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Roosevelt County Guide
Last updated on Thursday, February 20, 2003
Blackwater Draw Locality No. 1, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the most important archeological sites in the New World. The Blackwater Draw Museum has wonderful displays of bones and artifacts to educate adults and children in the history of New Mexico as well as the New World.
These six settlements lie within a 100 mile area, although few and far between. The Llano Estacado, the Staked Plains, beckoned many people to come west and homestead in the early years of the 20th century.
Little remains of Field, created by the consolidation of three rural schools. Located at the junction of NM 288 and 224, it isn't even indicated on the most recent map of New Mexico. The post office existed until 1924, but the mail now goes to Melrose.
No vanishing mirage, Oasis State Park is true to its name.
Tall cottonwoods and a shimmering pond sit among the shifting sand dunes. An abundance of birds and anglers are drawn to this watering hole, which the New Mexico State Park Division keeps stocked throughout the year.
The fishing pond may be the main attraction but with hiking trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, a ballfield, and a playground, Oasis State Park has something for everyone. Nine miles north of Crossroads on NM 206 is another settlement at another crossroads, Milnesand. The first store was opened in 1910 by Mrs. Lillian Curl. Settlers from Texas and Oklahoma had arrived around 1913 and homesteaded in the area. In 1915, Mrs. Curl became the first postmistress. A merchant named Parker had a Model T chain driven truck, and he hauled freight between Milnesand and Portales. He would also take passengers at $5 each per trip. The unusual name, Milnesand, is due to the deep sandy soil and windmills on a nearby ranch; hence, it was called Mill-in-sand.Spring waters gushing from a series of caves shaped like porches across a hacienda home gave Portales its name. It is also a door to human history with the discovery of artifacts and skeletons of mastodons dating back 11,000 years. Originally it was known as "Los Portales," portals to the Southwest United States.
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