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According to local lore, in 1849 several dozen people gathered under a grove of cottonwood trees at or very near this spot to draw lots from a hat. These lots were to form the new town to be called "Las Cruces." Various stories exist as to how the town got its name. The most common account claims the founders named Las Cruces after crosses located close to the original town site that were erected for travelers slain along the Camino Real. Others say it refers to a point where several roads crossed, or a place to cross the Rio Grande. When Las Cruces became an incorporated town in 1907, planners designated the intersection of Griggs and Main as the official center of town. Since then, few city blocks have changed as much through the years.
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