Town Hall in Elida. Photo by Phyllis Eileen Banks

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.

Ranchvale is isolated on NM 311, six miles north of US 60 and Cannon Air Force Base. The post office existed in 1916-1917, but the mail now goes to Clovis. Rainfall was so little that grain cultivation wasn't feasible, causing many homesteaders to leave without proving up (staying five years, or three years with some payment). Large acreages reverted to grazing land. Some settlers did stay, and diversified with dairying, livestock raising and a mixture of irrigated and dry farming. Later, water from the Ogallala Aquifier enabled the farmers to sow grains, soybeans and cotton. Ranchvale has the honor of building, in 1919, the first consolidated school in New Mexico.

Floyd is still a ranching community on NM 267, 16 miles west of Portales. Its post office, which still exists, was established in 1903, and was named for a pioneer of the area, Floyd Wharton. It is also a ranching community, as is almost all in this part of the state. M

any of the same situations apply to Floyd, Ranchvale, and other communities in the area.. Those who stayed and toughed out the hard times were able to continue ranching.

Elida, at a junction of NM 114 and 330 and US 70, was a trading center for ranchers before Portales was settled.. The post office was established in 1902 and continues. It is more of a community than the others in this profile, probably because of its location on a US highway.

Ranching lands surround it. A city hall and a convenience store still stand, but some buildings are empty. A larger population inhabited Elida at one time, but a grasshopper infestation in 1913 caused many settlers to leave. It is said there were so many grasshoppers on the rails, trains could not run.

Kenna, ten miles southwest of Elida on US 70, was established as Kenna in 1902-1906, but changed to Urton in 1906-1907, then back to Kenna in 1907. The Urton brothers, W. G. and George, ranchers from Missouri, were the reason for that name. It was known as Kenna's Camp prior to building the railroad. Stages had stopped there to transfer mail and passengers.

Supposedly there were actually two settlements, Urton and Kenna, but when the post office application was made, Kenna was the name chosen. There are differing opinions on how that that name was chosen, but the fact that the vice-president of the Atcheson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad was named E. D. Kenna seems the logical one. Ranches surround this area also.

Elkins, 19 miles from Kenna, southwest on US 70, has only an abandoned schoolhouse to mark its existence. There was a post office from 1907 to 1943, and again from 1945 to 1972. The mail now goes to Clovis. Stephen B. Elkins was territorial delegate to Congress from 1873-1877, and an ardent advocate of statehood. It is possible the small community was named in his honor.

Ranches exist in the area, and since it is only 32 miles northeast of Roswell, no doubt in this era of good highways and fast automobiles such a small community locale was unnecessary.