Welcome to Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley! It is truly the Crossroads” of the Southwest, both today and for the past four hundred years. In May 1598 Don Juan Onate passed through the Mesilla Valley in search of the fabled seven cities of gold. His early exploration opened the way from Mexico City to Santa Fe where for the next 245 years tradesman and travelers journeyed along the Camino Real, the “Royal Road”.

A settlement was established in nearby Dona Ana in 1843, and when it became overcrowded, the mayor asked Lt. Delos Bennett Sackett, the Commander of local U.S. forces, to layout a town at a designated site a few miles to the south. Lt. Sackett proceeded with orders and used rawhide ropes and stakes to conceptualize what would become residential lots, a plaza and a church in a town known as Las Cruces. You can still visit the original town site in what is now called the Mesquite Historic District.

In 1865, to protect the local settlers from the Apaches, the U.S. government established Fort Seldon, located 12 miles north along Interstate 25. Fort Seldon was home to the U.S. Horse Cavalry and the Buffalo Soldiers. In the 1880s, young Douglas MacArthur lived at the Fort.

The most common story of how Las Cruces got its name is from a “garden of crosses” (Jardin de Las Cruces) created from victims of raids by area Apaches that travelers on the Camino Real passed by on their journey north. The Gadsden Purchase in 1854, which made the nearby Village of Mesilla a part of the US, and the subsequent arrival of the railroad in 1881, were two significant events in the growth of Las Cruces. By 1900, the population of Las Cruces had nearly doubled. Las Cruces’ original train station borders the historic Alameda residential district, which surrounds beautiful Pioneer Park. Many of the homes in the area have been preserved, and look the same today as they did at the turn of the century.

The territorial legislature approved the formation of a land grant college in 1889 and during the past century it has grown into what is now New Mexico State University, located on the south side of Las Cruces. During World War II, to the east of Las Cruces, White Sands Missile Range was home to secret tests of rockets and the development of the 1st atomic bomb. Today Las Cruces enjoys a significant amount of military and government research at White Sands and nearby NASA facilities. The northern part of Doña Ana County has recently been chosen as the location for the X Prize competition, a race to achieve the first privately funded space exploration.

For the past decade, Las Cruces has experienced significant growth due to our mild annual climate and ever-sunny days. Agriculture still remains as a significant part of the local economy along with contributions from White Sands and tourism. Las Cruces is home to the Whole Enchilada Fiesta and the International Mariachi Conference.

Mesilla was originally a Spanish settlement that was part of Mexico. Referred to as “La Mesilla” by Spanish speakers, it was founded in the early 1800s and the village residences and shops grew around the Plaza and San Albino church, one of New Mexico’s most historic churches.

In 1854 the Gadsden Purchase, signed on the historic Mesilla Plaza, made Mesilla a part of the United States. Many of Mesilla’s buildings date back to the mid 1850s and have been restored and preserved as examples of adobe territorial architecture common during that era.

Mesilla was also the regional headquarters for the Butterfield Overland Stage between San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California. Today, La Posta Restaurant sits on the stage stop site.

Mesilla was also the site of the territorial jail, where Billy the Kid was incarcerated, tried, and sentenced to hang.

Today, the plaza in Mesilla is home to a weekly Mercado, in addition to the colorful shops. Often Mariachis perform on the Plaza and annual Fiestas are produced for Cinco de Mayo, Diez y Seis de Septiembre and Dia de Los Muertos.