Clovis,New Mexico

MS word XL

Clovis,New Mexicowas created by theAT & SF Railroad as a terminal on the Belen Cutoffin 1906/1907. Actual construction was started east from Belen in 1902 when theEasternRailway of New Mexico was formed to construct a railroad between Amarilloand Belen throughAbo Pass. This new route saved theAT& SFRy. about one half of a mile; however,this one half of a mile was nearly straight up over theGlorietasand Raton Pass. Money problems of 1903 stopped construction for a short time(approximately six months).

The first train on Hagerman's line,Pecos Valley and Northeastern Railwayoperated throughTexico, Portales,Roswell,Eddy(Carlsbad)about 1899.

AT & SF engineers were having substantial problems in locating aneastern terminal for the Belen Cutoff. Locations considered were Melrose,Texico,Blacktower, and evenPortales thought they might be chosen. In 1906 these communities were inRoosevelt County. These locations were not chosen.

Eastern Railway Company of New Mexico; TIME TABLE No. 1, in effectMarch 12, 1906, at 12:05 A. M. This Time Table shows the following stations westofTexico listed in this order: TEXICO; CLOVIS; BLACKTOWER (later changed toPortair thenGallaher); ST. VRAIN; MELROSE; CANTARA; IDRIA (laterchanged toKrider); TAIBAN; La LANDE; and SUNNYSIDE(later changed to Ft. Sumner).

On Sept. 1, 1906, W. B. Storey was appointed chief engineer of theAT& SF Railroad. One of his first official acts after taking over aschief engineer was to wire the engineers atTexico,"to located and buy the first level section of land west ofTexico for atownsite and facilitiesfor the eastern terminal", of the Belen Cutoff. The first level section ofland west ofTexico on the line that was consideredwas Section 18, Township 2, Range 6east. The SEquarter was owned by Jack Blackwell; the SW quarter was owned by Oliver Todd;The NE quarter was owned by Clayton Reed, and Clayton Reed'ssister, Nellie Reed, owned the NW quarter. This section of land was purchasedin October 2nd of 1906, and work started immediately to construct railroadfacilities and thetownsite for Clovis.Cloviswas inRooseveltCountywhen it was created by the AT & SFRailroad .

The above originaltownsite ofCloviswas bordered on the south byBrady Street,on the east byPrince Street,on the north bySeventh Street,and on the west byThornton Street.The actual town was laid out to the north of the AT & SF tracks andfacilities. The approximately one half section south of the tracks was used forrailroadshops , feed and shipping yards, and otherrailroad facilities. 

On May 1, 1907, the Santa Fe Land and Improvement Company opened sale onlots for thetownsite of Clovis.

Clayton Reed is reported to have built the first business in Clovis, a realestate office, in May of 1907. (Clayton Reed was kind enough to have left us aBiography of his life and also several descendants who still live in Clovis.)

At a meeting of the Roosevelt County commissioners April 6, 1908, in aregular meeting ordered and decreed that the town of Clovis, said county(Roosevelt), be a duly and regularly incorporated town. Shortly thereafter itwas recorded:

Whereas at said meeting, the said county, ordered and decreed that anelection be held in said town of Clovis on the sixteenth day of May, A.D., 1908for the purpose of electing a board of five trustees of the said town ofClovis. Said election was held in accordance with such order and decrees andthe following persons elected, and qualified as such board of trustees, to wit:R. C. Reid, chairman; W. B. Cramer; E. R. Hart; B. F. Craig; and W. L.Mansfield. (R. C. Reid was the first Mayor of Clovis.) (F. T. Tully wasappointed clerk.)

The Belen Cutoff which was built from Belen, NM toTexico,NM at the Texas State line was started when the Eastern Railway of New Mexicowas incorporated on October 30, 1902 and was completed in February 1, 1912,when it was taken over by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway.

New Mexico Governor Curry wrote," the billcame to my desk on February 25, I signed it promptly. There was considerableopposition to the Curry County bill, in part over location of the county seat,for which there were several contenders and also opposition because of the newcounty's then low assessed valuation, at that time only about$1,750,00.....". Curry County was named for Governor Curry. 

A mystery!!! Many of the old timers refer to Clovis as Riley Switch. Thequestion most everyone wants to ignore is that Mr. R. C. Reid who representedthe Santa Fe Land and Improvement Company, bought four (4) quarter sections ofland that had been homesteaded on. A timetable for the Eastern Railway Companyof New Mexico in effect March 12, 1906 at 12:05 A. M lists stations west out ofTexico as Clovis,Blacktower,St.Vrain, Melrose,Cantara,Idria,Taiban, LaLande, Sunnyside (later changed to Ft. Sumner). There weresidings at each of these locations.

Question: If Clovis is listed 8.4 miles west ofTexicoin March of 1906, where does Riley Switch come into play? According to PostOffice records there was a post office by the name of Riley in service forapprox. six months in 1906-1907. Riley Post office was located in a box car onthe ground approximately 150 yards east of what is now known as the corner ofPrincestreet and Tatum Av.There was a switch, of course, and this is what is referred to as Riley Switch.

Collected and compiled by Harold Kilmer, President of the HIGH PLAINSHISTORICAL,FD.in May of1995.

For more history on Clovis see Curry CountyHistory, published in 1978.