Village of Capitan—was homesteaded in 1884 by Seaborn T. Gray and the town was known as Gray until 1900 when it was renamed Capitan after Captain Baca. It is located between two mountain ranges, the Sacramento and the Capitan. It has a population of approximately 1400.

At the close of the 19th century, the Phelps Dodge Corp built a railroad from the Tularosa Basin to Capitan in order to freight the deposit of coal they claimed existed near Salado Creek. The coal was inferior and not as plentiful as originally thought. The railroad was a source of supply for Fort Stanton and for all the ranchers in the area, otherwise Capitan would not have survived. It was discontinued in 1913 when paved highways and trucking became the means of shipment. 

Today, Capitan is well known for the legend of Smokey Bear. He was born in Capitan.
After a disastrous fire in the Capitan Mountains, he was discovered clinging to a burnt tree on May 19, 1950. The four pound black bear was named Smokey and was taken to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and in June 1950 he became the living symbol of Smokey Bear. He died in 1976 and was returned to Capitan and buried at Smokey Bear Historical Park.

Population of Capitan is estimated to be 1,443.

 

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