Truth or Consequences MainStreet: Community Economic Assessment

The Truth or Consequences MainStreet District encompasses a large area along Main St. and Marr Ave to the North and South and the Rio Grande River and Main St. to the East and West respectively. Located right along I-25, nearly equidistant from Albuquerque and El Paso, Truth or Consequences was originally within the home territory of the Chehene Apache, the easternmost band of the Chiricahua Apache. The Apache were forcibly removed in the late 1800’s. Efforts at permanent settlement by the Spanish community didn’t occur until the latter half of the 1800’s and came in fits and starts until early 1900’s with the construction of Elephant Butte Dam. Since the community’s incorporation as Hot Springs in 1916, health-related tourism has been a central industry to the development of the community. Once called ‘The City of Health’, Truth or Consequences took advantage of the health tourism industry in New Mexico in the ‘20’s, ‘30’s and ‘40’s and is said to have been home to over 40 hot springs hotels prior to World War II. Health tourism declined after World War II and the local economy began to decline. The interest among retirees seeking low cost of living and a temperate climate continued through the 1980’s. The ‘90’s saw interest in the town by artists and other creative and counter-culture types and some efforts at revitalization but out-migration continues to be a problem.