Clovis - New Mexico - History

Clovis was the name of the first Christian king of the Frankish Empire and so the story goes, she named the city Clovis. The city's history goes back thousands of years earlier to the "Clovis Culture." In 1932, A. W. Anderson of Clovis first discovered evidence of human occupation about 11,000 years ago at the Blackwater Draw site. In the 1880's, 25 years before Clovis was founded, cattlemen and sheepherders used this area as an open range, feeding their stock on the abundant grass and watering them in the springs and rain-filled lakes. As late as 1906, the Dutchman Lake better known as Greene Acres Lake was used as a watering hole for cattle being driven to Bovina, Texas for shipment to market. Of course, water was as scarce as shade. Between 1901 and 1903, several hundred homesteaders came here to homestead. These homestead entries later became the communities of Clovis, Texico (the oldest town in Curry County), Melrose, St. Vrain, and Blacktower. However, not many of these early homesteaders lasted in this wild and desolate land. Between 1904 and 1907, another influx of homesteaders came to Clovis practically ending the free range of the cowboys.

In 1900, the Santa Fe Railroad was looking for a way to bypass the heavy grades and curves of its recently purchased Pecos Valley and North Eastern rail line which was built on Raton Pass. They decided to find a much safer route that would run from Texico, NM to Belen, NM and then connect back into the main line.

The first location chosen for the eastern terminal was Melrose then called Brownhorn. Santa Fe later abandoned Melrose because they had only 80 acres in which to build the townsite and other facilities needed. They then looked at Blacktower (now Cannon Air Force Base) but didn't want to pay the price asked for that piece of land. Texico was the next choice but on September 1, 1906, the newly appointed chief engineer of the Santa Fe railroad, W.B. Storey, wired his engineers instructing them to buy the first level section of land west of Texico. This section was Section 18 of Clovis bordered by what is now Brady, Prince, Seventh and Thornton Streets. Section 18 was purchased on October 2, 1906. Originally, Clovis had the postal designation of Riley and many early citizens called Clovis Riley Switch. So how did Clovis become Clovis? No known documentation answers this question. Most historians tell of a railroad official's wife or daughter naming Clovis after the first Christian king of France.

When Clovis was incorporated on April 6, 1908, it was a part of Roosevelt County. Clovis citizens had to travel 19 miles through sand hills and without roads (sometimes taking two days) to Portales, NM to conduct any legal business. Clovis needed a county with Clovis as the county seat. Charles Scheurich, grandson of Charles Bent, the first New Mexico civil governor, led this movement. On February 25 1909, before New Mexico was even a state, Governor George Curry signed the measure into law despite strong protest from Texico and Melrose. Of course, the county was named after Gov. Curry. In a few short years, Clovis went from being a tent city to a legitimate incorporated town complete with wood-framed businesses and houses with its own county seat. Several fires later persuaded town merchants to rebuild with brick. . In 1922, Mrs. Jeff Bailey, held up a bank that had busted and closed its doors. Earlier she had deposited some money in that bank and she wanted it back. She pounded on the door until someone answered and demanded her money. After she was refused, she pulled out her pistol and demanded her money a second time.

During the 1940's, Clovis Schools had an enrolment of 2500 students, divided among four schools. Clovis High School had 500 students, Clovis Junior High had 600 students, and 1400 students were enrolled at Eugene Field and La Casita elementary schools.