ARCH

NAME: Arch COUNTY: Roosevelt ROADS: 2WD GRID: 4 CLIMATE: Hot, cold, rain, wind, dust, snow, sometimes all in the same day! BEST TIME TO VISIT: You name the time. The days are all good.

COMMENTS: Another town spawned by the homestead act of the early 1900's.People from far away flocked to this area to find their dream home. The drouth of 1906-1912 forced most of them to lookelsewhere. While they were here, however, they built schools,stores, and their communities were close knit. Nobody is leftand no evidence of a community exists today. REMAINS: None

In 1903, twelve miles southeast of Portales, the settlement of Arch was added to the list of communities. Originally located in a horse pasturewhen the Arch and Miland school distrifts consolidated, both the school and the store were moved two miles west to the present community site.The post office, according to the postal authrities, was established in Arch on September 22, 1903, with W. M. Nickols as postmaster. Some suggestthat the name Arch commerated Archie Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt for whom the county was named in 1903. Prsent day residents challenge this report by suggesting that the community was named for Arch Williams, a settler in the region. Another version says that the name wasfor Arch Gragg or Gregory, early day sheriff of Roosevelt County. Take your pick. Submitted by: Samuel W McWhorter

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