Changes

== History ==

== History ==

Las Cruces was inhabited by [[Native Americans]] until the mid-1500's when explorers from [[Spain]] travelled up from [[Mexico]] (at the time known as "New Spain") along a route beside the [[Rio Grande]] river called El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. <ref>http://www.lascruceshistory.com/</ref> The name "Las Cruces" is Spanish for "the crosses" as when the area was named, it had many crosses to commemorate persons who had died in fighting between the Spanish settlers and the [[Apache]] Indians. <ref>http://www.las-cruces-media.org/html/las_cruces_history.html</ref> The town population of about 1000 was stable until 1880 when The Santa Fe Railroad built tracks through the town. By 1900 the town population had tripled to nearly 3,000 residents. <ref>http://www.las-cruces.org/public-services/museums/history_exhibit/railroad.html</ref> The population of Las Cruces in 2000 was about 74,267 in the city, <ref>http://lascruces.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm</ref> and another 174,682 in the surrounding metropolitan areas. <ref>http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/Las-Cruces-Population-Profile.html</ref> The Las Cruces Railroad Museum is located at 351 Mesilla St. at the intersection of Las Cruces Ave. <ref>http://www.las-cruces.org/public-services/museums/rrmuseum.shtm</ref>  

Las Cruces was inhabited by [[Native Americans]] until the mid-1500s when explorers from [[Spain]] travelled up from [[Mexico]] (at the time known as "New Spain") along a route beside the [[Rio Grande]] river called El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.<ref>http://www.lascruceshistory.com/</ref> The name "Las Cruces" is Spanish for "the crosses" as when the area was named, it had many crosses to commemorate persons who had died in fighting between the Spanish settlers and the [[Apache]] Indians.<ref>http://www.las-cruces-media.org/html/las_cruces_history.html</ref> The town population of about 1000 was stable until 1880 when The Santa Fe Railroad built tracks through the town. By 1900 the town population had tripled to nearly 3,000 residents.<ref>http://www.las-cruces.org/public-services/museums/history_exhibit/railroad.html</ref> The population of Las Cruces in 2000 was about 74,267 in the city,<ref>http://lascruces.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm</ref> and another 174,682 in the surrounding metropolitan areas.<ref>http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/Las-Cruces-Population-Profile.html</ref> The Las Cruces Railroad Museum is located at 351 Mesilla St. at the intersection of Las Cruces Ave.<ref>http://www.las-cruces.org/public-services/museums/rrmuseum.shtm</ref>  

== Government ==

== Government ==