During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Carlsbad was cowboy country in the true American tradition. Cattle were driven through the area by the thousands - most often south from Texas up to northern New Mexico, Colorado, and even Wyoming and Montana.
Eddy, as the town was originally known, was named for two local ranchers, John and Charles Eddy. In 1898, the town's name was changed to Carlsbad, after Karlsbad, Bohemia, whose pure mineral water was rivaled by that of a spring northwest of town.
The Eddy County Courthouse in Carlsbad, built in 1891 and rebuilt in 1939, is still standing, its entrances adorned with the cattle brands of local early 20th century ranchers.