Portales

Portales, city, seat (1903) of Roosevelt county, eastern New Mexico, U.S., near the Texas state line. It was founded by Josh Morrison in 1898 and named for nearby Portales Springs, a watering place on the Fort Sumner Trail and so called because the waters flow from a series of cave openings that resemble the “porches” (Spanish: portales) of adobe houses. Irrigated farming, food processing, and ranching are the economic mainstays. Portales is the site of Eastern New Mexico University, founded in 1927. Oasis State Park is 7 miles (11 km) northwest. The nearby Blackwater Draw Museum exhibits 12,000-year-old artifacts from adjacent archaeological sites. Inc. 1930. Pop. (2000) 11,131; (2010) 12,280.