Clovis, County seat of Curry County in New Mexico, United States
Clovis is the county seat of Curry County in eastern New Mexico, United States, sitting on the plains near the Texas border. The town stands at 1301 meters (4268 feet) elevation and serves as a regional center shaped by the Santa Fe Railroad, agricultural operations, and Cannon Air Force Base.
Railroad engineers with the Santa Fe Railway founded the town in 1906 at a site previously known as Riley's Switch. The railroad company developed the location into a regional rail hub that accelerated settlement across eastern New Mexico.
The city takes its name from Clovis I, first Christian king of the Franks, suggested by a railroad official's daughter who had studied European history. This link to a sixth-century monarch remains part of local identity on the eastern New Mexico plains.
The town sits on the eastern New Mexico plains, where visitors encounter open landscapes and wide horizons. Its location near the Texas border makes it accessible from both states.
Residents display banners and signs throughout the streets supporting nearby Cannon Air Force Base through a local effort called Operation Keep Cannon. This visible link between the civilian community and the military installation shapes the streetscape today.
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