Van Patten's Mountain Camp
Van Patten's Mountain Camp, or Dripping Spring's Resort was originally constructed by Major Eugene Van Patten, a former confederate officer. Van Patten was originally from New York 
and attended West Point. Colonel Butterfield, owner of the Butterfield Stagelines, was Van Patten's uncle and hired him to work on the stagelines when he left West Point in the late 1850's. Van Patten joined the confederacy in the early 1860's and served on the staff of General Stonewall Jackson.
In 1872, Van Patten settled in Las Cruces, New Mexico and was the Dona Ana County Sheriff from 1885 to 1886.. In the late 1800's Van Patten began construction on the mountain camp, a two-story, 14-room hotel, with dining and recreational facilities. The mountain camp was served by a regular stageline from Las Cruces, a 17 mile trip.
The hotel was constructed of native rock from the canyon and put together and finished with mud-mixing plaster. The grounds were landscaped and featured a gazebo which served as a bandstand. Interior ceilings were covered by muslin cloth and patterned wallpaper decorated the rooms.
Van Patten was married to a local Piro Indian woman, and a large crew of indians worked at the resort and in 1906, 18 more rooms were added.
In 1915, Van Patten encountered financial difficulties and sold the resort to DR. Nathan Boyd and later to T.C. Sexton in 1922 and Robert Boyd in 1940. The hotel was scavenged for building materials in the 1950's and later bought by A.B. Cox...
The Van Patten Livery
The wooden structures in the livery area were constructed in the late 1800's by Major Eugene Van Patten. These buildings were associated with Van Patten's Mountain Camp, the historic resort hotel located further up the canyon. These buildings served as a livery, mercantile, and chicken coop for the hotel. Wagons were kept under a long barn that has since collapsed.