White Oaks, New Mexico
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White Oaks Historic District
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Old commercial building in White Oaks
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| Location | 12 mi. NE of Carrizozo, on NM 349 |
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| Coordinates | 33°45′3″N 105°45′22″W / 33.75083°N 105.75611°WCoordinates: 33°45′3″N 105°45′22″W / 33.75083°N 105.75611°W |
| Area | 1,822.5 acres (737.5 ha) |
| Built | 1879 |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000403 |
| NMSRCP # | 43 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 4, 1970 |
| Designated NMSRCP | February 21, 1969 |
White Oaks is a ghost town in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. Located on the outskirts of the Lincoln National Forest, it became a boomtown in 1879 following the discovery of gold and coal in the nearby Jicarilla Mountains.
Before White Oaks became known as the liveliest town in New Mexico Territory the area was first roamed by the Piros Indians before they were forced out by the Apache. The Indians found the area abundant with game and made it one of their hunting grounds.
The first Europeans to travel into the area were members of Don Juan de Onate's expedition in the late 1500s, who called the land Malpais after a nearby lava flow.
John J. Baxter, a disappointed California '49er, heard rumors of gold discovery in the area. He followed local Mexican prospectors to a shallow canyon running east to the mountains uncovering what would later become the Homestake mine. (Florin Page 660) Word soon spread of the gold find and within a year, a new mining camp filled with tents was born. The camp was called White Oaks after a small stream near the community that was lined with white oak trees. In 1880 a post office was established and permanent buildings began to replace tents and rambling shacks. The boom town quickly grew, supporting some 50 different businesses, including four newspapers, two hotels, three churches, a sawmill, a bank, an opera house, livery stables, and the ever-present saloons and gambling houses.
In the meantime, prospectors Winters and Baxter founded two claims called the Homestake Mine and the South Homestake Mine. The mountain where the gold was found was called Baxter Mountain. Eventually, the two gold miners sold their claims for $300,000 each. The town was frequented by notable Old West personalities, including Dave Rudabaugh, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and Shotgun John Collins. Jonathan H. Wise established the town's first newspaper in 1880, called the White Oaks Golden Era. Additional newspapers included the Lincoln County Leader, the Old Abe Eagle and the New Mexico Interpreter. (Florin, 1970, P. 662)
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