Historical Marker
Carrizozo (1)
Carrizozo, county seat of Lincoln County, was established in 1899, a new town on the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad. The ghost town of White Oaks, once a booming mining camp, is near by. Billy the Kid, Sheriff Pat Garrett, Governor Lew Wallace, and Albert Bacon Fall all figured prominently in the history of the area. Population–1222. Elevation–5438 ft.
In the early 1800s, New Mexico became an important center for trade along the Santa Fe Trail, which connected Missouri to Santa Fe. The trail was used by traders, trappers, and settlers to transport goods and supplies across the frontier.