following the valley of Carrizo Creek upstream from the Rio Ruidoso. The highway leads east down the valley of the Rio Ruidoso and Rio Hondo 70 mi to Roswell and southwest over Apache Summit 33 mi to Tularosa. New Mexico State Road 48 passes through the center of Ruidoso on Sudderth Drive, the village's main street, and leads north 18 mi to Capitan.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 41.7 sqkm, of which 0.05 sqkm, or 0.12%, are water.

Climate
According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, Ruidoso has a Subtropical highland climate (Cwb) due to its moderate temperature ranges and precipitation throughout the year. Bi-modal precipitation falls as rain during summer monsoon and as winter snow. Snowfall varies highly by the year.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,868 people, 3,434 households, and 2,232 families residing in the village. The population density was 538.7 PD/sqmi. There were 7,584 housing units at an average density of 530.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 80.57 percent White, 0.29 percent African American, 2.38 percent Native American, 0.31 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 7.44 percent from other races, and 2.05 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.21 percent of the population.

There were 3,434 households, out of which 23.6 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2 percent were married couples living together, 8.8 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0 percent were non-families. 29.8 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.5 percent under the age of 18, 5.8 percent from 18 to 24, 21.9 percent from 25 to 44, 30.1 percent from 45 to 64, and 21.6 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $37,107, and the median income for a family was $44,846. Males had a median income of $30,452 versus $21,974 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,721. About 2.5 percent of families and 4.9 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5 percent of those under age 18 and 5.8 percent of those age 65 or over.

Education
All public schools operate under the Ruidoso Municipal School District.

Public schools

 * Sierra Vista Primary School: Pre K, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade
 * White Mountain Elementary School: 3rd-5th Grade
 * Ruidoso Middle School: 6th-8th Grade
 * Ruidoso High School: 9th-12th Grade

Colleges

 * ENMU-Ruidoso Branch Community College. The ENMU Ruidoso Campus is a two-year college, or community college, (one of 18 New Mexico branches) and an official Branch of ENMU (this status was granted in July 2005).

Public library
Ruidoso Public Library is the library serving Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, Alto, and greater Lincoln County.

Starting in 1954, the library developed from the Woman's Club, Beta Sigma Phi with only a small collection of books. In 1960 the Library Advisory Board was created, and Jane Parks served as the first President of the Advisory Board. Shortly after, the library was moved into a building that was once a school and Old City Hall. The library was only two rooms which the librarian Pat Ward oversaw its maintenance. In 1966, under the director Ruth McGuire Spiegel the library was moved to an old airport terminal and now had the bonus of local and state funding. The first library building was built in 1975 at 501 Sudderth Dr. and the library remained in this location for around twenty years.

In 1997 the current library was designed and built by ASA Architectures, the two-story building with vaulted windows is 14,600 square feet. The library has a garden, the Friends’ Book Shoppe, an outdoor reading patio and available window seats. In addition, the library also includes an archive room, conference room, children’s, and teen's library, two self-checkout machines and twenty-nine computers for public use. The collection consists of books, CDs, DVDs, and an e-branch with access to e-books, audio books and magazines. Some of the programs offered at the Ruidoso Public Library are children’s section, adult game night, teen scene, Ruidoso writers publishing group and a bereavement support group. Also, the library offers the New Mexico FamilyPass which provides free admission to fifteen museums and historical sites across the state. The library is open Monday-Saturday.

Newspapers
Ruidoso Free Press is a Lincoln County newspaper, delivered by direct mail to 7100 addresses.

Ruidoso News is in the USA TODAY network.

In Oct 2021, Lincoln County News shut, with the death of publisher Jose Peter Aguilar, closing the weekly newspaper.

Sports
The Ruidoso Osos were an independent professional baseball team in the Pecos League during the 2011 season. The team was on hiatus for the 2012 season because of low attendance. There were no lights on the team's home field, meaning games were played at 4:30 p.m. Additionally, alcohol could not be sold at White Mountain Park because it was owned by Ruidoso Municipal Schools. In the 2013 season, the team moved to Raton and were renamed the Raton Osos.

Airports

 * Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located approximately 15 mi northeast of Ruidoso.

Major highways

 * U.S. Route 70
 * NM 48

Notable people

 * Mary Ann Almager, world champion boxer
 * Neil Patrick Harris, actor; grew up in Ruidoso
 * Yvette Herrell, congresswoman and former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives
 * Mike Runnels, lieutenant governor of New Mexico from 1983 to 1987; lived in Ruidoso
 * Bram van der Stok, aka Dr. Bram "Bob" Vanderstok, WWII flying ace and hero of "The Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III

title: Ruidoso, New Mexico


text:
Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico

Ruidoso Downs is a city in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located within the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 1,824 at the 2000 census and 2,815 at the 2010 census. Originally incorporated as a village, it became a city in May 2002. Known locally as "the Downs", Ruidoso Downs is a suburb of adjacent Ruidoso and is a part of the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city, located along U.S. Route 70, is named after the Ruidoso Downs Race Track, which is located in the city along with the Billy the Kid Casino and the Hubbard Museum of the American West.

History
According to a local Ruidoso Downs historian, early on Hispanos settlers called the area "San Juanito". The settlers began arriving in the early in the late 1840s, and introduced rodeo and horse racing to the area. Originally the area had scattered farms and ranches, with the Dowlin Mill constructed in 1868. A new wave of families arrived after the Lincoln County War.

By around 1907 the road between Roswell and Alamogordo, which passed through the area, was still primitive, though it was improved in the 1920s through the Federal Aid Project. The road that would become US 70 was paved in the area around 1945, and then improved again in 1958. The road became four lanes in 1981.

In 1946 the Ruidoso News was founded and the airport opened, and two years later radio arrived. Electric lights appeared in the area in 1947. The White Mountain Inn opened in the 1940s as a sanatorium and as a lodging establishment.

Geography
Ruidoso Downs is located in southern Lincoln County and is bordered to the west by Ruidoso.

U.S. Route 70 passes through the city, leading east 69 mi to Roswell and southwest over Apache Summit 34 mi to Tularosa. New Mexico State Road 48 departs US 70 just west of the city limits, leading north 22 mi to Capitan.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 9.8 km2, all of it recorded as land. The city is in the valley of the Rio Ruidoso, which rises to the west on Sierra Blanca Peak and flows east to form the Rio Hondo.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,824 people, 680 households, and 490 families residing in the village. The population density was 856.7 PD/sqmi. There were 921 housing units at an average density of 432.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 67.32% White, 0.77% African American, 3.56% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 24.45% from other races, and 2.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.70% of the population.

There were 680 households, out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $30,500. Males had a median income of $22,000 versus $17,623 for females. The per capita income for the village was $12,144. About 17.4% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Airports

 * Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, located about 19 mi by road northeast of Ruidoso Downs.

Major highways

 * U.S. Route 70

Key facilities

 * Ruidoso Downs Race Track
 * Billy the Kid Casino
 * Hubbard Museum of the American West

Events and culture
The city is the annual location of the All American Futurity, which claims to be the richest race in Quarter Horse racing.

title: Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico