The Salinas Pueblo Missions are a series of missions in central New Mexico. While only one has been excavated, they once hosted bustling American Indian trade communities. Spanish Franciscans founded the missions in the early seventeenth century. They were eventually destroyed by the Spanish in 1677.
Smokey Bear Parade & Rodeo
The Smokey Bear Parade & Rodeó in Carrizozo is a summer tradition that has been held since 1954. It was started by the former Dunn’s Corners Fire Chief, Karl E. Kenyon, who wanted to start a tradition that would bring the community together. Since then, the Smokey Bear Parade has become a favorite event in the region. It even managed to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
This annual event features traditional rodeo events as well as youth and women rodeo events. It also includes a barbecue cook-off, dances, and a fireworks extravaganza. There are many things to see and do at the Smokey Bear Parade & Rodeo in Carrizozo.
Throughout the four-day Smokey Bear Stampede, visitors can enjoy eight rodeos. Live music and dancing are other highlights of the festivities. A dutch oven cook-off is also part of the festivities. And the Smokey Bear Parade and Rodeo takes place on July 4 and 8, from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. It’s a true tradition and is the largest celebration of Independence Day in Lincoln County.
The Smokey Bear Parade & Rodeoza in Carrizozo is an event that celebrates the legendary bear. The event is held during the fourth of July week and is part of a larger event, the Mescalero Apache Ceremonial & Rodeo. In addition to the rodeo, the Smokey Bear Stampede also features concerts, dances, and a Western marketplace.
Carrizozo Heritage Museum
You can learn about the history of Carrizozo, New Mexico, at the Carrizozo Heritage Museum, open to the public every weekday from 10am to 2pm. This museum is located in an old Frozen Foods Locker building that was renovated in 2003. It tells the history of the community, including the railroad’s influence. The museum’s building is a former frozen food locker and ice plant, which used to produce ice for home iceboxes. Local residents rented lockers to store frozen foods, game, or locally butchered livestock.
For more information about the Carrizozo Heritage Museum, visit its website. It includes the museum’s address, street name, ZIP code, phone number, and online map. It is located at PO BOX 16 in CARRIZOZO, NM. You can also visit their Facebook page to learn more about the museum.
White Oaks
Located on the outskirts of the Lincoln National Forest, White Oaks is a ghost town that has been untouched by time. In the late 1800s, the town was a thriving boomtown, thanks to the discovery of coal and gold. Today, the ghost town is a beautiful spot for a day trip.
White Oaks is located in the southwestern part of New Mexico, about 12 miles west of Ruidoso. The town is home to the Cedarvale cemetery, where many historical figures were buried. For example, Susan McSween, the New Mexico cattle queen, died in White Oaks in 1931. Another notable historic figure was Watt Hoyle, the owner of the Old Abe Mine. He and his fiancee lived in a two-story Victorian brick home.
The town’s name comes from a stream surrounded by white oak trees. After finding gold, a mining camp soon developed, and by 1880, the town had a post office. The community also had two hotels and a sawmill, as well as two churches. In 1887, the town was a thriving boomtown, with more than fifty businesses. There were also livery stables and a bank.
The Old Brick Saloon is another historical landmark in the town. The building dates back to 1884. Previously, it was a print shop and assay office. The current owner, Anne New, keeps the property’s historical integrity intact by repainting the interior and exterior to match the original color. The town is home to several original buildings, including Brown’s Store, Hoyle House, and Gumm House. The town also has a school and the No ScumAllowed Saloon, which has been ranked as one of the “Best Cowboy Bars in the West” and attracts bikers.
After the discovery of gold in the late 1870s, White Oaks started to grow, and by 1890, it had more than 4,000 people. At one time, there were four newspapers in the town, two saloons, a saloon, a school, and a town hall. In 1884, Lyman Hood held his first church service. The town was also home to numerous brothels, which attracted a large number of prostitutes. The town also was a frequent hideout for cattle rustlers.
The White Oaks mining district is located about 12 km northeast of Carrizozo in Lincoln County, New Mexico. The region contains hydrothermal gold and tungsten mineralization. The district is characterized by north-trending veins and breccia zones. The underlying sedimentary strata include Permian sandstones and Cretaceous Dakota and Mesaverde.
Salinas Pueblo Missions
The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument contains three archaeological sites that can be visited in the area of Carrizozo, New Mexico. One of these sites is Quarai, which is also known historically as Quarai State Monument. The site is located north of the town of Mountainair, New Mexico.
There are three distinct sites within the monument, and visiting all three can give you a unique glimpse into an important period of history, including conflict, cultural borrowing, and cultural exchange. The sites of the mission buildings serve as reminders of these early encounters, prompting exploration of how different people interacted with one another.
During the time of Spanish contact, there were Native American trading communities in this area, which was fertile for missionary efforts. However, by the late 1670s, most of the Salinas District had been abandoned. Today, the ruins of three mission churches are still visible, including the ones at Quarai, Abo, and Gran Quivira. The Gran Quivira pueblo has partially been excavated.
The San Gregorio de Abo Mission, located in Mountainair, New Mexico, is another of the three mission sites in the area. This site was founded by the Spanish and is part of the Salinas Pueblo National Monument. This monument contains San Gregorio de Abo, Quarai, and Gran Quivera. A 0.5-mile trail leads through the pueblo ruins and the unfinished mission church.
Before the mission was built, the Indians had lived in these pueblos. Their traditional religion was practiced in “kivas” – round-shaped buildings, which were used as communal meeting places. A fire pit inside the kiva kept the inside warm and provided an outlet for smoke.
The salt used to be a valuable commodity and was traded as money. In fact, it was once the most important item of exchange in the Americas. Many Indian villages relied on salt trade as their livelihood. However, cultural conflicts and natural disasters destroyed many of these villages. During the 1670s, the Apaches were a threat to the Pueblos.
Carrizozo has several cultural and artistic landmarks. Visitors may visit one of the Missions or all of them. Visitors don’t have to visit the Visitors Center first.
