Curry County, New Mexico Deputy Sheriff C. D. Reese Badge, Circa 1910

REESE, C. D. [MANUFACTURER]

Publication: C D Reese, n d (ca 1910), New York

Circa mid-1910s to 1920s badge for the Deputy Sheriff of Curry County, New Mexico. Manufactured by C. D. Reese out of 57 Warren St., New York City. Dating is derived from the style of the Reese hallmark on the reverse and the vertical kick pin with torque-type "C" catch.

Curry County lies on the eastern edge of New Mexico, on the High Plains. Before Anglo-American settlement, the area was used by Native peoples, including Apache and Comanche groups, and the open prairie later attracted cattle ranchers. By the late 1800s, it was largely open-range cattle country. The big transformation came in the early 1900s. Homesteaders began arriving around 1901-03, fencing the range and establishing farms. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached the area in 1906-07 and established a major railroad town and switching facility at what became Clovis. The railroad greatly accelerated settlement, bringing farmers, merchants, cattle shipments, and supplies. Curry County was created on February 25, 1909, from portions of Quay and Roosevelt Counties. It was named for George Curry, then Territorial Governor of New Mexico, and Clovis became the county seat. During the 1910s and 1920s, the county changed rapidly from a ranching frontier into a farming-and-railroad economy. Thousands of acres were put under cultivation, although drought, difficult farming conditions, and economic setbacks caused many early homesteaders to leave. Clovis nevertheless continued growing as the county's commercial and transportation center.

The badge measures approximately 2 x 2 1/4 inches. Very good attractive condition.