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37-486: Carrizozo is a town in Lincoln County , New Mexico , United States. It is the county seat , with a population of 996 at the 2010 census . Founded in 1899, the town provided the main railroad access for Lincoln County, and the town experienced significant population growth in the early decades of the 1900s. However, with declining relevance of the railroad, the population of the town has gradually declined. The town

74-780: A U.S. Senator from New Mexico and later Secretary of the Interior , owned the Three Rivers Ranch just south of Carrizozo, but had to sell it to settle legal debts as a result of his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal (1922–1923). During the same time, journalist Quentin Reynolds visited the town and wrote a piece on it for Collier's . Later, he wrote in The Wounded Don't Cry that "I used to agree with Bugs that once you left New York, you were strictly on

111-434: A female householder with no husband present, 36.4% were non-families, and 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age was 49.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 43,750 and the median income for a family was $ 53,871. Males had a median income of $ 34,306 versus $ 29,836 for females. The per capita income for

148-480: A female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% 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 2.80. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 30.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

185-607: A relatively lush grassland on the eastern side of the basin. While the Spanish tried some sheep ranching and some mining, the area remained firmly under Apache control until the 1850s, when the United States established its military presence at Fort Stanton (in the Sacramento Mountains) (1855–1896), Torreon Fort (near Lincoln ) (1850s), and Camp Comfort (1858–1859) at White Sands. Under US military protection,

222-531: Is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico . As of the 2020 census , the population was 20,269. Its county seat is Carrizozo , while its largest community is Ruidoso . Lincoln County was named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln . It was once the largest county in the United States. In the late 1870s, the Lincoln County War began between ranchers and the owners of the county's largest general store. William Bonney, better known as Billy

259-468: Is about 35 miles (56 km) east of the Trinity Site , where the first nuclear bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945. Residents reported tremors like an earthquake and, as the first major downwind settlement, the town received a significant part of the remnants of the mushroom cloud resulting in nuclear fallout of the area, which caused radioactive contamination . Bonito Lake which also lies within

296-537: Is also the last time a Democrat managed even 40 percent of the county's vote. School districts include: 33°44′N 105°28′W  /  33.74°N 105.46°W  / 33.74; -105.46 Tularosa Basin The Tularosa Basin is located primarily in Otero County, New Mexico . It covers about 6,500 sq mi (16,800 km ) (35% larger than Connecticut). It lies between

333-473: Is increasingly found in present-day inland basin aquifers with agricultural irrigation and potable water withdrawal demands. The Tularosa Basin is in the Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion , with the former Great Plains grassland habitat ecotones . Because of the closed nature of the basin, a number of unique ecological niches have developed. A significant number of endemic species are only found in

370-495: Is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380 . Railroad freight traffic is provided by Union Pacific . For general aviation, the town is served by Carrizozo Municipal Airport . Carrizozo Municipal Schools is the local school district. A number of movies have been filmed in Carrizozo. Movies which have been filmed at least partially in Carrizozo include: Lincoln County, New Mexico Lincoln County

407-409: Is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380 . The name of the town is derived from the Spanish vernacular for reed grass ( Carrizo ), which grew significantly in the area and provided excellent feed for ranch cattle. The additional "zo" at the end of the town name was added to indicate abundance of Carrizo grass. The town is now often referred to colloquially as "Zozo". Prior to 1899,

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444-671: The Sacramento Mountains to the east, and the San Andres and Oscura Mountains to the west. The basin stretches about 150 mi (240 km) north–south, and at its widest is about 60 mi (100 km) east-west. It is geologically considered part of the Rio Grande Rift zone, which widens there due to the slight clockwise rotation of the Colorado Plateau tectonic plate . Notable features of

481-418: The poverty line , including 24.70% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 census , there were 20,497 people, 9,219 households, and 5,859 families living in the county. The population density was 4.2 inhabitants per square mile (1.6/km ). There were 17,519 housing units at an average density of 3.6 units per square mile (1.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of

518-428: The 2010 census , there were 996 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 78.71% White, 0.70% African American, 2.61% American Indian, 14.16% Other, and 3.82% identified as two or more. Hispanics of any race were 43.57% of the population. Of the population, 54.72% were men and 45.28% were women. Of these, 15.96% were under the age of 18, 24.50% were over 65, and 59.54% were between 18 and 65. Carrizozo

555-527: The 20th century. Recently, the town has seen increasing focus on tourism, and cherry cider produced in the town was known nationally. The Carrizozo Orchard has since been permanently closed. Carrizozo is located at the northern end of the Tularosa Basin , which extends southward to the New Mexico– Texas border. The town itself is located in a flat area known prior to the founding of the town as

592-677: The Corrizo flats, with typical Chihuahuan desert scrub and desert grasslands . To the west of the town is the Carrizozo Malpais , a 40-mile-long (64 km) lava flow that is about 1,500 years old and accessible through the Valley of Fires Recreation Area . To the northeast is Carrizo Mountain , a 9,600-foot (2,900 m) peak within the Sacramento Mountains , and to the southeast are the Sierra Blanca mountain range. As of

629-615: The Kid and Smokey Bear , whose names help drive the tourism trade that is heavily popularized within the county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 4,831 square miles (12,510 km ), virtually all of which is land. As of the 2000 census , there were 19,411 people, 8,202 households, and 5,634 families living in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km ). There were 15,298 housing units at an average density of 3 units per square mile (1.2/km ). The racial makeup of

666-420: The Kid , became involved on the side of the ranchers after his friend and employer was killed. In the end, Bonney killed the county sheriff, a deputy, and the deputy that killed his friend. Several other people were slain in the conflict, which included the other leader of the rancher faction. His death ended the conflict. In 1878, the new territorial governor, retired Union General Lew Wallace , offered amnesty to

703-542: The National Park Service to be 21 000 to 23 000 years old and include footprints possibly showing humans stalking a giant sloth . The footprints are located at the shore of an ice age era lake. As of November 2021, 61 fossil footprints have been found at the site. When the Spanish arrived in the Tularosa Basin, they found springs and small streams coming from the Sacramento Mountains that fed

740-490: The Tularosa Basin is an endorheic basin , as no water flows out of it. The basin is closed to the north by Chupadera Mesa and to the south by the broad flat 4000-foot-elevation plain between the Franklin and Hueco Mountains , with the conventional boundary taken to be the New Mexico– Texas border. Surface water that does not evaporate or soak into the ground eventually accumulates at playas (intermittently dry lake beds),

777-461: The Tularosa Basin were able to support large herds in the wet years of the 1880s. When the Americans first started running cattle, in some places, the native perennial bunchgrasses grew 'as high as a horse’s shoulder' - 1.0–2.5 m (3.3–8.2 ft) depending on species. One cowboy estimated in 1889 that 85,000 head were mustered within the basin, but said that was “far too heavy a burden for

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814-635: The aquifer needed to be significantly reduced if existing levels of water use were to continue. Therefore, in 2004, the Tularosa Basin National Desalination Research Facility was established in the basin at Alamogordo , as a joint project of the Federal Bureau of Reclamation and Sandia National Laboratories . It is a national center for researching procedures to reduce brackish water creation and to develop new technologies for desalination as it

851-615: The area was primarily a few ranches and a stagecoach crossing with limited permanent settlement. Lawrence Murphy , a merchant active in the Lincoln County War (1878), owned a major ranch in the area. The location of Carrizozo was selected as the site for a station on the El Paso and Northeastern Railway (EP&NE) main line in 1899. Carrizozo was chosen over the nearby booming mine town of White Oaks , resulting in large-scale migration from White Oaks to Carrizozo. The railroad brought businesses, growing population, and increased importance to

888-563: The basin include White Sands National Park , Oliver Lee Memorial State Park , the Carrizozo Malpais lava flow , Holloman Air Force Base , and the White Sands Missile Range with the historic Trinity nuclear test Site . Tularosa Creek flows westward into the Tularosa Basin just north of the village of Tularosa . The distinct northwestern New Mexico Tularosa River is located in Catron County . Hydrologically,

925-621: The combatants to bring a long-lasting truce between the factions. Most of the population is in the Greater Ruidoso Area. The town of Carrizozo serves as the county seat and is in the Tularosa Basin northwest of Ruidoso. Ruidoso boasts several small suburbs and neighbor communities including Ruidoso Downs , Hollywood , Mescalero , and Alto which contribute to the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area 's population of 21,224. Ruidoso serves as

962-427: The county was $ 24,290. About 8.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over. Lincoln County is overwhelmingly Republican, voting Democratic in just 3 elections since New Mexico's founding (1912, 1932, 1936). It was one of only three counties in the state to support Barry Goldwater of neighboring Arizona in 1964, which

999-419: The county was 83.60% White , 0.35% Black or African American , 1.95% Native American , 0.27% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 11.28% from other races , and 2.48% from two or more races. 25.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,202 households, out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples living together, 9.30% had

1036-472: The county was 85.1% white, 2.4% American Indian, 0.5% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 9.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 29.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.0% were Irish , 15.6% were German , 12.3% were English , and 4.8% were American . Of the 9,219 households, 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had

1073-407: The estimated radioactive fallout zone of the 1945 Trinity test, was a water source for Carrizozo. With the rise of the automobile, Carrizozo's proximity to the railroad became less important starting in the 1950s, and the last passenger train passed through in 1968. The result was a decrease in economic opportunity in Carrizozo, and the population fell back to about 1,200 people for much of the end of

1110-670: The first permanent settlement was established in 1862, when about 50 Hispanic farmers from the Rio Grande Valley moved to Tularosa . Efforts to control the Apache waned somewhat during the American Civil War and serious American settlement did not begin until the late 1870s, when settlers and cattle ranchers from Texas began moving into the basin. In 1969, the Gemsbok was introduced. The native grasslands in

1147-419: The horse and buggy circuit. But of late years I've had to modify that. Since then I've discovered New Orleans , San Francisco and a little place called Carrizozo, New Mexico, where I want to go when I die. I want to go there and gang around the drug store and sneak behind the prescription counter with Art Rolland and have a nip of what he calls Old Granddaddy then type out his prescriptions for him." Carrizozo

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1184-471: The largest of which is Lake Lucero , at 3888 feet elevation, at the southwest end of the White Sands dunes . The White Sands are a 710-km (275-mi ) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. To the north of Lake Lucero are extensive alkali flats , which produce additional gypsum for wind deposition on the dunes. The White Sands fossil footprints in the Tularosa Basin are estimated by

1221-626: The range” - or beyond its carrying capacity . Severe drought followed for years, and the grassland pastures never recovered from the overgrazing , which continued in many instances for 75 years or more and caused top-soil erosion and desertification . Even within the White Sands Missile Range , where cattle grazing was eliminated in 1945, the effects from the 1890 -1945 period of overgrazing can still be seen nearly everywhere. Many areas that were historically known to be rich perennial grasslands are now xeric desert shrublands , with creosote bush—( Larrea tridentata ) predominating. Since surface water

1258-577: The second largest city in south central New Mexico behind Alamogordo which is 46 miles southwest of the village. Ruidoso Downs on the southern end of the county and southeast of Ruidoso operates the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino. The track hosts both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing , notably the All American Futurity , the richest in quarter horse racing. Historical figures from Lincoln County include Billy

1295-599: The town of Carrizozo. As a result, a county referendum in 1909 moved the seat of Lincoln County from the town of Lincoln to Carrizozo. This decision resulted in a four-year legal battle that was eventually resolved in favor of Carrizozo by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Gray v. Taylor . The result was a boom in which railroad access and political importance combined to lead to significant population growth in Carrizozo. The population reached around 2,000 by 1920. During this time, Albert B. Fall ,

1332-415: Was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 33,886, and the median income for a family was $ 40,035. Males had a median income of $ 27,323 versus $ 19,923 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,338. About 10.80% of families and 14.90% of the population were below

1369-428: Was unable to sustain the cattle herds, ranchers turned to groundwater , and the easily reachable aquifer of 'sweet water' was pumped out and depleted from under the basin, leaving only brackish water . Applying the groundwater to the surface resulted in additional salts being dissolved and transported back down by groundwater recharge into the aquifer, increasing its salinity . By 2000, it became clear that salts in

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