Nicknames Of Cities In New Mexico And The Reasons Behind Them
The most western town, the scuba capital of the southwest, the leap year capital of the world and more, here are the nicknames of New Mexico cities and why. The state of New Mexico is rich in history and has great mysteries to unravel across the sand, forests, snow and more. It seems like every sleepy town has some sort of claim to fame and the many have earned interesting and unique nicknames from residents and out-of-towners alike. Want to learn some of the strange and fun nicknames of cities and town in the Land of Enchantment? Even better, how they got that name? Check out the list below.
Albuquerque- Nicknamed the "Duke City" after Conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado named the settlement after the Duke of Albuquerque back in Spain. The current Duke of Albuquerque in Spain is Juan Miguel Osorio y Bertran de Lis.
Anthony- The "Leap Year Capital of the World," Back in 1988, two women in Anthony born on Leap Year went to the city council with an idea to have a Leap Year Festival and the city did all the way until 2011. The governors of Texas and New Mexico both declared the town the Leap Year Capital of the World.
Carlsbad- Named the Cavern City due to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park which was established in 1930.
Gallup- The "Indian Capital of the World," because of the large presence of Native American tribes in the areas. The region's tribes include Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and others, and they make various wares that are sold across the US. The tribes in the area are known for making jewelry, rugs, blankets, artwork, Kachina dolls and other Native arts and crafts.
Hatch- Known as the Chile Pepper Capital of the World due to its bountiful chile crop in the region and the Hatch Valley Chile Festival held there every year.
Las Vegas- Known as Meadow City, Las Vegas was founded in 1835 and was named Senora de Los Dolores de Las Vegas or Our Lady of Sorrows of the Meadows. I'm guessing they had a lot of meadows?
Los Alamos- The "Atomic City" city was built after World War II to house the scientists and lab workers who worked at the Los Alamos lab and worked on the Manhatten Project during World War II.
Rio Rancho- Known as the City of Vision and it is even written on the city's website but I can't find the exact reason why it is named that.
Rodeo- "New Mexico's Most Western Town" has now turned into an artist hub along with plenty of outdoor activities for nature lover's. Rodeo is a town with lots of historic, western flair.
Roswell- "The Alien Capital of the World" got it's name from the legendary 1947 UFO Crash that may or may not have happened. Since then, the city has an International UFO Museum you can visit, as well as the annual UFO Festival around Fourth of July.
Santa Fe- "City Different" got its name from a movement the city had to preserve the historic look of their buildings. This look would come to be known as the Spanish Pueblo Revival, a style the city is now known for.
Santa Rosa- Being known as the "Scuba Capital of the Southwest," Santa Rosa is home to the Blue Hole, a former fish hatchery that is now used as a dive training spot. It's less than $10 to go and many people go out there to practice in the middle of the desert.
Taos- The "Soul of the Southwest" got its name from being a community of different cultures that nurture creative spirits.
Are there any other interesting nicknames you can think of?