Carrizozo was born along with the dawn of the 20th century. Before the railroad tracks reached the site of present day Carrizozo in August of 1899, as far as the eye could see there were few signs of human habitation here at the upper end of the Tularosa Basin. A few scattered cattle ranches established in the 1870's - a lonely stagecoach road crossing the landscape from the booming gold mining town of White Oaks, 12 miles to the northeast.
The railroad tracks were marching north from El Paso, the dream of promoter Charles B. Eddy, to establish a railroad from El Paso to connect with the east-west Rock Island Line at Santa Rosa. The El Paso and Northeastern Line bypassed White Oaks, and the Eddy brothers started a new town here on the flats instead, running a branch line from Carrizozo east to the coal fields near present day Capitan. The story goes that the town got its name from the tall reedy grasses that grew here, called by the Spanish, "Carrizo" and that Carrizozo was a word coined to mean "an abundance of Carrizo". The mountain that can be seen to the northeast is called Carrizo Mountain.
As Carrizozo began to flourish, White Oaks began to decline. Many of its former residents moved their homes and businesses down to the new town. Railroad employees were moving in. The land surrounding Carrizozo was opened for homesteading. In 1905, Eddy sold his railroad to Phelps Dodge Company, who renamed it the El Paso and Southwestern. In 1906, developer Ira Wetmore, acquired the Eddy Brothers' development company and platted the town. Today's Carrizozo looks much like those original plats.
Carrizozo, like the new century, had grand dreams for its future. As a railroad terminal and a trading center, there was no limit to the possibilities. Its buildings and homes were built substantially, meant to last.
In 1909 Lincoln County voted to move the county seat from Lincoln to Carrizozo because of its proximity to the railroad. A four year court battle finally decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1913 in Carrizozo's favor, took place. A large and imposing court house was built, which was unfortunately torn down in the 1960's. Facing the railroad tracks were a number of shops, saloons, a large depot, a large eating house and hotel which was the business and social center for the entire area, a roundhouse, a car repair yard. Present day Twelfth Street and adjacent streets as well housed a number of mercantile stores, groceries, saloons, service establishments like shoe repairs and cleaners, newspaper office, bank, restaurants, pool halls, more hotels. Its lively streets were filled with people and horses from morning until night.
But Carrizozo's heyday was not to last many years. It was the rise of the automobile and the decline of the railroad that brought about Carrizozo's decline. After World War II, with the paving of the roads and the general prosperity, the automobile became the favored mode of transportation. Not only did the railroad decline, but also the isolated ranchers could now drive in their own cars or pickups to larger towns like Alamogordo, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces. It is the same story repeated over and over in America's small towns.
In 1955 when the railroads turned to diesel engines to replace the old steam engines, the final blow was struck. Diesel engines do not require the manpower to service them, the water, nor the pumping stations, and railroad employment, the mainstay of Carrizozo's economy, fell drastically. By 1968 the last passenger train had passed through Carrizozo. Eventually all the old railroad buildings and many of the business establishments were torn down - or burned down. The fortunes of Carrizozo were directly tied to those of the railroad that gave it birth. Many freight trains still pass through Carrizozo daily, but they no longer stop.
As the County Seat, Carrizozo did not die, however. Now at the close of the century that saws its birth, prosperity, and decline, a small rebirth seems to be happening as people seek the charm, friendliness, and slower pace of life to be found in quiet small towns.
Many of the town's livable old houses remain, surprisingly unchanged but restored, a source of pride to the town as well as to their owners. A number of commercial establishments are still standing. Most of them, however, have been remodeled over the years; others are still abandoned. Some of the most noteworthy buildings are included in the walking tour.
We hope that as you walk or drive through our quiet neighborhoods and streets, you will catch a glimpse of the flavor of small town life in the Southwest in the first half of the 20th century and that you will enjoy the quality of life of today's Carrizozo, with it's friendly people and tranquil atmosphere.
(Compiled and written by historian, Ann Buffington-West)