Portales, New Mexico

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Portales is the county seat of Roosevelt CountyGR6, New Mexico, with a total population of 11,131 (as of the 2000 census). It is the home of Eastern New Mexico University. It is located near the larger city of Clovis as well as Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region.

Eastern New Mexico University opened in 1934 and has grown to become the third largest university in the state. Peanuts and sweet potatoes were formerly the largest crops in the area. Although Portales is one of the largest producers of Valencia peanuts in the United States, it is now better known for its burgeoning dairy industry.

It is the principal city of the Portales Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Clovis-Portales Combined Statistical Area.

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[edit] City

The city's downtown area is centered around a traditional square, descending from Spanish urban design, with the County Courthouse, City Hall, as well as the Post Office and various commercial venues. The Yam Theater, a historic theater located in the Downtown area, is currently under renovation. The university, Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU), forms a sizable district with its campus and surrounding residential stock catering to students. Portales has thirty-four churches, which are predominantly Baptist.

[edit] Geography

Location of Portales, New Mexico

Portales is located at 34°10′56″N, 103°20′19″W (34.182184, -103.338737)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.7 km² (6.8 mi²), all land.

[edit] History

The settlement was founded in the late 1800s and the city was formally established in 1909. Its first mayor was Washington Ellsworth Lindsey, later a state governor of New Mexico.


[edit] Living

According to a study conducted by Bizjournals.com,[1] of 577 micropolitan areas, Portales ranked 15th in the nation and ninth in the western United States in overall quality of life. The goal of the study was to identify America’s most attractive micropolitan areas and points were given to small, well-rounded communities where the economy is strong, traffic is light, the cost of living is moderate, adults are well-educated, and access to big-city attractions is reasonably close. The ranking indicates that Portales, New Mexico is a great place to live and work.

The study identified 12 categories including population growth, per capita income, small business growth, professional jobs, commuting, cost of living, and advanced degrees. Cities were given points for positive results and negative scores if they were below the national averages. These scores were then totaled to determine its overall rank on the list of micropolitan areas.

Portales, the smallest city in the top 25, received a quality of life score of 8.96, the 15th highest score in the nation. According Scott Thomas, the author of the study, the income per capita, short commuting times, exceptionally low taxes, and substantial percentage of adults with a graduate degree are huge factors in why Portales is one of the top places to live in America. The only obstacle to overcome to be in the top 10 listing is our access to a large metropolitan area. Los Alamos was the only other New Mexico city to be recognized in the top 20.

[edit] Archaeology

The Blackwater Locality No. 1 Site (located within Blackwater Draw near Portales, New Mexico) is one of the most well known and significant sites in North American archaeology. Early investigations at Blackwater Draw recovered evidence of a human occupation in association with Late Pleistocene fauna, including Columbian mammoth, camel, horse, bison, sabertooth cat and dire wolf.

Since its discovery, the Blackwater Locality No. 1 Site has been a focal point for scientific investigations by academic institutions and organizations from across the nation. The Carnegie Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Academy of Natural Sciences, National Science Foundation, United States National Museum, National Geographic Society, and more than a dozen major universities either have funded or participated in research at Blackwater Draw.

Additionally, due to the site's tremendous long-term potential for additional research and to public interest, the site was incorporated into the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and has more recently been declared a National Historic Landmark.

[edit] Economy

The town and surrounding communities are heavily dependent on agriculture, including cattle ranching and dairy farming, peanuts, and grain, as well as the service industry. The Portales economy is also connected to Cannon Air Force Base located approximately 18 miles to the north. The base operates a leased military housing area in Portales with 150 single family dwellings. Retailers include Wal-Mart, many dollar stores and Allsups convenience stores. There is one bar in Portales (Goober McCool's).

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 11,131 people, 4,188 households, and 2,659 families residing in the city. The population density was 627.4/km² (1,624.9/mi²). There were 4,862 housing units at an average density of 274.0/km² (709.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.80% White, 2.28% African American, 1.12% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 23.39% from other races, and 3.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.13% of the population.

There were 4,188 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 20.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,658, and the median income for a family was $30,462. Males had a median income of $27,080 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,935. About 18.8% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Preston Dunn

Charles Preston Dunn (December 31, 1920 - February 26, 2007) was a highly decorated U.S. Marine in World War II and a prominent business and civic leader in Portales. He was born in Artesia, the seat of Eddy County, to Calvin Dunn (1897-1966) and the former Ruby M. Roady (1900-1998). As an 11-year-old, he worked as a service station attendant at his father's garage. He graduated from Artesia High School in 1939 and attended the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque for his freshman year. In the fall of 1940, he transferred to Eastern New Mexico University, where he became president of the student body in his junior year. He did not complete his senior year because he volunteered for active duty after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Dunn served as a pilot in the United States Navy and was then commissioned in the Marine Air Corps in 1942. On active duty for four years, he spent thirteen months in the Philippines. As a first lieutenant, he flew a Dauntless SBD dive bomber aircraft. He flew sixty-six missions. He received three Distinguished Flying Crosses and nine Air Medals. In a 2005 interview with the Clovis News Journal, Dunn said that the pilots were "scared all the time." Dunn continued in the Marine Corps Reserves and was discharged as a captain.

In 1944, prior to his overseas transport, he married a college classmate, the former Anita A. George (born 1922) of Portales, in a ceremony held in New Orleans. The Dunns resided in their original home in Portales for their entire marriage. Brother-in-law Harold J. George (born ca. 1924) of Portales said that Dunn was a true brother to him: "We owned land together for about forty-five years and never had one cross argument. That was the kind of person he was."

Dunn was employed in his family-owned John Deere dealership in Portales for twenty years. In 1966, he joined the staff of Wheeler Mortuary. In 1976, he and Scott P. Reeves (born ca. 1947) joined the partnership with the Wheelers. Later, Dunn and Reeves purchased the Wheelers' interest and continued as co-owners until Dunn retired in 1993. The company is still known as Wheeler Mortuary. Reeves, who delivered a eulogy at Dunn's funeral, told the News Journal that Dunn was "a great business partner. He and I were equal partners. . . . He was older, and he kept me from making foolish mistakes."

Dunn was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Portales, the Masonic lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the trade association, the New Mexico Funeral Service Association.

Dunn died in Lubbock, Texas. Services were held at the First Baptist Church. Burial with military honors and Masonic rites was in the Portales Cemetery. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a daughter, son-in-law, sister, and two grandchildren.

Preston and Anita Dunn were named "Pioneers of the Year" in the summer of 2002 during the annual "Heritage Days" celebration sponsored by the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce.

[edit] Notables from Portales


Flag of New Mexico
 State of New Mexico
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Regions

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Smaller
cities

Alamogordo | Artesia | Carlsbad | Clovis | Corrales | Deming | Española | Farmington | Gallup | Grants | Hobbs | Las Vegas | Los Alamos | Los Lunas | Lovington | Portales | Ruidoso | Silver City | Socorro | Sunland Park
Counties

Bernalillo | Catron | Chaves | Cibola | Colfax | Curry | De Baca | Doña Ana | Eddy | Grant | Guadalupe | Harding | Hidalgo | Lea | Lincoln | Los Alamos | Luna | McKinley | Mora | Otero | Quay | Rio Arriba | Roosevelt | San Juan | San Miguel | Sandoval | Santa Fe | Sierra | Socorro | Taos | Torrance | Union | Valencia


[edit] External links


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