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In 1869
Roswell began to take shape when Van C. Smith, a professional gambler,
came to town. Mr. Smith filed his claim in the spring of 1871, and
changed the settlement's name to honor his father, Roswell Smith.
However, it wasn't until Captain Joseph C. Lea took hold of the little
cowtown that it really was turned into a community. Under Lea's
control, Roswell began an era of stability and growth. In 1891 Roswell
was incorporated. Roswell continued to prosper, and even during the
Depression, economic growth was maintained with the help of WPA
projects.
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Today Roswell is a town
with a mission to not only remain, "the prettiest little town in the
West," as Will Rogers once said, but also to be one of the best towns
in the West. |
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