Ruidoso

Historical marker location:

US 70, Ruidoso, New Mexico

( in the town of Ruidoso)

Originally known as Dowlin’s Mill, the town was located on the Chisum Trail which ran from the Pecos River to Arizona. By 1885 it had attracted a store, a blacksmith shop, and a post office which was named Ruidoso after the local stream. Several incidents of the Lincoln County War occurred here, including the murder of Paul Dowlin in May 1877. Population – 4260 Elevation – 6855 ft.

In 1945, the world's first atomic bomb was tested at the Trinity Site in New Mexico. The test was part of the Manhattan Project, a secret government program to develop nuclear weapons during World War II.