Carrizozo, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Carrizozo | |
| Nickname: 'Zozo | |
 Location of Carrizozo, New Mexico | |
  Carrizozo, New Mexico Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:33°38′35″N105°52′25″W / 33.64306°N 105.87361°W /33.64306; -105.87361 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Lincoln |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.36 sq mi (21.66 km2) |
| • Land | 8.36 sq mi (21.66 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,545 ft (1,690 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 972 |
| • Density | 116.2/sq mi (44.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code | 88301 |
| Area code | 575 |
| FIPS code | 35-12500 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413174[2] |
| Website | www |
Carrizozo is a town inLincoln County,New Mexico, United States. It is thecounty seat, with a population of 996 at the2010 census.[4] Founded in 1899, the town provided the main railroad access for Lincoln County, and the town experienced significant population growth in the early decades of the 1900s. However, with declining relevance of the railroad, the population of the town has gradually declined. The town is located at the intersection ofU.S. Routes 54 and380.
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.[5] The town is now often referred to colloquially as "Zozo".[6]
Prior to 1899, the area was primarily a few ranches and a stagecoach crossing with limited permanent settlement.[7]Lawrence Murphy, a merchant active in theLincoln County War (1878), owned a major ranch in the area.[8][9] The location of Carrizozo was selected as the site for a station on theEl Paso and Northeastern Railway (EP&NE) main line in 1899. Carrizozo was chosen over the nearby booming mine town ofWhite Oaks, resulting in large-scale migration from White Oaks to Carrizozo.[10]
The railroad brought businesses, growing population, and increased importance to the town of Carrizozo. As a result, a county referendum in 1909 moved the seat ofLincoln County from the town ofLincoln to Carrizozo.[7] This decision resulted in a four-year legal battle that was eventually resolved in favor of Carrizozo by theSupreme Court of the United States in the case ofGray v. Taylor.[11] 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.[5]
During this time,Albert B. Fall, a U.S. Senator from New Mexico and laterSecretary 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 theTeapot Dome scandal (1922–1923).[12] During the same time, journalistQuentin Reynolds visited the town and wrote a piece on it forCollier's. Later, he wrote inThe Wounded Don't Cry that "I used to agree withBugs that once you left New York, you were strictly on the horse and buggy circuit. But of late years I've had to modify that. Since then I've discoveredNew 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."[13]
Carrizozo is about 35 miles (56 km) east of theTrinity 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 innuclear fallout of the area, which causedradioactive contamination.[14][page needed]Bonito Lake which also lies within the estimated radioactive fallout zone of the 1945 Trinity test, was a water source for Carrizozo.[15]
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.[7] The result was a decrease in economic opportunity in Carrizozo, and the population fell back to about 1,200 people for much of the end of the 20th century.[16] Recently, the town has seen increasing focus on tourism, andcherry cider produced in the town was known nationally. The Carrizozo Orchard has since been permanently closed.[17][5]
Carrizozo is located at the northern end of theTularosa Basin, which extends southward to the New Mexico–Texas border. The town itself is located in a flat area known prior to the founding of the town as the Corrizo flats, with typicalChihuahuan desert scrub and desert grasslands.[17][18]
To the west of the town is theCarrizozo Malpais, a 40-mile-long (64 km) lava flow that is about 1,500 years old and accessible through theValley of Fires Recreation Area.[19] To the northeast isCarrizo Mountain, a 9,600-foot (2,900 m) peak within theSacramento Mountains, and to the southeast is theSierra Blanca mountain range which rises to an elevation of 11,981 ft (3,652 m).
Carrizozo has an average annual temperature of 55.7 °F (13.2 °C) and an average precipitation of 12.8 in (330 mm). The heaviest precipitation is in the summer. The climate under theKöppen classification is Bsk (cold, semi-arid steppe).
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| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1,301 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,171 | −10.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,457 | 24.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,389 | −4.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,546 | 11.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,123 | −27.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,222 | 8.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,075 | −12.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,036 | −3.6% | |
| 2010 | 996 | −3.9% | |
| 2020 | 972 | −2.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20][3] | |||
As of the 2010census,[21] 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 is located at the intersection ofU.S. Routes 54 and380.
Railroad freight traffic is provided byUnion Pacific.
For general aviation, the town is served byCarrizozo Municipal Airport.
Carrizozo Municipal Schools is the local school district.[22]
A number of movies have been filmed in Carrizozo. Movies which have been filmed at least partially in Carrizozo include:[24]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)The Day the Sun Rose Twice.
3He/4He Age Data included in geochronology tables in: Williams, Wendi Joan Whitehead, "Evolution of Quaternary intraplate mafic lavas detailed using helium-3surface exposure and argon-40/argon-39 dating, and elemental and helium, strontium, neodymium andlead isotopic signatures: Potrillo volcanic field, New Mexico, United States of America and San Quintinvolcanic field, Baja California Norte, Mexico" (1999). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 3949.Open Access
Municipalities and communities ofLincoln County, New Mexico,United States | ||
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