A timeline of the inhabitation and development of the area that is modern-day Truth or Consequences. The Warm Springs Apaches are thought to be the earliest inhabitants of the area. Three centuries later, the first adobe structure, a hot springs bath, was built by the John Cross Cattle Company. Elephant Butte Dam construction began in 1911, and New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912. Both of these factors led to rapid growth in Hot Springs (renamed Truth or Consequences in 1950).