Mescalero, NM

Mescalero is a census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The 2020 census counted 1,480 residents. The settlement was originally called Blazer's Mill, the location of a famous gunfight during the Lincoln County War. Mescalero Apache Schools is a tribal K-12 school associated with the Bureau of Indian Education. Mescalero is outside of the Mescalero CDP although it has a Mescalero post office address. That mix gives Mescalero a clear local shape within New Mexico, with older layers still visible in current places. The local scoop is a place whose streets, landmarks, and institutions keep its earlier story close to the present.