White Oaks is an old gold mining "boom town" about 12 miles north east of Carrizozo. The first big gold discovery there was in 1879. For a while, White Oaks had the third largest population in the State ! It would have become the County Seat of Lincoln County except for one problem- Greed.
You see, the Railroad was coming through this part of the country, and everyone in White Oaks wanted it to come through their town. But the land owners wanted too much money for the right of way, so the railroad ran through Carrizozo instead. Carrizozo became the county seat, and White Oaks faded away as the gold ran out.
For several decades White Oaks was essentially a ghost town with just a few resident "hermits". The last several years however, it has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts. There are now a few dozen residents- several artists who operate studios /galleries, a few businesses, and some interesting sites.
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White Oaks most popular spot: The "No Scum Allowed
Saloon"
Cedarvale Cemetery at White Oaks
The unassuming tombstone of the flamboyant Susan MacSween
Barber-
"The Cattle Queen of The West"