Named for the white caliche rock monument that marked the location of water. There appears to be two different accounts as to the builders of the rock monument: 

Col. William Shafter, is said to have built  the monument in 1875 to mark the location of Monument springs.

In the book, "Boone Boys Frontiersman and Their Great Wild West Show", as told by Pecos Pate Boone, the statue was built by a band  of Indians to mark the location of water.

Shafter, found no indications of people in the area, to include Indians that he was chasing and there was no mention of Native American artifacts, though they roamed this area as evidenced by artifacts that have been reportedly found in the area.

Between 1880 and 1885, buffalo hunters  Jim Harvey and Dick Wilkerson had settled the area and are said to have used the rocks in the winter of 1883 to build a rock cabin at Monument Springs.

Bill Oden, the founder of the Dug Springs ranch south of Monument, later wrote that the house was not completed in late 1884 when he came through. The house, was later to be the headquarters of the Hat Ranch.

The Hat Ranch that covered most of the area from the Pecos River to the Texas state line was one of the first and largest ranches in the area.

By 1900 several ranches had been formed, and to serve these ranches on Dec 19th, 1900 the Monument Post Office was established by Jim Cook who had previously opened a small store. The mail was brought from Carlsbad some 80 eighty miles away once a week by horseback.

In 1902 a rock house became the first school with 10-15 people, classes were taught by Mrs. Rice. The following year a one room building was built as a school and classes were taught by Virgina Hendron.

Wagon peddler, Rube Knowles brought his goods into the community thereby giving residents of Monument two stores.

Ranchers slowly moved into the area and soon the community of Monument was formed, then came the first doctor to the area Dr. Arthur A Deardoff who hung his shingle in 1907.

Several of the older families still live in the area and have properties here, although the large ranches were slowly being divided amongst children or sold off.

Until the discovery of oil in the area of Monument in 1928, things were slow to happen. wind, drought and the lonesomeness of the plains, caused many a settler to pack up and move.

Though no way to identify the builders, several dugouts still remain in Monument as a testament of the hardships of early settlers.

In the township of Monument, stands the Indian statue named "Geronimo", by the locals. Some say he is looking westward for water, some say looking for a drink of whiskey, as he was located in front of the Geronimo Hut, a locale dance hall.

It appears that for some unknown reason, Geronimo was ran into not once, but twice, thereafter the stature was to it's present location. Given these circumstances, is there any doubt as to what the bedraggled Geronimo is watching for?

The discovery of oil, "Oilboom saves Southeast".

Sources for more Lea County information are:

Lea, New Mexico's Last Frontier by Gil Henshaw; Lea County, A pictorial History by Lynn C Maudlin, Lovington, Survivor of the High Plains by Gil Hinshaw; Lea County. Then and Now, Vol's I & II, The Grandma Hobbs Affair by Joe Byers; Boone Boys Frontiersman and their Great Wild West Show as told to Clyde Douglas Boone by Pecos Pate Boone.

Note, If you have early family history or photos that you would like included in the site, please contact the county host

Monument Indian Statue

Laughlin Ranch Properties est. 1902

Alexander Store and Windmill 2006