New Mexico Office of the State Historian : Chaves County

Chaves County

Chaves County is located in Southeast New Mexico, with its county seat as Roswell.
In 1889, Captain Joseph Lea, for whom Lea County is named, successfully persuaded the New Mexico legislature to create a new county from Lincoln County lands. Captain Lea insisted that the new county be named for his close friend and political ally, Colonel José Francisco Chaves. Colonel Chaves, a military leader during the U.S. Civil War, and delegate-elect to Congress in 1865, where he served three terms. Colonel Chavez was also speaker of the Lower House of the New Mexico Territorial Legislature. The county has a highly productive farming area due to irrigation from artesian wells. In addition, oil companies have productive fields in the eastern part of Chaves County.