Historical Marker
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (3)
Historical marker location:
US 62/180, Whites City vicinity, New Mexico
( at campground entrance south of Whites City at County Road 418)
The Civilian Conservation Corps provided employment for more than 50,000 young men in New Mexico during the Great Depression of the 1930s. At the National Park Service CCC camp, they developed nearby Rattle Snake Springs into a permanent water source for Carlsbad Caverns, built roads, parking areas, and trails. Which made the park more accessible to the public.
The first European to visit what is now New Mexico was likely Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who traveled through the region in the early 16th century. However, it was not until the arrival of Juan de Oñate in 1598 that the Spanish established a permanent settlement in the area.