TUCUMCARI

city, seat (1903) of Quay county, eastern New Mexico, U.S., in the Canadian River valley. It was established as a construction base for the El Paso and Rock Island Railroad in 1901. Tucumcari is named for a mountain (1,000 feet above the plains), 1 mile south, associated with an Apache legend about the death of a young brave, Tocom, and his sweetheart, Kari. Its growth as a trade centre and shipping point for cattle, cotton, wheat, and broom corn was influenced by the completion of the Tucumcari Irrigation Project in 1940. The city provides tourist services for travelers on major east-west interstate and U.S. highways. It also has light diversified industries. Conchas Lake and Ute Lake state parks are nearby. Inc. 1908. Pop. (1990) 6,827; (1994 est.) 6,706.