National Park Service White Sands Department of the Interior White Sands National Monument History & Culture of the Tularosa Basin

The visitor center in 1944

ho were the peoples that called the Tularosa Basin home? Where did Wthey live? How did they live? Over the last 12,000 years, this seemingly barren basin has been home to numerous populations and each of these cultures left their mark on the land.

Paleoindians: Small bands of nomadic hunters boundaries. Chipped stone spear Ancient Hunters roamed the basin tracking large game points and other traces of “Folsom” animals that once lived here, like technology have been found across 8,000 - 12,000 years ago mammoths and camels. Fossilized the lowlands and along the shorelines tracks, evidence of these giant of ancient lakes throughout the mammals, still exist within park Tularosa Basin. Archaic Period: As the climate began to change, meat, the people began to depend Hunter–Gatherers becoming warmer and drier, more on plants for food and became paleoindian hunters began to change known as hunters and gatherers. 6,000 BC - 200 AD their way of life. With large game Eventually these people began to animals now extinct, people began to trade with others from different hunt the remaining smaller animals. cultures and areas and started to settle Since smaller animals provided less near water sources. Jornada Mogollon The start of this period coincides The Mogollon became known for (hor-nah-dah moh-gee-own) with the first appearance of pottery their distinctive style of pottery, pit 200 AD - 1350 AD and semi-permanent to permanent houses, and later pueblos. They living structures. The Mogollon were disappeared from the area around hunter-gatherers who settled down 1350 AD, most likely because of and became farmers in this region. drought. Numerous settlements in the Evidence suggests they grew corn, Southwest were abandoned around squash and beans although they this same time. still hunted and collected wild plant foods to supplement their diet. Some After the departure of the Mogollon, believe they traded far and wide with the basin remained empty of human other cultures—from Mexico and inhabitants until the Apachean across the Southwest to as far away as peoples arrived. Mimbres “black-on-white” potsherd the Pacific Ocean.

Apachean The Apachean cultural groups are until the late 1800’s. Beginning in the 1450 - today believed to have arrived in this 1860’s, Euro-American and Hispanic area around 1450 AD, although farmers and ranchers began settling some historians say it may have in the areas of La Luz and Tularosa. been earlier. Apachean peoples Conflicts between Indians and are descendants of the Athabaskan Europeans became commonplace. speakers from Alaska and western The Mescalero Indian Reservation Canada. They established seasonal was established in 1873 and today villages in the Tularosa Basin near the encompasses 463,000 acres. Sacramento Mountains to hunt and Ranching and tourism are major gather plants. sources of income for the tribe. Encountering few outside influences, the Apache lived in relative peace Spanish Colonialism and In 1536, the first Spanish explorers The remaining cattle formed the first Exploration came to New Mexico, led by of the Spanish cattle herds. In the Cabeza de Vaca. He was followed by late 1700’s and early 1800’s, Spaniards 1536 - 1800’s Francisco Vasquez de Conorado in came from El Paso to gather salt from 1540 who was searching for the fabled the dried up beds of Lake Otero. They cities of gold reported to be in New hauled the salt back to El Paso in Mexico. No gold was ever found. “carretas,” or carts, pulled by oxen. In The greatest legacies from their 1821, Mexico declared Independence visits were the horses and cattle left from Spain. In 1846 the Mexican behind. These forgotten animals were American War began, ending in 1848 the sources of all the wild herds that as New Mexico was annexed to the roamed the area. United States. Early Settlers After New Mexico was named a U.S. Other key economic activities at this & Wild West territory, European settlement of time were largely based on mineral the Tularosa Basin began in earnest mining operations. During the early 1800’s - 1930’s in 1850. Lush grasslands attracted 1900’s, the gypsum sands and salt flats ranchers who established the towns were being mined to produce plaster of La Luz and Tularosa, building of Paris, salt, and other minerals. on the eastern edge of the basin where water was readily available. The largest town in the basin, Homesteads were established to Alamogordo (Spanish for fat control permanent water sources as cottonwoods) was founded as a well as agricultural and grazing lands. planned railroad community in 1898. The streets of Alamogordo were laid By the 1890’s, the land was becoming out and cottonwood trees planted to overgrazed. The verdant grasslands attract settlers. Only one area of the disappeared and became desert. town could sell liquor per the town’s Conflicts among ranchers and early ordinances, which would remain farmers and other ethnic groups led in effect until it was challenged in the to dispute resolution old-West style. 1980’s. Well-known figures of this period include rancher and gunfighter Oliver In 1912, New Mexico became the 47th Lee, ranchers Jose and Felipe Lucero, state in the Union, before the Great Sheriff Pat Garrett, and William Depression and droughts of the 1930’s Infamous gunman Billy the Kid McCarty, also known as Billy the Kid. brought the frontier era to a close. Modern History Like many areas of the country, the the Alamogordo Army Air Field (now 1930’s to Present Great Depression brought many Holloman Air Force Base) and White changes to the Tularosa Basin. First, Sands Proving Grounds (now White White Sands National Monument was Sands Missile Range). established in 1933 by a decree from President Herbert Hoover to preserve On July 16, 1945, the first atomic the gypsum sand dunes. As part of bomb was detonated at the Trinity President Roosevelt’s New Deal, the site located about 100 miles north of adobe buildings at the monument the monument on the White Sands were constructed by the Works Testing Range. This momentous event Progress Administration. heralded the birth of the nuclear and space ages, all right here in the The greatest changes in the history of Tularosa Basin. the basin came as a result of World War II. The Alamogordo Bombing Both Holloman Air Force Base and Gunnery Range was the first (HAFB) and White Sands Missile land withdrawn from the basin for Range (WSMR)continued test and military purposes. Comprised of research activities following the war. 1,243,000 acres of grazing allotments Today, they play a major role in the and private land, this property Tularosa Basin’s culture and economy. encompassed most of what is now HAFB remains an important training White Sands Missile Range and ground not only for American but Holloman Air Force Base. for German pilots as well. WSMR continues to break new ground in Soldiers at White Sands in September, 1942 In 1942, construction began on both scientific and technological research. The Monument Today Since its first year as a national past and glimpses of our future. From monument, visitation to the park has drought resistant microbes that help steadily increased. Today, we are one plants grow in waterless regions to of the most visited national parks in understanding the gypsum dunefield New Mexico. Almost half a million on Mars, new discoveries are being people from all over the world come made all the time. Modern or ancient, to explore this amazing landscape. stories about the geology, culture, and The dunes themselves act as a living ecology of White Sands continue to laboratory, providing insights into our add to a legacy that began long ago.

To learn more about White Sands National Monumnet, visit http://www.nps.gov/whsa Revised 03/01/2014