Quay County, New Mexico
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Quay County (Template:IPAc-en) is a county in the state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 8,746.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Tucumcari.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was named for Pennsylvania senator Matthew Quay, who supported statehood for New Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Its eastern border is the Texas state line, approximately 103.04 degrees west longitude.
History
Early history
Modern-day Quay County was once home to a massive inland sea, known as the Western Interior Seaway. Like the rest of New Mexico, Quay County has a strong paleontological history and dinosaur fossils have been found in the area.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
The earliest known evidence of human activity dates back to roughly 9500 BC, when the Clovis culture emerged in the region.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref> Around 900 AD, the Ancestral Puebloan culture emerged in the region, and is believed to have lasted until roughly 1400 AD. While settlement was largely in the Four Corners region of the state, artifacts have been discovered in Quay County as well, and the area is believed to have been a trade route or a temporary hunting site.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> By the 1500s, Native American tribes such as the Apache and Comanche had emerged, using the area as hunting grounds.<ref name=":0" /> Around this time, Spanish explorers began scouting the area, but did not settle in Quay County or establish any missions or trading posts.
Colonial history
European settlements emerged in Quay County around the 17th century, although they never gained any major size or importance. Tensions between settlers and Native American tribes were common due to Comanchero interference, and settlement remained sparse until the Americans obtained control of the New Mexico Territory and established Fort Bascom in 1863.<ref name=":1" /> As Native Americans were relocated following the Apache Wars, settlers steadily moved into the area and the cattle industry spilled over from Texas, becoming the dominant economic driver of the region. Prior to the 1860s, most settlers had been Hispano ranchers and shepherds, but by 1899 the region was full of Anglo-American homesteaders.<ref name=":1" />
20th century and modern day
In 1902, the railroad came to Quay County. Tucumcari and Logan were founded as railroad camps for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, and Quay County was officially split off from neighboring Guadalupe County and incorporated in 1903. By 1913, Tucumcari had become a boomtown. Around this time, harsh weather and tensions with ranchers caused most of the homesteaders to abandon the region, and by the 1920s Quay County was predominantly home to ranchers and new urban residents.<ref name=":1" />
Tucumcari grew so quickly during this time that it was one of few areas in the United States to not be significantly affected by the Great Depression. Following World War I, returning servicemembers proved a boon to the economy and a building boom began that lasted for years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1926, U.S. Route 66 was established, quickly surpassing the railroad in terms of importance. Quay County was a major thoroughfare, and the population of the area boomed as the economy quickly shifted towards the service sector.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the 1950s, Tucumcari was referred to as "Little Las Vegas" and was one of the most important commercial centers of eastern New Mexico.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>
With the advent of the Interstate Highway System in the 1960s, Quay County quickly declined in importance as I-40 (which served only Tucumcari) replaced Route 66. The population of Quay County has since declined steadily, and it is now a rural area with only one large commercial center at Tucumcari.<ref name=":2" />
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Adjacent counties
- Union County - north
- Harding County - northwest
- San Miguel County - west
- Guadalupe County - west
- De Baca County - southwest
- Roosevelt County - south
- Curry County - south
- Deaf Smith County, Texas - southeast
- Oldham County, Texas - east
- Hartley County, Texas - northeast
Demographics
2000 census
As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> there were 10,155 people, 4,201 households, and 2,844 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,664 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 82.09% White, 0.84% Black or African American, 1.27% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 12.11% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. 37.98% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,201 households, out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.00% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 23.30% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $24,894, and the median income for a family was $30,362. Males had a median income of $24,801 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,938. About 15.70% of families and 20.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.50% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 9,041 people, 4,072 households, and 2,502 families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,569 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 86.1% white, 1.2% American Indian, 1.1% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 7.2% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 42.4% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 11.4% were American, 10.7% were English, 10.5% were German, and 9.8% were Irish.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Of the 4,072 households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.6% were non-families, and 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age was 45.6 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>
The median income for a household in the county was $28,773 and the median income for a family was $41,766. Males had a median income of $29,769 versus $32,462 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,234. About 13.3% of families and 21.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
Quay County has a declining economy once dominated by the agriculture and ranching sectors, which remain major employers to this day. In the 1920s, Quay County became an important railroad hub, but the rail industry has since disappeared from the county. The development of Route 66 and I-40 transformed the region into a service-based economy, and now the county's main economic sectors include logistics and service, concentrated around I-40 and Tucumcari, and ranching.
| Industry | Percentage of employment |
|---|---|
| Education and healthcare | 21.7% |
| Entertainment and service | 21.3% |
| Retail | 10.2% |
| Professional and administrative | 7.9% |
| Public administration | 7.2% |
| Other | 7% |
| Construction | 6.4% |
| Agriculture and mining | 5.9% |
| Logistics and transportation | 5.3% |
| Finance and real estate | 3.2% |
| Manufacturing | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.1% |
| Information | 0.7% |
Culture and media
Culture
As a rural town along Route 66, Quay County has long been associated with both traditional frontier culture and the 1950s-era road tripping culture that made it a boomtown. Tucumcari was the filming location for the western series Rawhide,<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> and it was one of the major inspirations for the fictional town of Radiator Springs in the film Cars,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and many of its events today are either Route 66 oriented or inspired by its earlier days as a Wild west railroad town. Major events and attractions include:
- Rawhide Days, an annual event that showcases the frontier culture of the area, including gunslinger performances and longhorn parades.<ref name=":3" />
- The Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, an attraction at Mesalands Community College that celebrates the region's rich history of paleontology.
- Various Route 66 oriented museums, murals, and displays in Tucumcari.
Media
Newspapers
- The Eastern New Mexico News, published in neighboring Curry County since 2016, serves as the newspaper of record for the wider region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The Quay County Sun, published in Tucumcari, is a subsidiary paper published by the Eastern New Mexico News.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Government and politics
Government
At the federal level, Quay County is represented in the United States Senate by Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both Democrats. It is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of New Mexico's 3rd congressional district by Democrat Teresa Leger Fernández. It is part of the New Mexico Senate's 7th and 8th districts, represented by Republican Pat Woods and Democrat Pete Campos, respectively. It is in the New Mexico House of Representatives's 67th district, represented by Republican Jack Chatfield. Judicially, it is in New Mexico's 10th Judicial District Court.
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Locally, Quay County is represented by a three-person board of commissioners and several county officials.
| Office | Name | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Dallas Dowell | Republican | |
| Commissioner | Jerri Rush | Republican | |
| Commissioner | Brian Fortner | Republican | |
| Office | Name | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County Clerk | Veronica Manley | Democratic | |
| Assessor | Jefferson Byrd | Republican | |
| Probate Judge | Christina Wilson | Republican | |
| Sheriff | Dennis Garcia | Republican | |
| Treasurer | Theresa Lafferty | Republican | |
Politics
At formation, Quay County was part of a predominantly Southern Baptist region known as "Little Texas." As such, Quay County had much more in common with traditional Southern Democrats than it did with the more Catholic and Republican Spanish American regions in the west and north, which were much more Southeastern in culture.<ref>Chilton, Lance; New Mexico: A Guide to the Colorful State, p. 95 Template:ISBN</ref> Quay County was thus a powerfully Democratic county until the 1950s, when it along with North and West Texas began slowly realigning towards Republicans. Quay remained a swing county until the 1960s but continued to vote more in align with Southern Democrats than the rest of New Mexico (in 1968, it was George Wallace's sixth strongest county in the state). It has since followed the southern trend of becoming powerfully Republican, and has given Republicans increasing margins since 2008.
Education
Primary education
School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>
- Grady Municipal Schools
- House Municipal Schools
- Logan Municipal Schools
- Melrose Municipal Schools
- San Jon Municipal Schools
- Tucumcari Public Schools
Community colleges
Transportation
Airports
Quay county has one airport, Tucumcari Municipal Airport. The airport is mainly for civil use.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Highways
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Communities
City
- Tucumcari (county seat)
Villages
Census-designated place
Other communities
See also
References
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