Tularosa
From the Jornada Mogollon to the residents of the Atomic West, Tularosa has been home to many cultures over time. The town and an adjacent river both derive their name from the reddish pink reeds that grow in the surrounding basin.
Archeological evidence shows that indigenous people populated the area thousands of years ago, but little is known about their culture. In the 1860s, Mexican Americans settled the town seeking refuge from the constant flooding of the Rio Grande in the Mesilla Valley of Southern New Mexico. They imported their agricultural lifestyle and civic identity stemming from a Spanish Colonial past.
Battles amongst landowners and between the settlers of Tularosa and the neighboring Apache marked the late nineteenth century, as did the presence of Franciscan Missionaries, outlaws, lawmen, and Buffalo Soldiers.
Toward the beginning of the twentieth century the railroad came through Tularosa but the town did not change drastically. This changed after World War II, when the federal government became a significant presence. The detonation of the atomic bomb at Trinity Site forever tied Tularosa to the nuclear age. Townspeople found work at nearby White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base.
In the 21st century Tularosa maintains an agricultural and atomic identity. Farmers grow pecans, alfalfa, grapes, and world famous pistachios sixty miles southeast of Trinity Site.
Narrative and photographs by Mark Hanna Garnes III, New Mexico State University.
