In the late 1940's and early 1950's, "Heritage tourism" was becoming popular in the U.S.  Albuquerque's City Commission, like others across the country, wanted to show visitors that their city was unique, and had a special heritage.  They wanted to preserve "the special sense of place and diversity of life styles, which make Albuquerque different from other major growth cities." 

To accomplish this, New Town began its various attempts to annex Old Town.  As one city official stated, "the city of Albuquerque will get a historical background of great importance…we could advertise that the city was founded in 1706.”  It took three tries, but finally in 1949, they were successful.  

In 1957, Old Town was declared Albuquerque's first Historic District.  This had an interesting effect, however.  By 1969, the locksmiths, print shops, and grocery stores that once surrounded the plaza in Old Town, were replaced with Indian trading posts, tourist shops, and Mexican restaurants. As one scholar put it, "Although the historic zone portrayed a previous era, the buildings revealed more about the 1950's than the 1890's." 

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