Editing Portales, New Mexico (section)

==History==
[[File:Portales, New Mexico (1904).jpg|thumb|left|Portales, 1904]]

The [[New Mexico Territory|US territorial]] settlement of Portales occurred in the late 19th century as cattle herders discovered a water source emanating from a rocky ledge resembling a Spanish porch. The local watering hole took on the name "Portales", and a few settlers began ranching nearby. The [[Southwestern Railroad (New Mexico)#Carlsbad Division|Pecos Valley and Northeastern Railroad]] arrived in 1899.<ref name="Myrick_1990">Myrick, David, ‘’New Mexico’s Railroads, A Historic Survey’’, University of New Mexico Press 1990. {{ISBN|0-8263-1185-7}}</ref> The City of Portales was formally established in 1909. The first mayor of Portales was [[Washington E. Lindsey|Washington Ellsworth Lindsey]], who later became a [[governor of New Mexico]].

The town developed in an orderly fashion through the early 20th century.<ref name="rccc">{{cite news|url=http://www.portales.com/about_history.htm|title=Portales History|work=Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce|access-date=29 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="usgw">{{cite news|url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/nm/roosevelt/history/history.txt|title=Roosevelt County History|work= USGenWeb Archives|access-date=30 July 2015}}</ref>
In particular, given its access to the [[Ogallala Aquifer]], improved [[surface irrigation]] techniques supported steady growth in agriculture.<ref name="agn">{{cite news|url=http://amarillo.com/stories/040698/210-5642.shtml#.Vbqo_Hi-3jI|title=N.M. town nuts about farming|work=Amarillo Globe News|access-date=30 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112131711/http://amarillo.com/stories/040698/210-5642.shtml#.Vbqo_Hi-3jI|archive-date=12 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="wrri">{{cite news|url=http://www.wrri.nmsu.edu/publish/watcon/proc42/Woodward.pdf|title=Water Issues of Eastern New Mexico: Get Your Water Kicks on Route 66|work=New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute|access-date=29 July 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060915023404/http://wrri.nmsu.edu/publish/watcon/proc42/Woodward.pdf|archive-date=15 September 2006}}</ref>

Eastern New Mexico University was established in 1934 as a [[normal school|teacher's college]]. Originally a [[junior college]], it became a four-year institution in the mid-20th century. The Great Depression brought several important [[Works Progress Administration]]  construction projects, including the ENMU Administration Building, the downtown Portales Post Office, and the Roosevelt County Courthouse. [[National Register of Historic Places listings in New Mexico#Roosevelt County|All three buildings]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

In 2023, the FW1 [[Ute Dam|Ute Reservoir]] pipeline project started construction to provide potable water by 2030 for [[Cannon Air Force Base]] and the communities of [[Clovis, New Mexico|Clovis]], Portales, [[Elida, New Mexico|Elida]], [[Texico, New Mexico|Texico]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern New Mexico celebrates groundbreaking of FW1 Ute Reservoir pipeline project |url=https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/eastern-new-mexico-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-1-billion-ute-reservoir-pipeline-project-curry-county-quay-county-mike-morris-clovis-cannon-air-force-base-eastern-new-mexico-water-utility-authority-martin-heinrich-ron-jackson-portales-elida-texico |publisher=[[KVII-TV|KVII]] TV 7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130060148/https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/eastern-new-mexico-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-1-billion-ute-reservoir-pipeline-project-curry-county-quay-county-mike-morris-clovis-cannon-air-force-base-eastern-new-mexico-water-utility-authority-martin-heinrich-ron-jackson-portales-elida-texico |archive-date=January 30, 2024 |date=August 22, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>