Roswell, New Mexico
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{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = The City of Roswell
|settlement_type = [[City]]
|nickname = All America City
|image_skyline =
|imagesize =
|image_caption =
|image_flag = Roswell flag.svg
|image_seal = Roswell NM logo.gif
|image_map = Chaves_County_New_Mexico_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Roswell_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize = 250px
|map_caption = Location in the state of [[New Mexico]].
|image_map1 =
|mapsize1 =
|map_caption1 =
|subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]
|subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]]
|subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in New Mexico|County]]
|subdivision_name = [[United States]]
|subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon|New Mexico}}[[New Mexico]]
|subdivision_name2 = [[Chaves County, New Mexico|Chaves]]
|government_type =
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name = [[Sam LaGrone]]
|established_date =
|area_magnitude = 1 E9
|area_total_km2 = 75.0
|area_total_sq_mi = 29.0
|area_land_km2 = 75.0
|area_land_sq_mi = 28.9
|area_water_km2 = 0.1
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.04
|elevation_m = 1089
|elevation_ft = 3573
|latd = 33 |latm = 23 |lats = 14 |latNS = N
|longd = 104 |longm = 31 |longs = 41 |longEW = W
|population_as_of = 2006
|population_note =
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 45582
|timezone = [[Mountain Standard Time|Mountain]]
|utc_offset = -7
|timezone_DST = [[Daylight saving time|DST]]
|utc_offset_DST = -6 |
latitude = 33°23'14" N |
longitude = 104°31'41" W
|website = [http://www.roswell-nm.gov/ City of Roswell]
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code = 88201-88203
|area_code = [[Area code 575|575]]
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 35-64930
|blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info = 0894171
|footnotes = |
}}
'''Roswell''' is a city in [[Chaves County, New Mexico|Chaves County]] in the southeastern quarter of the state of [[New Mexico]], [[United States|USA]]. It is the [[county seat]] of Chaves County. As of the 2005 census estimate, the population was 45,199, making it New Mexico's fifth largest city. It is a center for [[irrigation]] [[farm]]ing, [[dairy]]ing, [[ranching]], [[manufacturing]], [[distribution (business)|distribution]], and [[petroleum]] production. It is also the home of [[New Mexico Military Institute]] (NMMI), founded in 1891. [[Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge]] is located a few miles northeast of the city on the [[Pecos River]].
[[Image:RNM 07-03-2008 11;30;20PM.JPG|left|thumb|300px|<font size=2>Roswell and the UFO identity</font size=2>]]
[[Image:Second UFO 07-03-2008 11;38;04PM.JPG|left|thumb|300px|<font size=2>Inside the Roswell UFO Museum</font size=2>]]
In the 1930s, Roswell was a site for much of [[Robert Goddard (scientist)|Robert Goddard]]'s early rocketry work. It is also the birthplace of actress [[Demi Moore]], musician [[John Denver]], and [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] [[jockey]] [[Mike E. Smith]]. A [[World Golf Hall of Fame|Golf Hall of Fame]]r, [[Nancy Lopez]], was reared in Roswell (though born in [[California]]). A [[International Space Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]r astronaut, sixth man on the moon [[Edgar Mitchell]], attended school in Roswell. [[Roger Staubach]] (later of the [[Dallas Cowboys]]) played [[American football|football]] at NMMI, and [[Lewis Lloyd]] (later of the [[Houston Rockets]]) played [[basketball]] there. The professional baseball record for home runs in a season, 72, was set in 1954 by [[Joe Bauman]] of the Roswell Rockets, who took up permanent residence there (the record was broken in 2001 by [[Barry Bonds]]).
Roswell is most popularly known for having its name attached to what is now called the 1947 [[Roswell UFO incident]], even though the actual crash site was some seventy-five miles from Roswell and closer to [[Corona, New Mexico|Corona]]. However, the investigation and debris recovery was handled by the local [[Roswell Army Air Field]].
In 2002, Roswell was named one of the [[All-America City Award|All-American cities]].
==Geography==
Roswell is located at 33° 23' 14" North, 104° 31' 41" West (33.387160, -104.528116){{GR|1}}.
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 29.0 [[square mile]]s (75.0 [[km²]]), of which, 28.9 square miles (75.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.07%) is water.
{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;"|Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | Month
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec High °F
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 82
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 85
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 93
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 99
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 107
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 114
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 111
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 107
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 103
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 99
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 88
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 81
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Norm High °F
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 55.6
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 62
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 70
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 77.7
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 86
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 94.8
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 92.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 85.7
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76.5
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 64.5
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 56.3
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Norm Low °F
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 24.4
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 29.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 35.7
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 43.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 53.2
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 62
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 66.7
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 65.5
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 58.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 46.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 33.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 25.1
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Rec Low °F
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | -9
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 3
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 9
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 23
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 34
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 47
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 56
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 54
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 40
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 14
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 4
| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | -8
|-
! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Precip (in)
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 0.39
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 0.41
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 0.35
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 0.58
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 1.3
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 1.62
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 1.99
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 2.31
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 1.98
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 1.29
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 0.53
| style="text-align:center; background: #E8EAFA; color:#000000;" | 0.59
|-
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|''Source: USTravelWeather.com [http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-new-mexico/roswell-weather.asp]''
|}
==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 45,293 people, 17,068 households, and 11,742 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,565.2 people per square mile (604.3/km²). There were 19,327 housing units at an average density of 667.9/sq mi (257.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.96% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.47% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.28% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.65% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 21.29% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.31% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 44.34% of the population.
There were 17,068 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,252, and the median income for a family was $31,724. Males had a median income of $26,554 versus $21,408 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $14,589. About 18.7% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 31.1% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
[[Image:Roswell-mainstreet.01.vm.jpg|right|thumb|270px|Roswell Mainstreet today]]
The first non-indigenous settlers of the area around Roswell were a group of pioneers from [[Missouri]], who attempted to start a settlement 15 miles southwest of what is now Roswell in 1865 but were forced to abandon the site because of a lack of water.
[[Van C. Smith]], a businessman from [[Omaha, Nebraska]], and his partner, [[Aaron Wilburn]], constructed two adobe buildings in 1869 that began what is now Roswell. The two buildings became the settlement's general store, post office, and sleeping quarters for paying guests. In 1871, Smith filed a claim with the federal government for the land around the buildings, and on [[August 20]], [[1873]], he became the town's first postmaster. Van C. Smith was the son of Roswell Smith, a prominent lawyer in [[Lafayette, Indiana]], and Annie Ellsworth, daughter of U.S. Patent Commissioner [[Henry Leavitt Ellsworth]]. He called the town Roswell, after his father's first name.
Roswell was originally in [[Lincoln County, New Mexico|Lincoln County]], but since 1887, it has been in [[Chaves County, New Mexico|Chaves County]]. The Roswell, NM Post Office uses [[ZIP code]] 88202.
In 1877, Captain [[Joseph Calloway Lea]] and his family bought out Smith and Wilburn's claim and became the owners of most of the land of Roswell and the area surrounding it. The town was relatively quiet during the [[Lincoln County War]] (1877-1879). A major [[aquifer]] was discovered on the [[Nathan Jaffa Ranch]] near town in 1891, resulting in the area's first major growth and development spurt. The growth continued when a railroad was built through town in 1893.
<gallery>
Image:ironcross.jpg|Iron Cross in the North Spring River
</gallery>During [[World War II]], a [[prisoner of war camp]] was located in nearby Orchard Park. The German prisoners of war were used to do major infrastructure work in Roswell, such as paving the banks of the [[North Spring River]]. Some POWs used rocks of different sizes to create the outline of an iron cross among the stones covering the north bank. Later, the iron cross was covered with a thin layer of concrete. In the 1980s, a crew cleaning the river bed cleared off the concrete and revealed the outline once more. The small park just south of the cross was then known as Iron Cross Park. On November 11, 1996 the park was renamed POW/MIA park. The park displays a piece of the [[Berlin Wall]], presented to the City of Roswell by the German Air Force.
In the early 1980s, a major manufacturer, [[Transportation Manufacturing Corporation]], which produced buses opened a factory in Roswell. The factory has opened and closed repeatedly, resulting in cyclical swings of unemployment. TMC stopped building buses. [[NovaBus]] used the same buildings to manufacture buses but has also closed. The plant was reopened by [[Millennium Transit Services]] in 2003.
Roswell was a location of military importance from 1941 to 1967, at which time [[Walker Air Force Base]] was decommissioned. After the closure of the base, Roswell capitalized on its pleasant climate and reinvented itself as a retirement community. Roswell has benefited from interest in the alleged [[UFO]] incident, and in more recent times the business community has deliberately sought out tourists interested in UFOs.
<gallery>
Image:JohnChisumBronze.jpg|John Chisum
Image:Map-for-distances.jpg|Locate Roswell and neighboring cities</gallery>
==1947 Roswell UFO incident==
{{main|Roswell UFO incident}}
==Education==
===Public schools===
* [[Roswell Independent School District]]
<gallery>
Image:risd.jpg|RISD Office</gallery>
===Private schools===
* [[New Mexico Military Institute]], includes 4-year high school and 2-year associate college degree programs.
<gallery>
Image:nmmi.jpg|
</gallery>
* [http://www.gatewaychristianschool.us/ Gateway Christian School], a pre-K through high school parochial school ([http://schools.privateschoolsreport.com/NewMexico/Roswell/GatewayChristianSchool.html statistics])
* [http://www.valleychristianacademy.org/ Valley Christian Academy], a first grade through high school "interdenominational Christian school" (parochial)
* [http://schools.privateschoolsreport.com/NewMexico/Roswell/StAndrewsEpiscopal.html St Andrews Episcopal School], a pre-K through sixth grade parochial school
===Colleges===
* [[Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell]], a branch of [[Eastern New Mexico University]] that is located in [[Portales, New Mexico]]. The Roswell campus offers several certificate and associate programs. There are also bachelor's and master's programs via ENMU's Instructional Television System (ITV). http://www.roswell.enmu.edu/
==Transportation==
===Airport===
* [[Roswell International Air Center]], which is served by [[American Airlines]] and [[Mesa Airlines]]
Also served by Pecos Trails Transit.
===Nearby cities===
* [[Ruidoso, New Mexico]]
* [[Artesia, New Mexico]]
* [[Carlsbad, New Mexico]]
* [[Clovis, New Mexico]]
* [[Portales, New Mexico]]
* [[Hobbs, New Mexico]]
* [[Alamogordo, New Mexico]]
* [[Las Cruces, New Mexico]]
* [[El Paso, Texas]]
* [[Lubbock, Texas]]
===Major highways===
* [[U.S. Route 70]]
* [[U.S. Route 285]]
* [[U.S. Route 380]]
==In popular culture==
* In the movie ''[[BASEketball]]'' there is a team called the Roswell Aliens.
* On the television series ''[[The X Files]]'' in the episode called "The Unnatural", an extraterrestrial passing as human plays minor league baseball for a team named the Roswell Grays.
* There is a level based on this city in [[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater]].
* Roswell is mentioned at the turning point in the movie ''[[Independence Day]]]].
* A hit teen drama, Roswell, aired in the late 1990s and early 2000s, centering around the existence of aliens living in Roswell, NM.
* The American band [[Splitsville]] sings about the alien incident in their song "Home" (from the album [[Ultrasound]]). The lyrics are sung from the point of view of the alien, who states, "I might as well...land in Roswell".
==Local industry==
* Roswell is home to Leprino Foods, one of the world's largest mozzarella factories.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3301/is_6_102/ai_76704013 |title=Lots a Mozzarella in Roswell - Leprino Foods |work=BNET.com}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
2. ''City Map, Roswell, New Mexico''. Map. Roswell: Roswell Printing. 1976.
==See also==
* [[Roswell UFO Incident]]
* [[Alien autopsy|Roswell alien autopsies]]
* [[Roswell (TV series)]]
* [[Roswell That Ends Well]]
* [[Little Green Men (DS9 episode)]]
* [[Walker Air Force Base]]
* [[UFO]]
==External links==
*[http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bitterlake/index.html Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge] - Straddling the Pecos River, Bitter Lake NWR is truly a jewel, a wetland oasis inhabited by a diverse abundance of wildlife species. The Refuge protects and provides habitats for some of New Mexico's most rare and unusual creatures..
<gallery>
Image:bitterlake.jpg|
</gallery>
*[http://www.roswellmuseum.org Roswell Museum & Art Center] - features Robert Goddard's rockets as well as art by [[Peter Hurd]] and [[Henriette Wyeth]] Hurd.
<gallery>
Image:RoswellMuseum.jpg|
</gallery>
*[http://www.roswellnm.org Roswell Chamber of Commerce]
<gallery>
Image:RoswellChamber.jpg
</gallery>
*[http://www.roswellfiles.com/storytellers/forbes.htm Forbes article on Roswell]
*[http://www.roswellamoca.org Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art] - permanent collection of the artwork done by the 170+ artists of the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program
*[http://www.rair.org Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program]
*[http://www.iufomrc.com/ Roswell International UFO Museum & Research Center]
*[http://www.springriverzoo.org Spring River Zoo] - Roswell's Spring River Zoo, New Mexico's only free zoo.
*[http://www.lastplace.com/0Roswell/Visitation/Tour/tourGuide.htm Documentation on Roswell by Dr. Rodney Chang (Pygoya), Honolulu/HI]
* [http://www.risd.k12.nm.us/ Roswell Independent School District Homepage]
* [http://www.roswell.enmu.edu/ Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Homepage]
* [http://www.myspace.com/theunitycenter The Unity Center]A music venue for teens
{{Geolinks-US-cityscale|33.38716|-104.528116}}
{{Chaves County, New Mexico}}
{{New Mexico}}
[[Category:Settlements established in 1869]]
[[Category:Roswell, New Mexico| ]]
[[Category:Cities in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Roswell UFO incident]]
[[Category:Chaves County, New Mexico]]
[[Category:County seats in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of New Mexico]]
[[Category:UFO-related locations]]
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