The Roswell You May NOT Know

 Most of us are familiar with the story(ies) that have made Roswell famous...

we found 3 of the signs on the highways leading to Roswell

We HAD to make a stop at the museum for a geocache. I took advantage of using the restroom and getting one photo without paying the entrance fee. (I know. I'm BAD!) In my defense, we had visited it in 2013 and other than updating the interior, the displays and info probably have not changed.

Mac Brazel

entrance to the UFO Research Center (UFO Museum)

"Mac Brazel, rancher and discoverer of UFO wreckage near Roswell, New Mexico, USA. On the evening of 2 July 1947 many UFO sightings were reported during a thunderstorm near Roswell. Mac Brazel heard an explosion. Next morning he and D. Proctor (a 7 year old boy) discovered strange wreckage in a field. Brazel was detained for questioning. When the impact site was located, a UFO craft and alien bodies were allegedly found. On 8 July 1947, the Roswell Daily Record announced the capture of a flying saucer. The official explanation was that a weather balloon had crashed. Many Roswell inhabitants, however, believe aliens had arrived."

But there is so much more to Roswell. And thanks to geocaching we got to explore more of the city (population 40,000+) than the Main Street strip redundant with little green men.

Okay, one more green photo...the county courthouse sports a green dome. Now for other people and places in Roswell.

Pat Garrett

lawman, rancher, bartender, custom's agent, buffalo hunter

terrible lighting

rancher, uncle of Sallie Chisum in yesterday's blog

Elizabeth Garrett, daughter of Pat Garrett (listed above)

Walker Air Force Base 1941-1967

now the Roswell International Airport

American Airlines

United Airlines

Robert Goddard

Robert Goddard's contributions to missilery and space flight would make a lengthy list. Below are some highlights.

• Explored the practicality of using rocket propulsion to reach high altitudes, even the moon (1912)
• Proved that a rocket will work in a vacuum, that it needs no air to push against
• Developed and fired a liquid fuel rocket (March 16, 1926, Auburn, Mass.)
• Shot a scientific payload in a rocket flight (1929, Auburn, Mass.)
• Used vanes in the rocket motor blast for guidance (1932, New Mexico)
• Developed gyro control apparatus for rocket flight (1932, New Mexico)
• Received U.S. patent for of multi-stage rocket (1914)
• Developed pumps suitable for rocket fuels
• Launched a rocket with a motor pivoted on gimbals under the influence of a gyro mechanism (1937) ~ NASA

Goddard used this tower from 1930-1942 launching liquid propellant rockets.

sadly, his work was not recognized and honored until after his death

rocket within the tower frame

Other famous Roswellites include: Nancy Lopez, and graduates of the New Mexico Military Institute artist Peter Hurd, Pulitzer Prize author Paul Horgan, hotelier Conrad Hilton, and newsman Sam Donaldson. There may be many others, but through geocaching we learned about these people.