The war between Mexico and the United States ended in 1848 with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe. As part of the agreement, the US took control of the area known today as Doña Ana County. Hearing of the news, settlers rushed to the new area staking their claim to the undeeded land just acquired. Between the frequent Apache raids and the influx of new residents, things were getting so out of hand that Don Pablo Melendres of Doña Ana called upon the US Army for help in surveying and plotting out the a new townsite. Using nothing but rawhide rope and wooden stakes United States Army Lt. Delos Bennett Sackett mapped out a new town. Included were 84 city blocks and a town plaza.

Las Cruces has also been a favorite stopping ground for many notable historical figures including Geronimo, Victorio, Albert Fall and the famed outlaw Billy the Kid who stood trial for murder in Mesilla. He was found guilty by Judge Warren Bristol and was taken to Lincoln where he escaped while waiting to be executed. The building in Mesilla that housed the jail and courtroom are still standing and the iron jail cell that held him is on display across the street in the Gadsden Museum.

As Las Cruces grew, so did pressure to give the new community a name. To this day, there is still a great deal of speculation surrounding how the name Las Cruces came to be. One story puts for the idea that the name is in honor of the many settlers who were killed by the Native Americans in the area. Out of respect for the dead, crosses were erected at the site they were killed, leaving some to believe the name came from the name El Pueblo del Jardin de Las Cruces, (the City of the Garden of Crosses). Still others believe it is simply the Spanish translation for “the crosses” also a possible reference to local customs honoring the dead.

Things to see and do in Las Cruces
White Sands National Monument/

Other Las Cruces links
History/Hotels/Maps/Contact the CVB/