Tucumcari, New Mexico

This article is about the city in New Mexico, USA. For other uses see Tucumcari (disambiguation).

Tucumcari, New Mexico
City
Seal
Nickname:  The Gateway to New Mexico
Location of Tucumcari in New Mexico
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	Quay
Founded	1901
Government
• Mayor	Antonio Apodaca
Area
• Total	7.6 sq mi (19.6 km2)
• Land	7.5 sq mi (19.5 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	4,091 ft (1,247 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	5,989
• Density	793.8/sq mi (306.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	88401
Area code	505
FIPS code	35-79910
GNIS feature ID	0915909
Website	http://www.cityoftucumcari.com/

Tucumcari is a city in Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,989 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Quay CountyTemplate:GR. Tucumcari was founded in 1901. Quay County was founded two years later.

Geography

Tucumcari is located at 35°10′10″N 103°43′32″W (35.169453, -103.725488)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.6 km²), of which, 7.5 square miles (19.5 km²) of it is land and 0.13 square miles are water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 5,989 people, 2,489 households, and 1,607 families residing in the city. The population density was 793.8 people per square mile (306.7/km²). There were 3,065 housing units at an average density of 406.2/sq mi (156.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.87% White, 1.29% African American, 1.39% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 17.10% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.41% of the population.

There were 2,489 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,560, and the median income for a family was $27,468. Males had a median income of $25,342 versus $18,568 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,786. About 19.1% of families and 24.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

Legend surrounding the area

Tucumcari Mountain

Legend has it that Apache Chief Wautonomah was nearing the end of his time on earth and was troubled by the question of who would succeed him as ruler of the tribe. In a classic portrait of love and competition, his two finest braves, Tonopah and Tocom, were not only rivals and sworn enemies of one another, but were both vying for the hand of Kari, Chief Wantonomah's daughter. Kari knew her heart belonged to Tocom. Chief Wautonomah beckened Tonopah and Tocom to his side and announced, "Soon I must die and one of you must succeed me as chief. Tonight you must take your long knives and meet in combat to settle the matter between you. He who survives shall be the Chief and have for his squaw, Kari, my daughter."

As ordered, the two braves met, with knives outstretched, in mortal combat. Unknown to either brave was the fact that Kari was hiding nearby. When Tonopah's knife found the heart of Tocom, the young squaw rushed from her hiding place and used a knife to take Tonopah's life, as well as her own.

When Chief Wautonomah was shown this tragic scene, heartbreak enveloped him and he buried his daughter's knife deep into his own heart, crying out in agony, "Tocom-Kari"!

A slight variation of the Chief's dying words live on today as Tucumcari, and the mountain which bares this name stands as a stark reminder of unfulfilled love.

Some credit this folktale to Geronimo. More skeptical and less romantic historians believe the word Tucumcari is a derivation from the Comanche word tukanukaru, which means to lie in wait for something. There's historical veracity to this explanation, since the mountain (actually a mesa) was known to be a Comanche lookout many years ago.

Tucumcari in popular culture

• Many of the scenes in the television show Rawhide (1959-1966) starring Clint Eastwood were shot in the Tucumcari area.

• One of the killers in Truman Capote's 1965 book In Cold Blood asks about the travelling distance to Tucumcari. This scene appears in the 1967 film version of the novel.

• Tucumcari is where the main action of Sergio Leone's 1965 film For a Few Dollars More, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Gian Maria Volonte, takes place.

• A scene in the 1971 movie Two-Lane Blacktop, starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, and Warren Oates, was filmed at a gasoline service station on U.S. Highway 54 just northeast of Tucumcari. Tucumcari Mountain is clearly visible at the beginning of this scene.

• The city is mentioned in the 1988 film Rainman by the character played by Tom Cruise. However, the location in the scene is clearly not Tucumcari.

• In the 2005 episode "Bugs" of the television show Supernatural, the character played by Jensen Ackles states they will pass through Tucumcari on the way to Bisbee, Arizona.

Tucumcari is mentioned in several songs, including:

• "Coyote" recorded by Better Than Ezra on Deluxe (1993)
• "Last Hobo" recorded by John Denver on All Aboard! (1997)
• "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" written by Bobby Troup (1946)
• "Tucumcari" recorded by Cex on Actual Fucking (2006)
• "Tucumcari" recorded by Freedy Johnston on The Trouble Tree (1990)
• "Tucumcari" recorded by Jimmie Rodgers (1959)
• "Tucumcari Here I Come" recorded by Dale Watson on More Songs Of Route 66 (2001)
• "Willin'" recorded by Little Feat on Little Feat (1971)

Tucumcari Tonite/Route 66

File:Tucumcari sculpture.jpg

Route 66 sculpture in Tucumcari

For many years, Tucumcari has been a popular stop for cross-country travelers on Interstate 40 (former U.S. Route 66). It is the largest city on the highway between Amarillo, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Billboards reading "TUCUMCARI TONITE!" placed along I-40 for many miles to the east and west of the town invite motorists to stay the night in one of Tucumcari's "2000" (later changed to "1200") motel rooms.

Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari. Numerous businesses, including gasoline service stations, restaurants and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city's outskirts on the south. The best known of these older businesses is the 12-unit Blue Swallow Motel which was built in 1939. Others are Palomino, Americana, Paradise, Buckaroo, Pow Wow Inn, and Redwood Lodge. Many of these establishments still feature neon signage, which lights up this small stretch of Route 66 each night like a little Las Vegas. On the west end of town in front of the Tucumcari Convention Center is an aluminum sculpture with working "tail lights" that pays homage to Route 66.

Historic Downtown

Fire engulfs Sands Dorsey Drug building on June 8, 2007

Most of Tucumcari's oldest buildings lie along or near Main Street in the Historic Downtown area. These include:

• Crescent Creamery (vacant)
• Federal Building, commonly known as Sands-Dorsey Drug (fire damaged and vacant)
• Masonic Temple
• Princess Theater (fire damaged and vacant)
• Odeon Theater
• Train Station

Also located in the downtown area are the concrete arches that once surrounded the Vorenburg Hotel, which was demolished in the 1970s after being damaged by fire.

USS Tucumcari

Main article: USS Tucumcari (PGH-2)

The city has the honor of having a United States Navy hydrofoil name after it. The USS Tucumcari (PGH-2) was built by Boeing. It began service in 1968 and ended service in 1972 after running aground in Puerto Rico.

Schools

Mesalands Community College

Tucumcari Head Start (non-public preschool)
Tucumcari Elementary School (public Pre-K through fifth grade)
Tucumcari Middle School (public sixth grade through eighth grade)
Tucumcari High School (public ninth grade through twelfth grade)
Mesalands Community College (community two-year institution of higher learning)

People and events

Tom "Black Jack" Ketchum and his associates robbed a post office and store in Liberty, NM, a community that dissolved after the railroad bypassed it. Many of Liberty's residents moved to the nearby railroad siding that eventually became Tucumcari.

Musician Bob Scobey was born in Tucumcari in 1916. The following year, American character actor Paul Brinegar was born in Tucumcari as well.

In December 1951, a water storage tank collapsed in the city. Four were killed and numerous buildings were destroyed.

Tucumcari High School graduate Stan David was a star safety for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and played 16 NFL games for the Buffalo Bills in 1984. He was listed as number 48 in the Sports Illustrated list of "The 50 Greatest New Mexico Sports Figures."

The buildings at Metropolitan Park (locally known as "Five Mile Park" because it is located about five miles outside of town) were designed by Trent Thomas, adapted from his design of La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. The park once featured New Mexico's largest outdoor swimming pool. Owing to deterioration, Metropolitan Park was named to the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance's list of Most Endangered for 2003. The cost for complete renovation is estimated at ten million dollars.

Each year since 1992, the town has held the Tucumcari Air Show. The show held on October 4, 2006, was cancelled after one hour when a single-engine plane crashed, resulting in the pilot's death.

Rex Maddaford, who competed for the New Zealand team in the 1968 Olympics, has been a long-time Tucumcari Public Schools faculty member. He is currently a teacher at Tucumcari High School.

External links

• City of Tucumcari
• Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce
• Eastern Plains Head Start
• Mesalands Community College