CLOVIS

city, seat (1909) of Curry county, eastern New Mexico, U.S., in the High Plains (4,260 ft above sea level) near the Texas border. It was founded in 1906 as a division point for the Santa Fe Railway and named for Clovis, king of the Franks. Centre of an irrigated farm and ranch area, it has extensive livestock-auction and cattle-feeding facilities and also markets sugar beets, sorghum, wheat, cotton, vegetables, poultry, and dairy products. Nearby Cannon Air Force Base contributes substantially to the economy. The city gave its name to the Clovis Complex (a Stone Age culture) after artifacts were discovered (1932) in the locality. Inc. 1909. Pop. (1990) 30,954.