Heritage Park - Eddy House, located on the west side of the Flumes

Located along the banks of the Pecos River, Carlsbad was originally christened the Town of Eddy on September 15, 1888 and organized as a municipal corporation in 1893. With the improvement of the mineral springs with their valuable medicinal qualities north of town, the town changed the name to Carlsbad, after the famous European spa, Karlsbad. On March 25, 1918, the Governor proclaimed Carlsbad as a city.

Photo (right):  Carlsbad Flumes

With the discovery of the "Bat Cave" in 1901 and the establishment of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park on May 14, 1930, Carlsbad gained international recognition.

In 1925 potash was discovered near Carlsbad and for many years Carlsbad dominated the U. S. production of potash. With the decline in the potash market in the 1960s, the residents and leaders of Carlsbad lobbied for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Congress authorized the WIPP project in 1979 and construction of the project began in 1980. The DOE Carlsbad Area Office opened in 1993 and the first waste shipment arrived in 1999.

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