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Carrizozo

The town of Carrizozo (elevation 5,426 feet or 1,654 meters) didn't exist back in Billy the Kid's day. Its lone Kid-related artifact is Deputy Sheriff Bob Ollinger's red leather wallet. It's displayed under glass on the back wall of the County Clerk's Office in the town's Lincoln County Courthouse. Carrizozo began in 1899 as an El Paso & Northeastern Railroad spur site known as White Oaks Crossing. The town site was platted and lots were sold in 1907. Carrizozo wrested the Lincoln County seat from the village of Lincoln in a contentious 1909 election that lasted until a U. S. Supreme Court decision upheld the election results in 1913. The town's fortunes began to decline after World War II, but have experienced a recent rebirth. Carrizozo has four motels, one bed and breakfast, two private recreational vehicle campgrounds, six restaurants, and one museum. White Oaks is 11 road miles (17.7 kilometers) away, Capitan 20 miles (32.2 km) away, Fort Stanton 27 miles away (43.4 km), Lincoln 32 miles (51.5 km) away, Ruidoso 34 miles (54.7 km) away, Roswell 89 miles away (143.2 km), and Santa Fe 163 miles (262.3 km) away.

Carrizozo Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 567, Carrizozo, New Mexico 88301
(575/648-2732) www.townofcarrizozo.org
zozoccc@tularosa.net