PORTALES

city, seat (1903) of Roosevelt county, eastern New Mexico, U.S., near the Texas border. 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 "porches" of adobe houses. Irrigated farming, food processing, and ranching are the economic mainstays. Portales is the site of Eastern New Mexico University, founded 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. (1992 est.) 11,154.