Truth or Consequences

In March 1950 Ralph Edwards, host of the NBC quiz show, promised to broadcast its tenth-anniversary program from the first town that renamed itself for it. Hot Springs held a special election on March 31 and voted 1,294 to 295 for the change, and the show went out from the newly named town the next evening, April 1. Edwards came back for the town's Fiesta on the first weekend of May every year for the next fifty years, often bringing Hollywood performers, and the town still keeps Ralph Edwards Day each April 1.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Truth or Consequences Population 7,289 - Elevation 4,576 In 1581, Capitán Francisco Sánchez Chamuscado took possession of this region for the King of Spain, nam- ing it the Province of San Felipe. Significant European settlement of the area, however, did not occur until the mid-1800s. Once called Hot Springs because of its curative natural hot springs, "T or C" in 1950 took its present name from Ralph Edwards' radio program.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Carrie Tingley — 1.3 mi
• "Magnificent Magnolia" (1893-1974) — 2.2 mi
• Elephant Butte Lake State Park — 2.3 mi
• Truth or Consequences — 2.8 mi