Editing Mesquite, New Mexico (section)

==History==  
Mesquite was established and named by executives of the Santa Fe Railroad after brush which grew profusely along the tracks. The persistent desert shrub had long been a feature of the landscape. In 1847 a military detachment left El Paso, Texas, on an expedition against the Apaches. Before leaving the saloon of El Paso, where "Pass Whiskey" was plentiful, they armed themselves with a supply. By the second day out, a portion of the party where so befuddled that they got lost in the jungle of mesquite that grew in the area. When they finally found their way back to the main body of troops, their Commander ordered them to make camp, confiscating the rest of their whiskey, and gave them the remainder of the day to sober up.