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Alamogordo, New Mexico

Alamogordo is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 31,384 as of the 2020 census. Alamogordo is widely known for its connection with the 1945 Trinity test, which was the first ever explosion of an atomic bomb.

Humans have lived in the Alamogordo area for at least 11,000 years. The present settlement, established in 1898 to support the construction of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, is an early example of a planned community. The city was incorporated in 1912. Tourism became an important economic factor with the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1933, which is still one of the biggest attractions of the city today. During the 1950s–60s, Alamogordo was an unofficial center for research on pilot safety and the developing United States' space program.

Alamogordo is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. City government provides a large number of recreational and leisure facilities for its citizens, including a large park in the center of the city, many smaller parks scattered through the city, a golf course, Alameda Park Zoo, a network of walking paths, Alamogordo Public Library, and a senior citizens' center. Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit shared military/civilian facility that is also the hospital for Holloman Air Force Base.

History

Tularosa Basin has been inhabited for at least 11,000 years. There are signs of previous inhabitants in the area such as the Clovis culture, the Folsom culture, the peoples of the Archaic period, and the Formative stage. The Mescalero Apache were already living in the Tularosa Basin when the Spanish came in 1534, and Mescalero oral history says they have always lived there. In 1719, the Spanish built a chapel at La Luz (about 5 mi from the future site of Alamogordo), although La Luz was not settled until about 1860.

The city of Alamogordo was founded in June 1898, when the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, headed by Charles Bishop Eddy, extended the railway to the town. Eddy influenced the design of the community, which included large, wide thoroughfares and tree-lined irrigation canals. Charles Eddy's brother, John Arthur Eddy, named the new city Alamogordo ("large/fat cottonwood" in Spanish) after a grove of fat cottonwoods he remembered from the Pecos River area. When Alamogordo was laid out in 1898, the east–west streets were given numerical designations, while north–south streets were named after states. The present-day White Sands Boulevard was then called Pennsylvania Avenue.

With the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1934, tourism began.

The Works Progress Administration, a government program created in 1935 in response to the Great Depression, was responsible for the construction of several government buildings in Alamogordo. These include the Otero County Administration Building at 1101 New York Avenue, a Pueblo style building originally constructed as the main U.S. Post Office in 1938. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The main entrance portico features frescoes by Peter Hurd, which were completed in 1942.

In July 1941, the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range was established.

The Post Office moved out in 1961, and the building was used by a succession of Federal agencies and was known as the Federal Building. The last Federal agency to occupy it was the United States Forest Service who used it as the headquarters of the Lincoln National Forest until October 2008, when that agency moved to a newly constructed building. In February 2009, ownership of the building was transferred to Otero County government and many government offices were moved from the Courthouse to its new Administration Building.

In 1983, Atari, Inc. buried more than 700,000 Atari 2600 video game cartridges, most notably E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in Alamogordo's landfill. Alamogordo briefly made international news in late 2001 when Christ Community Church held a public book burning of books in the Harry Potter series, and several other series, on December 30.

Geography
As of 2010, Alamogordo had a total area of 19.3 sqmi, all land. The city is located on the western flank of the Sacramento Mountains and on the eastern edge of the Tularosa Basin. It lies within the Rio Grande rift and in the northernmost part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Tectonic activity is low in the Tularosa Basin. Plants native to the area are typical of the southern New Mexico foothills and include creosote bush, mesquite, saltbush, cottonwood, desert willow, and many species of cactus and yucca.

The Tularosa Basin is an endorheic, or closed, basin; that is, no water flows out of it. Because of this and because of the geology of the region, water in the basin is hard: it has very high total dissolved solids concentrations, in excess of 3,000 mg/L. The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility, a Bureau of Reclamation laboratory doing research and development on desalination of brackish water, is located in Alamogordo. The gypsum crystals of White Sands National Park are formed in Lake Lucero. Water drains from the mountains carrying dissolved gypsum and collects in Lake Lucero. After the water dries, the winds pick up the gypsum crystals and distribute them over the basin.

Climate
Alamogordo has a cool arid climate (Köppen BWk) with hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is low and usually confined to the monsoon from July to September, when half a typical year's rainfall of 10.63 in will occur – although December 1991 did see 5.45 in. The wettest calendar year has been 1941 with 21.87 in and the driest 1952 with 4.85 in, while the wettest month on record has been September 1941 when 6.94 in fell. September 1941 also saw the largest daily rainfall at Alamogordo with 2.60 in falling on the 22nd of that month.

Temperatures outside of monsoonal storms are very hot during the summer: 89.1 days exceed 90 F and temperatures as high as 110 F occurred on June 22, 1981, and July 8, 1951. During the winter, days are very mild and sunny, but nights are cold, with 32 F reached on 55.1 mornings during an average winter, although only ten mornings have ever fallen to or below 0 F, with the coldest temperature recorded at Alamogordo being -13 F during a major cold wave on February 3, 2011. Snow is very rare, with a mean of no more than 4.1 in and a median very close to zero. The most snowfall in one month was 10.0 in in December 1960.

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 31,384 people. During the 2000 census, there were 13,704 households, and 9,728 families residing in the city. There were 15,920 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 70.4% White; 5.6% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 12.1% from some other race, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.0% of the population.

There were 13,704 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.

In 1999, the median income for a household in the city was $30,928, and the median income for a family was $35,673. Males had a median income of $28,163 versus $18,860 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,662. About 13.2% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Alamogordo's and Otero County's July 1, 2008, population were estimated at 35,757 and 62,776 respectively by the United States Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program.

German community, 1992-2019
Previously Alamogordo had a German community due to the presence of the German Air Force at Holloman Air Force Base; in 1992 that air force made Holloman its main pilot training center in the United States. Holloman was chosen due to its weather conditions. There was a subdivision called "Little Germany" with houses that had German-style electrical outlets. The Deutsche Schule Alamogordo educated German children, as did the local schools. Additionally area supermarkets had German cuisine.

By 1999, there were about 1,110 German dependents and 900 German military personnel in Alamogordo. By 2003 there were about 2,000 Germans in Alamogordo. That year there were tensions between Americans and Germans since Germany chose not to join the U.S. in the Iraq War.

In 2019, the German military withdrew from the base.

Until the German Air Force left, Oktoberfest was celebrated annually in late September, hosted by the German Air Force at Holloman Air Force Base. The public was invited, and shuttle buses ran between Alamogordo and the base.

Economy
Alamogordo is the economic center of Otero County, with nearly half the Otero County population living within the city limits. Alamogordo today has very little manufacturing and has a primarily service and retail economy, driven by tourism, a large nearby military installation and a concentration of military retirees. In 2006 the per capita income in Otero County was $22,377 versus per capita income in New Mexico of $29,346.

Economic history
Alamogordo was founded as a company town to support the building of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, a portion of the transcontinental railway that was being constructed in the late 19th century. Initially its main industry was timbering for railroad ties. The railroad founders were also eager to found a major town that would persist after the railroad was completed; they formed the Alamogordo Improvement Company to develop the area, making Alamogordo an early example of a planned community. The Alamogordo Improvement Company owned all the land, platted the streets, built the first houses and commercial buildings, donated land for a college, and placed a restrictive covenant on each deed prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, or sale of intoxicating liquor.

Tourism became an important part of the local economy from the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1934. Construction began on the Alamogordo Army Air Field (the present-day Holloman Air Force Base) in 1942, and the Federal government has been a strong presence in Alamogordo ever since. Education has also been an important part of the local economy. In addition to the local school system, Alamogordo is home to the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, founded in 1903, and a branch of New Mexico State University founded in 1958. The largest non-government employer in the city is the Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center with 650 employees in 2008.

Military impact
Holloman Air Force Base, located approximately 3 mi west of the city limits, is the largest employer of Alamogordo residents, and has a major effect on the local economy. According to some estimates, Holloman accounts for half of the Alamogordo economy. According to the 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office, as of January 2008 Holloman directly employs 6,111 personnel with a gross payroll of $266 million. It indirectly creates another 2,047 jobs with a payroll of $77 million. The estimated amount spent in the community, including payroll, construction projects, supplies, services, health care, and education, is $482 million.

An estimated 6,700 military retirees live in the area. Counting both USAF and German Air Force personnel there are 1,383 active military and 1,641 military dependents living on base and 2,765 active military and 2,942 military dependents living off base. After 27 years of training at Holloman, the German Air Force left in 2019. They relocated their pilot training to Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.

Future Combat Systems is a wide-ranging modernization project of the US Army. Much of the work will be done at Fort Bliss, with some at White Sands Missile Range and some at Holloman Air Force Base. Alamogordo is expected to get some economic benefit due to its proximity to these three bases.

Economic development
Otero County Economic Development Council is a nonprofit organization founded in 1984. Its focus has generally been on job creation and recruiting and expanding businesses in Otero County, including helping them satisfy business regulations in New Mexico and lining up funding. Its role expanded in 2000, when Alamogordo passed an Economic Development Gross Receipts Tax. OCEDC continues to work to attract businesses, but now it also helps develop the incentive packages that will be paid by the new tax, and a portion of the tax receipts go to fund OCEDC's operating expenses. Formal economic development plans have been adopted by Alamogordo and by Otero County.

OCEDC has recruited several new employers by using financial incentives. A 1-800-Flowers call center opened in November 2001 and received $1.25 million in city rent abatements, a 50% reduction in property taxes from Otero County, and $940,000 in plant training funds from the State of New Mexico. A Sunbaked Biscuits cookie factory opened in 2006 and received $800,000 in job-training incentives from the state. When the company went out of business in 2007, Marietta Baking took over the cookie factory and received interest-free loans, job-training incentives, and partial forgiveness of indebtedness for job creation. A branch office of PreCheck Inc., a company performing background checks of health-care workers, opened in 2006. PreCheck received $2.4 million in high-wage job creation tax credits, $1.5 million in job-training subsidies, $1.5 million in capital outlay money for roads and infrastructure, a $625,000 allocation from City of Alamogordo for upgrading sewer lines in the area, and 20.8 acres of land from Heritage Group, a developer.

The Otero County Film Office, an office of Otero County Economic Development Council, promotes film-making in Otero County by publicizing potential locations in the county and New Mexico's film financial incentive programs and by recruiting extras for film productions. It sponsors the Desert Light Film Competition for middle and high school students to encourage learning about the film industry. The 2007 film Transformers spent $5.5 million in New Mexico and $1 million in Alamogordo.

Arts and culture
There are two amateur theatrical groups in Alamogordo. Alamogordo Music Theatre produces two musical productions annually at the Flickinger Center for Performing Arts. The NMSU-A Theatre on the Hill produces an annual spring performance for young audiences at the Rohovec Fine Arts Center on the New Mexico State University at Alamogordo campus, and an annual Fall performance for general audiences.

Annual cultural events
The Earth Day Fair is held annually on the last Saturday in April at Alameda Park Zoo. It features a butterfly release, a science fair, activities for children, and information booths from local health agencies and nonprofits.

Otero County Fair is held annually in early August at the County Fairgrounds at the corner of White Sands Boulevard and Fairgrounds Road in Alamogordo. It features a rodeo, animal judging, food and game booths, and carnival rides. Nonprofit and government agencies set up information booths in the exhibit hall.

The Cottonwood Arts and Crafts Festival is put on each Labor Day Weekend in Alameda Park by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce. It is primarily a showplace for vendors of handmade items, but also features music, entertainment, and food.

White Sands Balloon Invitational is held annually in late September. Hot air balloons launch from the Riner-Steinhoff Soccerplex on First Street or from White Sands National Park and float over the Tularosa Basin.

Visitor attractions
New Mexico Museum of Space History is a state museum with the International Space Hall of Fame. Flickinger Center for Performing Arts, located at 1110 New York Avenue, is a 590-seat theater created in 1988 from a re-purposed movie theater. It hosts concerts and live theatrical performances by touring groups, and is the venue for the local amateur group Alamogordo Music Theater.

Alamogordo Museum of History (formerly Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum) collects artifacts related to the history of Alamogordo and the Tularosa Basin. It is a private museum, operated by the Tularosa Basin Historical Society. Among notable items in the collection is a 47-star US Flag; New Mexico was the 47th state admitted to the Union, and US flags were made with 47 stars only for one month, until Arizona was admitted. The Museum shop has a large collection of local history books. The Historical Society also publishes its own series of monographs on local history, Pioneer. The Museum had planned to move from its location at 1301 N. White Sands Boulevard to a historic adobe building at the corner of White Sands Boulevard and Tenth Street by the end of 2008, but as of July 2009 this plan has stalled due to lack of money to renovate the building.

American Armed Forces Museum is a museum on U.S. Route 82 near Florida Avenue that opened in 2011. It collects and displays all kinds of military memorabilia from all wars and military engagements.

The Shroud Exhibit And Museum, located in White Sands Mall, showcases a full-sized back-lit photographic transparency of the Shroud of Turin, a religious relic believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. They also feature a working VP8 Image Analyzer, the only one in the world where one can walk in and interact with this old analog computer. This town was founded the same year (1898) that Secundo Pia took the first photograph of the Shroud which started the modern investigation into the Shroud. This is highlighted in the museum. In 1977 in Albuquerque, they held the conference that resulted in the 1978 study of the Shroud with more scientists from New Mexico than any other state. The displayed photograph was created from the 1978 photographs made by Barrie M. Schwortz as part of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP). The displays include historical background materials, scientific information, kiosks with a variety of information, videos available for viewing and an exhibit of electronic image analysis of the shroud, among other interesting artifacts.

The Alameda Park Zoo, the oldest zoo in the southwestern U.S., is located in the city. Several Union-Apache battles were fought near Oliver Lee Memorial State Park.

The Toy Train Depot, New Mexico's first railroad museum and home of America's Park Ride Train Museum located on the north end of Alameda Park, 1991 N White Sands Blvd, Alamogordo, NM 88310

A sculpture called "The World's Largest Pistachio" is at McGinn's PistachioLand along U.S. 54.

Sports
The Lady of the Mountain Run is held in December at the Griggs Sportsplex. The race consists of a half marathon, 10K, 5K, or corporate cup relay, and raises money for the needs-based Lady of the Mountain Scholarship Fund at NMSU-Alamogordo. Fun run/walks are popular in Alamogordo, although most are one-shot affairs put on as part of some larger event. One recurring event is Walk Out West, a 1.5 mi walk held each October in Alameda Park Zoo. It incorporates a health fair, live music, and events for children. An offshoot of this is Dance Otero, an informal approach to ballroom dancing as a form of physical exercise that meets throughout the year. Both programs are run through Otero PATH, a local nonprofit that encourages preventive measures for good health.

There are a number of annual sports events. The Tommy Padilla Memorial Basketball Tournament is an annual event held in March. It is an adult tournament that raises money for scholarships for Alamogordo High School students. The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is a national program that holds a tournament in Alamogordo each year in May. Prior to 2008 it was hosted by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, and since then by the City of Alamogordo. The city receives 72% of the entry fees and 5% of the gross proceeds taken in by vendors. The event is held annually at Washington Park in conjunction with Saturday in the Park and Armed Forces Day. In 2009 more than 233 teams participated in the tournament. Several golf tournaments are held each year at Desert Lakes Golf Course, including the Robert W. Hamilton Charity Golf Classic.

Alamogordo's sole professional sports team is the White Sands Pupfish, a baseball team that played at Jim Griggs Field from 2011 to 2019, in the independent Pecos League, but did not play in a 4 team, abridged 2020 season hosted in Houston due to pandemic concerns.

Parks and recreation
Alamogordo has numerous small parks scattered through the city, and a few larger ones. Some notable parks include:

 * Alameda Park is a city park lying on the west side of White Sands Boulevard between Tenth Street and Indian Wells Road. Most of the park is shaded by cottonwood trees. At the south end of the park is Alameda Park Zoo and at the north end is The Toy Train Depot, a railroad and toy train museum.

 * Washington Park is a city park in the center of town, bounded by Washington and Oregon Avenues and running from First Street to Indian Wells Road. City Hall and several other city buildings are located in the park. At the north end of the park is Kids Kingdom, a children's play area with a giant jungle gym.

 * There are public athletic fields at the Jim R. Griggs Sports Complex, located at the corner of Florida Avenue and Fairgrounds Road, and the Travis C. Hooser Ballfield Complex (also called Walker Field) located at the corner of U.S. Route 70 and Walker Road.
 * The Alamogordo Family Recreation Center, at 1100 Oregon Avenue, is a city-owned facility offering a weight room, swimming pool (open seasonally), and basketball gym. There are outdoor tennis courts north of the building.
 * The Alamogordo Senior Center is a city facility for senior citizens that provides a social center and an exercise room and serves congregate meals and Meals on Wheels.

 * Desert Lakes Golf Course is a city-owned golf course located at the south end of town on Hamilton Road at Desert Lakes Road. It is an 18-hole course. The clubhouse houses a restaurant and a pro shop. There is a PGA golf pro on duty at the course.

Not inside the city but nearby are several national and state parks. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is about 10 miles south on U.S. Route 54, offers camping, hiking, and picnicking. White Sands National Park is located about 15 mi southwest of Alamogordo along U.S. Route 70. The area is in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin valley area and comprises the southern part of a 275 sqmi field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. The Lincoln National Forest, whose headquarters are in Alamogordo, is a mountainous area that starts about 10 mi northeast of Alamogordo and offers hiking, fishing, and camping. The Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range, located about 3 mi north of town at 19 Rock Cliff Road in La Luz, is a supervised range with rifle, pistol, and archery ranges. Several competitions are held at the range each month.

Government
Alamogordo was incorporated in 1912. It is a charter city (also called a home rule city ), and the charter is included as Part I of the Code of Ordinances. It has a Council-manager government form of government (called Commission/Manager in New Mexico). There are seven city commissioners, each elected from a district within the city, on staggered 4-year terms. The city manager is considered the chief executive officer of the city and is tasked to enforce and implement the City Council's directives and policy. The mayor is a member of the City Council. As of 2018, Richard Boss holds the position of mayor.

Alamogordo's fiscal year ends on June 30 each year; thus Fiscal Year 2008 runs from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. The FY 2008 budget projects income of $61,454,402 and expenditures of $73,655,777. Sources of City government income and their percentages of the whole were: gross receipts tax (31%), miscellaneous (23%), grants (22%), user fees (19%), and property tax (5%).

Education
New Mexico State University Alamogordo is a two-year community college established in 1958. As of 2016, it has approximately 1,800 students. There are two high schools (including the comprehensive Alamogordo High School), three middle schools, and 11 elementary schools in the Alamogordo Public School District. Prior to 2008 there were two private schools in Alamogordo: Legacy Christian Academy and Father James B. Hay Catholic School (the latter of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces). A third private school, Imago Dei Academy, opened in August 2008 and provides a classical Christian education.

The New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired is a state school located in Alamogordo. The German government formerly operated the Deutsche Schule Alamogordo (German School) for children of German Air Force personnel stationed at the German tactical training center at Holloman Air Force Base until the 2019 withdrawal of German forces. Following this, the aforementioned Imago Dei Academy purchased the building.

Alamogordo Public Library serves Alamogordo and Otero County. The library at New Mexico State University Alamogordo is also open to the public.

Media
The main newspaper in Alamogordo is Alamogordo Daily News (ADN), owned by MediaNews Group. ADN is published six days a week; on Monday, when it does not appear, subscribers receive the El Paso Times. ADN also publishes Hollogram, a free weekly newspaper distributed at the nearby Holloman Air Force Base and covering happenings on base. There was no alternative newspapers published in Alamogordo but The Ink, a free Las Cruces monthly newspaper devoted to the arts, is distributed in the city. There is now however a free online paper operated as citizen journalism produced by 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/ The city government publishes City Profile, a monthly print newsletter that is mailed to all households in the city and is published electronically on the city web site, and Communiqué, a blog with city news.

One television station, KVBA-LD, broadcasts from Alamogordo. It has a religious format, and a weekly local news magazine broadcast Thursday through Saturday. Cable television service is provided by Baja Broadband.

There are two commercial radio broadcast companies, WP Broadcasting and Burt Broadcasting; each operates several stations in several formats. There are two "listener-supported" radio stations that do not carry advertising but depend on sponsorships and donations. KLAG has a gospel music radio format and some live coverage of local events, including many remote broadcasts from civic events. KALH-LP is a low-power FM station that carries a variety radio format, network news on the hour, and local news on some hours. Neither station is an NPR affiliate. The local NPR outlet is KRWG-FM in Las Cruces, which reaches Alamogordo through a local relay transmitter.

Several major motion pictures were filmed in or near Alamogordo. The 2007 film Transformers was shot primarily at White Sands Missile Range, with additional filming at Holloman Air Force Base, both in the Alamogordo area. Its 2009 sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen also prominently featured these two military bases. The 2009 film Year One was shot partly at White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo. Alamogordo was one of the fourteen cities profiled in the 2005 documentary 14 Days in America. The Otero County Film Office maintains a list of films shot partly or wholly in Alamogordo and Otero County.

In May 2013, Alamogordo's City Commission approved a deal for Canada-based film production company Fuel Industries to excavate the Atari landfill site. Fuel Entertainment partnered with Xbox Entertainment Studios and Lightbox to make a documentary about the 1983 massive game burial of Atari games, said to be one of the gaming culture's greatest urban legends. On April 26, 2014, video game archaeologists began sifting through years of trash from the old Alamogordo landfill. The first batch of E.T. games was discovered after about three hours of digging, and hundreds more were found in the mounds of trash and dirt scooped by a backhoe. In the deal between the City of Alamogordo and Fuel Entertainment regarding the excavation, Fuel Entertainment was to be given 250 games or 10 percent of what was found.

Major highways
The major intercity surface routes from Alamogordo are U.S. Highways 54, 70, and 82, all of which are four-lane roads. The major north–south street within the city is White Sands Boulevard. The Charlie T. Lee Memorial Relief Route, which is designated as U.S. Route 54 and 70, is a bypass road constructed to the west of the city in 2001 to relieve congestion on White Sands Boulevard.

U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 54 traverses through the north and south ends of the city. At the south end of the city, White Sands Boulevard is a major named street that merges into U.S. Route 54/Charles T. Lee Memorial Relief Route, running south to El Paso, Texas. In the south part of the city, U.S. Route 70 splits from U.S. Route 54 in a southwestern direction towards Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands National Park, White Sands Missile Range, and Las Cruces. At the north end of the city, White Sands Boulevard and the Charles T. Lee Memorial Relief Route become a merged U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 70 running north to Tularosa. U.S. Route 82 starts at the same point and runs east to Cloudcroft and the mountain communities of Otero County, and then to Artesia. Meanwhile, in Tularosa, U.S. 70 and U.S. 54 both split in which U.S. 70 heads east through the mountains, and towards Ruidoso and Roswell, while U.S. 54 heads north towards Carrizozo and keeps going north until it heads east again starting in Vaughn.

Other transportation
Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport is the municipal airport located in the Alamogordo area. It is primarily used for general aviation. There is no longer scheduled commercial service from New Mexico Airlines, previously operated under a subsidy from the Essential Air Service program.

In 2008, Greyhound Lines offered intercity bus service to Alamogordo. As of 2017, there was a daily shuttle van service between Alamogordo and El Paso International Airport.

Z-Trans is the mass transit system, providing paratransit and scheduled service within the city center and to White Sands Mall, Holloman Air Force Base and Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero. Z-Trans is unusual in that it is privately owned (by Zia Therapy Center, a non-profit), although it does get some local and state subsidies.

Union Pacific provides railroad freight services. Currently there is no intercity passenger train service.

As of 2003, the Alamogordo city government was building a network of bike routes and walking routes. More information and maps are in the Alamogordo Comprehensive Plan. In 2005, the New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association operated a Rails to Trails project to convert old railroad beds to walking trails. Its trail system in Otero County, the Cloud Climbing Rail Trail, is planned to eventually surround Alamogordo.

Utilities
Electric power is supplied within the city by PNM Resources. PNM also provides electrical power in the Tularosa Basin, while Otero County Electric Cooperative, a member cooperative of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and of Touchstone Energy, serves other areas of the county. Natural gas is supplied within the city by New Mexico Gas Company. Severn Trent operates both the water and sewage treatment facilities for the City of Alamogordo. Severn Trent maintains all water storage facilities, booster pump stations, city wells and treats the waste water to be re-used by the city to water the parks, Desert Lakes Golf Course and is sold to construction companies for dust control. Rural houses have individual wells.

Alamogordo has a dark sky ordinance to reduce the amount of light pollution in the night skies. The ordinance was passed in 1990 to promote the growth and scientific productivity of Apache Point Observatory. City streetlights are high-pressure sodium vapor lamps.

Healthcare
Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a private not-for-profit 99-bed general hospital that serves the Alamogordo area. The hospital is a shared military/civilian facility that is also the hospital for nearby Holloman Air Force Base.

The Otero County Community Health Council prepares a detailed health profile each year with many facts and figures about health in Otero County. Otero County is ranked in the middle of most health rankings within the state. New Mexico is near the bottom of most national rankings, for example it was 38th in the United Health Foundation 2007 report, but has been slowly improving (it was 40th in 2005). When health-promoting features are considered, instead of the healthiness of the population, Alamogordo is ranked as one of the 50 healthiest places to live in the United States, among six in New Mexico. Civic boosters such as the Chamber of Commerce publicize this ranking.

Notable people
Among scientists, Edward Condon, a physicist and a past director of National Institute of Standards and Technology, was born in Alamogordo. Alan Hale, an astronomer and co-discoverer of Comet Hale-Bopp, grew up in Alamogordo and lives in nearby Cloudcroft.

Among politicians, Edwin L. Mechem, a past governor and United States Senator from New Mexico, was born in Alamogordo, as was Cindy Chavez, a past member of the city council of San Jose, California.

Edward Lee Howard, a former CIA case agent who allegedly gave classified material to the Russians and later defected to the Soviet Union, was an Alamogordo native.

In sports, professional soccer player Adam Frye, jockey Donna Barton Brothers, and former professional American football cornerback Conrad Hamilton were all born in Alamogordo. Professional golf brothers Brad and Bart Bryant are from Alamogordo.

Alexis Duprey, crowned Miss New Mexico in 2013 and again in 2015, is from Alamogordo. Mai Shanley, who became Miss USA 1984, represented the city as Miss New Mexico USA.

Lead singer of 2020 GRAMMY Nominee Black Pumas, Eric Burton, grew up in Alamogordo and graduated from Alamogordo High School.

title: Alamogordo, New Mexico


text:
Boles Acres, New Mexico

Boles Acres is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,638 at the 2010 census.

Geography
The community is on US Route 54 approximately five miles south of Alamogordo and adjacent to the Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.2 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,172 people, 463 households, and 355 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 90.8 PD/sqmi. There were 562 housing units at an average density of 43.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.86% White, 1.28% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 6.91% from other races, and 3.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.44% of the population.

There were 463 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $39,048, and the median income for a family was $51,029. Males had a median income of $32,656 versus $19,779 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,207. About 9.4% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is zoned to Alamogordo Public Schools. Sierra Elementary School and Yucca Elementary School serve sections of Boles Acres. Mountain View Middle School is the zoned middle school for all of Boles Acres. Alamogordo High School is the district's comprehensive high school.

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

title: Boles Acres, New Mexico


text:
Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Cloudcroft is a village in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, and is located within the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 750 at the 2020 census.

Its high elevation of 8676 ft allows for a mild summer and forested surroundings that makes it a tourist attraction, and tourism remains the primary economy of the village.

History
In the 1890s, the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, organized by brothers Charles Bishop Eddy and John Arthur Eddy, arrived in the newly founded town of Alamogordo intending to continue the rail line north to the mining town of White Oaks and beyond. This required a steady supply of timber. In 1898 the Eddy brothers sent a survey crew into the Sacramento Mountains to determine the feasibility of extending a line up the summit to harvest the forests. The crew reported that not only was it possible, but the area could attract visitors. The name of Cloudcroft – a pasture for the clouds – was suggested and work on the line soon began.

By the end of the year, the rail line had been extended as far as Toboggan Canyon, and construction was started on a pavilion at the summit to provide accommodations for the anticipated tourists. It consisted of a dining room, kitchen, parlor, entertainment hall, and 40 tents set on wooden platforms. In May 1899 the railroad reached Cox Canyon and in June 1899, "The Pavilion" was formally opened by John Eddy. The first visitors rode the train as far as Toboggan and finished the journey by stagecoach. Favorable reports in newspapers quickly made Cloudcroft a popular destination. An additional resort, The Lodge, was built as a more upscale alternative to The Pavilion. The rail line arrived in Cloudcroft in early 1900, and in June 1900 the train depot was finished, located just west of The Pavilion. Meeting the trains became a daily activity in the village, with three arriving each day, bringing lumber, mail, and passengers.

In 1909, The Lodge burned down; it was rebuilt at its present location in 1911. The Pavilion also burned twice in the 1920s, but was rebuilt each time to conform to the original plans. The Lodge at Cloudcroft hosted numerous notable guests, and in the 1930s, was managed by Conrad Hilton.

As automobiles grew in popularity, the rail line began to lose money. Passenger service ended in 1938, and the last freight train ran in 1947. The extant Mexican Canyon Trestle of the now defunct rail line is located near Cloudcroft.

In 2010, fire destroyed two downtown buildings and caused smoke damage to other businesses in downtown Cloudcroft.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.63 sqmi, all land.

Climate
Cloudcroft meets the criteria of a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb), if the 32 F coldest-month isotherm is used. It is the southernmost town area on the North American continent with such a climatic subtype.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 750 people, 348 households, and 228 families in Cloudcroft. The population density was 458.4 per square mile (177.0/km$2$). There were 851 housing units at an average density of 520.2 per square mile (200.8/km$2$). The racial makeup was 85.23% (619) white or European American (78.27% non-Hispanic white), 0.53% (4) black or African-American, 0.93% (7) Native American or Alaska Native, 0.13% (1) Asian, 0.0% (0) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 4.13% (31) from other races, and 11.73% (88) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 14.0% (105) of the population.

Of the 348 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18; 50.0% were married couples living together; 23.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 31.0% of households consisted of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 4.3. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 19.1% of the population.

20.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 17.2% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.7 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $32,165 (with a margin of error of +/- $12,500) and the median family income was $56,696 (+/- $25,349). Males had a median income of $36,429 (+/- $12,318) versus $8,656 (+/- $943) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $13,088 (+/- $11,732). Approximately, 29.3% of families and 40.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 68.3% of those under the age of 18 and 12.9% of those ages 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 749 people, 320 households, and 224 families residing in the village. The population density was 500.2 PD/sqmi. There were 920 housing units at an average density of 614.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 90.66% White, 0.80% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 3.47% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.59% of the population.

There were 320 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $40,795, and the median income for a family was $52,292. Males had a median income of $40,750 versus $27,083 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,301. About 8.7% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
Festivals at Zenith Park in Cloudcroft include May Fair, on the Memorial Day Weekend, July Jamboree, and Oktoberfest.

Buildings in Cloudcroft include shops, restaurants, a chapel, gas station, general store, dispensaries, and a museum with artifacts and vintage photos of Cloudcroft's history.

Artists of many disciplines live, work, and sell their work in the village.

Education
Cloudcroft is the headquarters of the Cloudcroft Municipal Schools, which also serve other nearby communities.

Infrastructure

 * U.S. Route 82

Notable people

 * Ronny Cox, actor, singer, songwriter, and storyteller

title: Cloudcroft, New Mexico


text:
La Luz, New Mexico

La Luz is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,615 at the 2000 census. It is located immediately north of Alamogordo and lies in the eastern edge of the Tularosa Basin and on the western flank of the Sacramento Mountains. Until 1848, La Luz was a part of Mexico. The CDP gets its name from the Spanish word for "light".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.7 sqmi, all land.

La Luz sits at the opening of La Luz Canyon Creek, whose headwaters are high in the Sacramento Mountains. The waters of La Luz and Fresnal creeks are used by both the much larger city of Alamogordo, just to the south of La Luz and by La Luz in a ditch or acequia system. The City of Alamogordo has constructed a large reservoir to the south of La Luz to impound these waters.

History
Native Americans lived in the area for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the late 16th Century. The Mescalero Apache homelands covered an area of south-central New Mexico including the Sacramento Mountains and the Tularosa Basin. Today, the ancestral homelands of the Apache have been reduced to those lands contained in the Mescalero Apache Reservation, approximately 30 miles northeast of La Luz. There is some dispute over the founding of La Luz. By some accounts, it was founded by Franciscan friars as early as the 18th Century and called Nuestra Señora De La Luz (Our Lady of the Light). Early maps of the area include this notation and La Luz Canyon may have served as an early pass over the Sacramento Mountains connecting with the Peñasco river, which eventually flows into the Pecos River near present-day Artesia, New Mexico. The Sacramento Mountains reach a height of 9,000 feet.

It is well documented that a large group of Hispanic settlers came to the area around 1864 leaving villages along the Rio Grande in the vicinity of present-day Socorro, New Mexico, after devastating floods had occurred. These settlers founded the Village of Tularosa along the banks of Tularosa Creek and established a large acequia system and agricultural area.

Anglo settlers arrived in increasing numbers in the area especially after the Civil War with some establishing large ranches in the Tularosa Basin and nearby areas to supply beef to nearby Fort Stanton. Increasing rivalries between various competing factions would result in the Lincoln County War. The arrival of the railroad in the area brought rapid change to the area. The railroad reached El Paso, ninety miles to the south, in 1882. Charles B. Eddy and partners constructed a branch line from El Paso northward to exploit the timber resources of the Sacramento Mountains and coal deposits further north near present-day White Oaks, New Mexico. The establishment of the railroad resulted in the founding of Alamogordo in 1898 just a few miles south of La Luz. Eddy then constructed a branch into the Sacramento Mountains that went through La Luz and climbed to approximately 9,000 feet within the span of a few miles. Often referred to as the "Cloud Climbing Railroad" it was an engineering marvel. The mountain section of the railroad was dismantled in the early 1940s. The Village of Cloudcroft was established in the Sacramento Mountains and offered residents of El Paso an escape from the heat during the summer. Eddy's partner and lawyer for the railroad, William Ashton Hawkins, established a farm and large home which still stands in La Luz.

In the early Twentieth Century, Rowland Hazard III (1882–1945), the heir of an industrial fortune from Rhode Island, came to the area and established a large ranch and farm in the canyon areas above La Luz. He had the Coronado Lodge constructed as a hunting lodge in Cottonwood Canyon out of native stone in the early 1920s. Hazzard also established the La Luz Pottery Works after discovery of rich clay deposits in La Luz Canyon. The pottery works were well known for the manufacture of clay roof tiles and other architectural components such as chimney pots as well as extremely large pottery vessels. The pottery works supplied contractors nationwide at a time when the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style was at its height. Both the Coronado Lodge and the pottery works remain as fine examples of this type of architecture.

Economy
The largest employer in the surrounding area is Holloman Air Force Base. La Luz itself is largely residential and agricultural in land use but a small market is located on the state maintained road that connects the village to Highway 70. La Luz has long been known for the many fruits that are grown in the area including figs, apricots, plums and peaches. Apples, cherries, and pears are grown in the higher elevations in the canyon areas to the east of the village. The surrounding area also has a number of vineyards and pistachio groves. A number of artists also reside in the area.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,615 people, 648 households, and 463 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 150.7 PD/sqmi. There were 738 housing units at an average density of 68.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.71% White, 0.43% African American, 1.24% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 10.40% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.70% of the population.

There were 648 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,625, and the median income for a family was $29,719. Males had a median income of $30,213 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,258. About 10.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is zoned to Alamogordo Public Schools. La Luz Elementary School is the zoned elementary school of the area, while Chaparral Middle School is the zoned middle school. Alamogordo High School is the district's comprehensive high school.

La Luz School District consolidated into the Alamogordo district on July 1, 1959.

title: La Luz, New Mexico


text:
Mescalero, New Mexico

Mescalero (Mashgal) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The population was 1,338  at the 2010 census.

History

The settlement was originally called Blazer's Mill, the location of a famous gunfight during the Lincoln County War.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 17.9 sqmi 17.9 square miles (46.3 km2), all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,338  people, 404 households, and 283 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 68.9 PD/sqmi. There were 373 housing units at an average density of 20.9 per square mile (8.1/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 4.06% White, 0.16% African American, 90.59% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.68% of the population.

There were 351 households, out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 33.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.50 and the average family size was 3.88.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 38.4% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $22,353, and the median income for a family was $22,969. Males had a median income of $23,125 versus $20,573 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $8,554. About 34.5% of families and 39.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.7% of those under age 18 and 34.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Mescalero Apache Schools is a tribal K-12 school associated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). It is outside of the Mescalero CDP although it has a Mescalero post office address.

Tularosa Municipal Schools is the local school district.

title: Mescalero, New Mexico


text:
Timberon, New Mexico

Timberon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, and is within the Sacramento Mountains at the southern edge of the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 345 at the 2020 census.

Timberon has a nine-hole golf course, as well as a lodge, a pool, a church, an airstrip and a volunteer fire department. The residents consider it a retirement and resort community. Children are bussed into Cloudcroft for public school.

Geography
Timberon is located in a forested valley, known as Sacramento Canyon, on the southern slopes of the Sacramento Mountains. The Sacramento Creek, an intermittent creek, flows southeast through the valley. The community extends up several crosscutting canyons including Arkansas Canyon, Graveyard Canyon and Carrisa Canyon. The elevation in Timberon varies from 6,900 to 7,200 feet. Jefferies Peak at 8501 ft is located directly to the east of the valley, and Culp Peak at 7280 ft lies to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 20.2 sqmi, all land.

History
The land that now constitutes the community of Timberon was purchased from the State of New Mexico in 1933 by Judge Paul Moss. Moss had a hunting lodge there and cut some timber. In the 1960s the land was owned by Willie Farah, of El Paso, Texas who built an airstrip there. Development of the community really began when the property was sold to the North American Land Development Corporation in March 1969. The volunteer fire department was begun in 1974, the firehouse was completed in 1981 and the post office opened that same year. In 1976 a missile from White Sands Missile Range went awry and landed in the middle of the community. The road into Timberon was paved in 2005.

In July 2016 a fire destroyed almost eighty structures, including forty-four homes in Timberon.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 309 people, 145 households, and 98 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 15.3 people per square mile (5.9/km$2$). There were 458 housing units at an average density of 22.7 per square mile (8.7/km$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.59% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 4.21% from other races, and 3.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.62% of the population.

There were 145 households, out of which 14.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. One person households made up 29.7% of all households with 14.5% of all households being someone living alone who was over 65 years of age. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.52.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.2% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 36.6% from 45 to 64, and 28.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,519, and the median income for a family was $25,804. Males had a median income of $13,000 versus $25,278 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,743. About 2.9% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 4.9% of those 65 or over.

Education
It is within Cloudcroft Municipal Schools.

In the 1970s children were bussed to the elementary school in Weed, New Mexico, but because of the difficulties of winter travel, an elementary school was established in December 1980 that operated just during the three winter months. The school building, known as the Little Red School House, offered Kindergarten through Sixth Grade instruction under the Alamogordo School District. By 1992 it became a year-round school. The projected enrollment for the 1992-1993 school year was around 9, but because multiple Weed parents decided to send their children to Timberon instead, the actual enrolled student count that year was 18. Weed Elementary School closed in August 1992 as the enrollment count was zero despite a projected enrollment of 18.

In November 1992 the Cloudcroft district's board passed a resolution to annex portions of the Alamogordo district, including Timberon. In a separate motion the district drew new electoral boundaries with the annexed area effective the approval of said annexation.

The Little Red Schoolhouse continued under the administration of the Cloudcroft School District until May 2002, after which students were bussed to Cloudcroft.

title: Timberon, New Mexico


text:
Tularosa, New Mexico

Tularosa is a village in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It shares its name with the Tularosa Basin, in which the town is located. To the east, Tularosa is flanked by the western edge of the Sacramento Mountains. The population was 2,553 at the 2020 census. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the town, north of the much larger Alamogordo, experienced moderate growth and construction as a bedroom community, especially in the housing industry. Tularosa is noted for its abundance of cottonwood shade trees and its efforts to preserve the adobe-style architecture of its past.

History
Tularosa gets its name from the Spanish description for the red or rose colored reeds growing along the banks of the Rio Tularosa. The Rio Tularosa, which still exists along the north side of the village, attracted the original settlers as a water source in the desert. Settlers attempted to establish a settlement in 1860 but were unsuccessful due to Mescalero Apache raids. Two years later, after a battle at nearby Round Mountain, Mexican farmers from the Rio Grande valley succeeded in settling the area. The Mission Church, St Francis de Paula was built to honor a promise made to St Francis that if no one was killed in the battle at Round Mountain, the townspeople would build a church dedicated to him. In 1863, the Town of Tularosa was formally established and was mapped with 49 blocks and water rights distributed and recorded.

The original acequia (ditch irrigation system) remains virtually unchanged and provides the water for the trees lining the streets, private gardens, and landscaping that give Tularosa its unique character.

In 1979, the Tularosa Original Townsite District, consisting of the original 49 blocks on 1400 acre including 182 buildings, was declared a historic district and recorded in the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2008 Tularosa became an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. The local branch of the program, Keep Tularosa Beautiful, received a grant in 2008 of $10,000 for beautification projects from Waste Management.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.1 sqmi, all land. At the northern side of town is the Tularosa Creek which flows out of Tularosa Canyon, descending from the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, and which separates the Sacramento Mountains to the south from Sierra Blanca to the north. The Coyote Hills are to the north-east of town, foothills of the Sacramentos.

2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 2,553 people and 622 households residing in the village.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,864 people, 1,134 households, and 765 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,363.2 PD/sqmi. There were 1,311 housing units at an average density of 624.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 68.61% White, 0.87% African American, 4.26% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 21.51% from other races, and 4.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 56.08% of the population.

There were 1,134 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.09.

The population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household was $27,522, and the median income for a family was $30,313. Males had a median income of $23,654 versus $18,080 for females. The per capita income in Tularosa was $12,507. About 19.5% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.7% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Festivals and events
The Rose Festival is held annually, usually in the first weekend of May. There is an old-timer's picnic, a Rose Queen, arts and crafts - all celebrating the abundance of blossoming flowers. Other celebrations are the Fiesta of St. Francis de Paula.

Luminarias line the church plaza and the highway on Christmas Eve, giving a soft glow of welcome to those driving through on U. S. Highways 70 and 54. The luminaria display on Christmas Eve is perhaps Tularosa, New Mexico’s best-known treasure. This one-night-only display of light, love and tradition is one of the best parts of the holiday season in the Tularosa Basin.

Thousands of luminarias are displayed throughout the Village on Christmas Eve. A luminaria is a candle carefully set in sand inside of a paper bag and lit to create a warm glow at night.

There are sometimes conflicting opinions about the correct use of the term “luminaria”. Most of us refer to the paper bag lantern in this way, but traditionalists insist the correct term is 'farolitos'. Historically, a true luminaria is a series of small bonfires lining the road. According to tripsavvy.com, luminarias have their roots in the 1800s. Originally, small bonfires were used to guide people to Christmas mass. Often, they are associated with the final night of Las Posadas, which is the symbolic representation of when Mary and Joseph were seeking shelter in Bethlehem, walking from home to home for a place to rest.

For about 20 years, most of the luminarias displayed in Tularosa were supplied through a cooperative effort between the Tularosa Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Tularosa.

Points of interest
The Tularosa Original Townsite District is a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes Saint Francis de Paula church.

Transportation
The two major highways are U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 70. From the south, both highways are merged as they come into town, but the highways diverge toward the north end of town with Route 54 continuing north, and Route 70 heading east.

In the early 1900s the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad build a railroad line down from the coal mines at Dawson, New Mexico through Tucumcari and Carrizozo to Tularosa and continuing to El Paso. In 1924, that line later became part of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which merged with Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.

There is a privately owned airstrip at Beckett Farm in Tularosa. The nearest commercial airports are the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport and the Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport.

Education
Tularosa Public Schools is part of the Tularosa Municipal Schools School District. The school district has two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. In Tularosa are Tularosa Elementary School, Tularosa Middle School and Tularosa High School.

Notable people

 * Jan Clayton, film and stage actress
 * Dianna Duran, former New Mexico Secretary of State
 * Steve Ontiveros, MLB pitcher
 * Katherine D. Ortega, 38th Treasurer of the United States
 * Gary Paulsen, author
 * Ace Powell, painter and sculptor
 * Tammie Jo Shults, pilot who safely landed Southwest Airlines Flight 1380
 * Kim Stanley, film and stage actress

In popular culture

 * Some footage from the 2009 movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was shot in and around Tularosa.

USS Tularosa
The village had a United States Navy Mettawee-class gasoline tanker named after it. The USS Tularosa (AOG-430) was built by East Coast Shipyards, Inc. and launched on December 17, 1944; sponsored by Miss Patricia Hefferman; acquired by the Navy on January 4, 1945 and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on January 10, 1945. It saw World War II service before being decommissioned on April 23, 1946.

title: Tularosa, New Mexico


text:
House, New Mexico

House is a village in Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 68 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, all land.

House is surrounded mostly by ranch and farm land.

Infrastructure
The village includes a co-operative store and gas station, a community center, and a highschool. The logo for the highschool team is a Cowboy.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 72 people, 34 households, and 21 families residing in the village. The population density was 78.3 PD/sqmi. There were 52 housing units at an average density of 56.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 94.44% White, 2.78% from other races, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.94% of the population.

There were 34 households, out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 33.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $25,625, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,300. There were 5.0% of families and 14.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

title: House, New Mexico


text:
Logan, New Mexico

Logan is a village in Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,042 at the 2010 census.

History
Logan was born when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad constructed a bridge over the Canadian River. Eugene Logan was a well-known Texas Ranger who came to work on the bridge.

In 1963 and 1964, Ute Dam, its reservoir, and Ute Lake State Park were built west of Logan.

On March 23, 2007, severe thunderstorms passed through Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. The storms spawned several tornadoes including one in Logan, which destroyed 30 motor homes and mobile homes. Three were injured.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 8.4 sqmi, of which 8.0 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi (5.58%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,094 people, 485 households, and 342 families residing in the village. The population density was 137.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 126.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 89.21% White, 0.27% African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 6.12% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.38% of the population.

There were 485 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 27.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $24,871, and the median income for a family was $31,528. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $16,393 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,069. About 7.1% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
U.S. Route 54 highway runs through this village. NM 540 highway ends at Logan.

The Union Pacific Railroad passes through Logan, and there is one short siding.

title: Logan, New Mexico


text:
San Jon, New Mexico

San Jon ( is a village in Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 216 at the 2010 census.

History
The village was founded in 1902 and grew after the arrival of the railroad in 1904. It was once an important local commercial center and stop on U.S. Route 66 and home to numerous tourist-oriented businesses, such as gasoline service stations, cafes and motels. However, when Interstate 40 bypassed the village in 1981, the local economy went into a decline, leading most of those businesses to shut down. Today, only one motel is still in operation and all of the gas stations and dining establishments are centered around the I-40 interchange on the north side of town. Some former establishments were The Old Route 66 Truck and Auto Parts garage, Smith's Café, and the Circle M Motel.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, all land.

The village is located on I-40 at New Mexico State Highway 469 and is east of Tucumcari.

Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, San Jon has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in San Jon was 111 F on July 11, 2020, and July 13, 2020, while the coldest temperature recorded was -20 F on January 1, 1919.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 306 people, 118 households, and 82 families residing in the village. The population density was 116.5 PD/sqmi. There were 133 housing units at an average density of 50.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 87.91% White, 1.63% Native American, 6.54% from other races, and 3.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.03% of the population.

There were 118 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 74.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $22,917, and the median income for a family was $27,000. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $16,607 for females. The per capita income for the village was $11,592. About 14.3% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 13.6% of those 65 or over.

title: San Jon, New Mexico


text:
Tucumcari, New Mexico

Tucumcari is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,278 at the 2020 census. Tucumcari was founded in 1901, two years before Quay County was established.

History
In 1901, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad built a construction camp in the western portion of modern-day Quay County. Originally called Ragtown, the camp became known as "Six Shooter Siding", due to numerous gunfights. Its first formal name, Douglas, was used only for a short time. After it grew into a permanent settlement, it was renamed Tucumcari in 1908. The name was taken from Tucumcari Mountain, which is situated near the community. The origin of the mountain's name is uncertain; it may have been derived from the Comanche word tʉkamʉkarʉ, which means 'ambush'. A 1777 burial record mentions a Comanche woman and her child captured in a battle at Cuchuncari, which is believed to be an early version of the name Tucumcari.

In December 1951, a water storage tank collapsed in the city. Four were killed and numerous buildings were destroyed.

In 2014, a series of suspicious fires destroyed abandoned buildings, including the Tucumcari Motel, Payless Motel, and a house in the 500 block of North Fourth Street. A former Tucumcari Police Department officer and several others have been charged with arson.

The town formerly hosted an air show each year. The show held on October 4, 2006, was canceled after one hour when a single-engine plane crashed, resulting in the pilot's death.

Former railroad transit point
Tucumcari until the mid-twentieth century was a junction for transcontinental train service. The Rock Island Railroad ran pool train operations with the Southern Pacific, with transfers at the station (for the Tucumcari-Los Angeles leg of the trip). The Choctaw Rocket (Memphis-Little Rock-Tucumcari-El Paso-Los Angeles) made the switch there (for the coach cars). The Golden State (Chicago-Kansas City-Topeka-Tucumcari-El Paso-Los Angeles) ran continuously through the town.

Cattle ranches

 * Bell Ranch - created from a land grant in 1824 and now one of the very largest ranches in the United States
 * T4 Cattle Company - founded in 1902 and continues to be a family run enterprise, one of the country's largest ranches

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.6 km2, of which 19.5 km2 is land and 0.13% is water.

Climate
Tucumcari has a cool semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), characterized by cool winters and hot summers. Rainfall is relatively low except during the summer months, when thunderstorms associated with the North American monsoon can bring locally heavy downpours. Snowfall is generally light, with an average of 14.9 in. Due to the frequency of low humidity, wide daily temperature variations are normal.

The record high temperature at Tucumcari was 111 F on June 11, 2022, and the record low temperature -22 F on January 13, 1963. The hottest monthly mean maximum has been 100.5 F in July 2011 and the coldest mean minimum 12.4 F in January 1963, although the coldest month by mean maximum was January 1949, with a mean high of 38.6 F.

The wettest calendar year has been 1941, with 34.94 in and the driest, 1934, with 6.13 in. The most rainfall in one month was 11.19 in in July 1950. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 4.41 in on June 21, 1971. The most snowfall in one year was 51.2 in, from July 1911 to June 1912. The most snowfall in one month was 30.0 in, in February 1912.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,989 people, 2,489 households, and 1,607 families residing in the city. The population density was 793.8 PD/sqmi. There were 3,065 housing units at an average density of 406.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 75.87% White, 1.29% African American, 1.39% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 17.10% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.41% of the population.

There were 2,489 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,560, and the median income for a family was $27,468. Males had a median income of $25,342 versus $18,568 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,786. About 19.1% of families and 24.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
The buildings formerly at Metropolitan Park (locally known as "Five Mile Park" because it is located about five miles (8 km) outside of town) were designed by Trent Thomas, adapted from his design of La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. The park once featured New Mexico's largest outdoor swimming pool. Owing to deterioration, Metropolitan Park was named to the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance's list of Most Endangered for 2003. In 2010, the park's main building caught fire and burnt to the ground. The city of Tucumcari razed the site weeks after the fire.

Tucumcari Tonite, Route 66, and tourism

For many years, Tucumcari has been a popular stop for cross-country travelers on Interstate 40 (formerly U.S. Route 66 in the area). It is the largest city on the highway between Amarillo, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Billboards reading "TUCUMCARI TONITE!" placed along I-40 for many miles to the east and west of the town invite motorists to stay the night in one of Tucumcari's "2000" (later changed to "1200") motel rooms. The "TUCUMCARI TONITE!" campaign was abandoned in favor of a campaign which declared Tucumcari, "Gateway to the West". However, on June 24, 2008, Tucumcari's Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, the group responsible for the billboards, voted to return to the previous slogan.

Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard, which was previously known as Tucumcari Boulevard from 1970 to 2003 and as Gaynell Avenue before that time. Numerous businesses, including gasoline service stations, restaurants, and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city's outskirts on the south.

Tucumcari is the home of over 50 murals. Most were painted by artists Doug and Sharon Quarles and serve as a tourist attraction.

Downtown

Most of Tucumcari's oldest buildings lie along or near Main Street in the Historic Downtown area. These include:
 * Rock Island-Southern Pacific Train Station (built 1926, restored 2011)
 * Odeon Theatre (built 1937, still operating)
 * Crescent Creamery (vacant)
 * Masonic Temple (still operating)
 * Princess Theater (under renovation)

Also located in the downtown area are the concrete arches that once surrounded the Hotel Vorenburg, which was demolished in the 1970s after being damaged by fire. The Federal Building, commonly known as Sands-Dorsey Drug, was damaged by two fires before finally being demolished in 2015. The location is now a park.

Education
It is a part of the Tucumcari Public Schools school district. Schools in Tucumcari include:
 * Tucumcari Early Head Start and Head Start (non-public daycare and preschool)
 * Tucumcari Elementary School (public Pre-K through fifth grade)
 * Tucumcari Middle School (public sixth grade through eighth grade)
 * Tucumcari High School (public ninth grade through twelfth grade)

Tertiary schools:
 * Mesalands Community College (community two-year institution of higher learning)

Notable people

 * Paul Brinegar American character actor was born in Tucumcari.
 * Stan David Tucumcari High School graduate was a star safety for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and played 16 NFL games for the Buffalo Bills in 1984.
 * Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum and his associates robbed a post office and store in Liberty, NM, in 1896.
 * Rex Maddaford, Tucumcari Public Schools faculty member who competed for the New Zealand team in the 1968 Summer Olympics.
 * Musician Bob Scobey was born in Tucumcari in 1916.

In popular culture

 * Many of the scenes in the television show Rawhide (1959–1966) starring Clint Eastwood were shot in the Tucumcari area. Paul Brinegar, who played Wishbone, was from Tucumcari.
 * In the movie, For A Few Dollars More by Sergio Leone featuring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, the town of Tucumcari, is mentioned repeatedly. Filming actually occurred in Tabernas, Almería, Spain.
 * In the novel series by David Stone featuring Micah Dalton, the lead character was raised in Tucumcari.
 * Scenes for the film Hell or High Water were filmed in Tucumcari on June 1, 2015.
 * Tucumcari was featured in the TV series Better Call Saul

title: Tucumcari, New Mexico


text:
Alcalde, New Mexico

Alcalde (Spanish for mayor) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 285 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.5 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 377 people, 121 households, and 99 families in the CDP. The population density was 735.3 PD/sqmi. There were 138 housing units at an average density of 269.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 37.40% White, 0.27% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 54.64% from other races, and 5.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 89.12%.

Of the 121 households 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 16.5% of households were one person and 7.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.39.

The age distribution was 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median household income was $37,969 and the median family income was $38,250. Males had a median income of $31,375 versus $20,341 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,656. About 10.7% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is in Española Public Schools. Alcalde has one elementary school, Alcalde Elementary. The comprehensive public high school is Española Valley High School.

Oñate Monument Center
The Oñate Monument Center located in Alcalde on New Mexico Highway 68.

title: Alcalde, New Mexico


text:
Chama, New Mexico

Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 917 at the 2020 census. The village is located in the Rocky Mountains about 7 mi south of the Colorado-New Mexico border.

Geography
Chama is located on the Rio Chama, 6.5 mi south of the Colorado border. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, all of it land.

History
Chama was originally part of the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant. In 1880 the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad began construction of its San Juan Extension from Antonito, Colorado westward toward a mining district in the northern San Juan Basin of Colorado. The railroad needed an engine terminal for helper locomotives, near to the western foot of the steep gradient toward Cumbres Pass. It chose a site on the western bank of the Rio Chama where the railroad crossed it, for the terminal and its supporting townsite, naming the village for the river crossing. Train service began on February 1, 1881 and a post office was established that year.

The northern valley of the Rio Chama had extensive coniferous forest, with dense stands of Ponderosa pine. Timber harvesting and sawmilling rapidly developed from the early 1880's, and was a major industry into the 1930's. Chama is now the western terminus of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, a steam-driven, narrow gauge heritage railway which carries visitors to and from Osier, Colorado, and Antonito, Colorado, during the summer months. This is the remaining 64 mile portion of the Denver & Rio Grande's San Juan Extension between Alamosa, and Durango, Colorado. The tracks from Chama westward to Durango were abandoned in September 1967 and torn up soon afterwards.

Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 1,199 people, 467 households and 312 families residing in the village. The population density was 467.9 PD/sqmi. There were 601 housing units at an average density of 234.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 67.56% White, 1.58% African American, 2.67% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 25.10% from other races, and 3.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 71.23% of the population.

There were 467 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.13.

26.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median household income was $30,513, and the median family income was $31,983. Males had a median income of $27,167 compared with $20,054 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,670. About 11.9% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is within the Chama Valley Independent Schools school district. Chama has a K-8 school, Chama Middle/Elementary School, while Chama's 9-12 students would by default attend the district's only high school, a part of Escalante Middle/High School.

Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with short, cool-to-warm summers and long, cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Chama has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Popular culture
Chama has been featured in several films, including The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1969) The Cowboys (1972), Bite the Bullett (1975), The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982), Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1989), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Wyatt Earp (1994), Wild Wild West (1999), All the Pretty Horses, (2000), Appaloosa (2008), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), Godless (2016), and Hostiles (2017).

An episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations was filmed around the Rio Chama. A 2014 episode of the Discovery Channel miniseries Klondike was also filmed around Chama.

Three members of the Unser family, famous for its success in auto racing with a total of nine victories in the Indianapolis 500, own or have owned ranches in Chama: Al Unser Sr., Bobby Unser, and Al Unser Jr.

title: Chama, New Mexico


text:
Dulce, New Mexico

Dulce ( or ; Lóosi) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,743 at the 2010 census, almost entirely Native American. It is the largest community and tribal headquarters of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation.

History
Dulce was founded by the Gomez family as a ranching operation. The original name was "Agua Dulce," Spanish for sweet water because of the presence of natural springs that provided good drinking water for the people and their animals. The original homestead was founded in 1877 by Jose Eugenio Gomez. The Jicarilla Apache reservation was established in 1887 when the Apache people were forced into a reservation. The Gomez Ranch is currently kept under Manuel Gomez ownership, though surrounded by reservation land.

The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad constructed its San Juan Extension through Dulce in 1882, and a post office was established in 1892. A sawmill was established here, and a logging railroad running southwest as far as Mills Lake from about 1914, both of which closed around 1930.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.9 sqmi, of which 12.8 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.8%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,623 people, 779 households, and 595 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 202.6 PD/sqmi. There were 899 housing units at an average density of 69.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP is 3.43% White, 0.04% African American, 90.66% Native American, 4.35% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.74% of the population.

There were 779 households, out of which 48.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 28.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.83.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 40.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,818, and the median income for a family was $29,402. Males had a median income of $26,055 versus $21,623 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $10,108. About 24.8% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 41.4% of those age 65 or over.

Update from 2010 U. S. Census. By 2010, the population had increased 4.8% to 2,743 people. The population quoted above for 2000 is slightly off. The Census Bureau reports 2,618 people at that time; perhaps there was a revision of the 2000 figures.

Climate
Dulce is the southernmost urban area with a subarctic humid continental climate in North America (Köppen: Dfc) where summer is mild and short due to high altitude and rigorous winter. Going further south than the Dfb in low altitude and in latitude similar to the southern limit of the Dfa in the center of the country.

Education
Children from Dulce attend the schools of Dulce Independent Schools, ISD 21, which has approximately 650 students from kindergarten to high school.

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) maintained the Jicarilla Dormitory, which took students in grades 1-12.

Jicarilla Public Library is in Dulce.

title: Dulce, New Mexico


text:
San Juan, New Mexico

San Juan or San Juan Pueblo is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 592 at the 2000 census.

Geography
San Juan is located a few miles north of Espanola.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.6 square mile (1.5 km$2$), all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 592 people, 193 households, and 152 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,035.8 PD/sqmi. There were 227 housing units at an average density of 397.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 4.05% White, 0.34% African American, 84.97% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 7.60% from other races, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.03% of the population.

There were 193 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 27.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,667, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $22,721 versus $19,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $10,568. About 19.3% of families and 25.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.4% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

External link

 * Dead link as of 06/11/2024

title: San Juan, New Mexico