Too many, Roswell’s history begins and ends with the Roswell Incident in 1947; However this is more to know about this eastern New Mexico community. Born from its proximity to water, in the 1800s, Roswell’s locations proved to be ideal stop for ranchers moving cattle up the Chisum Trail to the railhead in Las Cruces. By 1869, Rowell began to take shape when professional gambler Van C. Smith came to town. In 1871 Smith filed his land claim and changed the settlements name to Roswell Smith, in honor of his father Rowell Smith.

But it took the arrival of Captain Joseph Lea to turn the dusty cowtown into a prosperous community. Under Lea’s leadership, Rowell entered a period of growth and stability that has maintained at some level for over a hundred years.

Roswell-Museum1891 saw both the incorporation of Roswell as a town and the establishment of the Goss Military Institute, later know as the New Mexico Military Institute.

With the assistance of the WPA, Roswell continued to prosper even during the depression.

However, it is Roswell’s more recent history that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. When a mysterious crash occurred north of town in 1947, Rowell’s place in history was forever secured. Residents who were witness to the crash in one way or another remained quite about the things they saw until they retired when many came out with their story of what occurred that night. Intentional or not, the governments continued denials about the Roswell Incident only served to fuel the fires of aliens, cover ups and government conspiracies. Today, Roswell continues to be a meeting point and symbol for those who “believe”, all the while pumping millions of tourism dollars annually into the local economy. The Incident has spawned an annual UFO Festival and led to the creation of the International UFO Museum and Research Center in downtown Roswell.

Things to see and do in Roswell
International UFO Museum/

Other Roswell links
History / Hotels / Maps / Contact the Roswell CVB