The Decline of Knowles and Plainview and The Entrance of Lovington, Tatum and Hobbs
Then and Now, Lea County Families, Vol I, 1979
Printed with permission of Beth Reed, Lea County Genealogical Society
Interviews by Thomas L. Conway of Claudie Fort, Dora Ward, Nola Bigham, Nellie Pope, Paul Young and John L. Love furnished the information for this story.
No history of Lovington is complete without mentioning
Plainview, Monument or Knowles.
When Lovington was founded in 1908, Knowles, Monument and Plainview were already
in existance.
Knowles was founded by Rube Knowles who came from Monument. The first edifice in
Knowles was Mr. Knowles' dugout. Soon he had built a store and a post office. As
late as 1937, the post office still served the Knowles community. As late as
1916, there were 70 children enrolled in the Knowles school.
For awhile, there was a bannk in Knowles. In addition there was a dance hall, an
Odd Fellows lodge, a hotel and saloon. During prohibition, there was a
bootlegger or two. Most of the settlers around Knowles were ranchers, cowboys
and farmers.
Today the post office no longer functions; there is no store; and there is no
school. Yet, Knowles is still recognized as a community. Many citizens of the
community are descendants of those ranchers and businessmen who made of Rube
Knowles' settlement a thriving town.
I have been unable to find anyone alive who knows who founded Plainview. It was
located east of the 200 Club. During the years 1910-1920, many of the people
that lived in Plainview went to Plainiew when they went to town. In addition to
boasting two grocery stores and a drugstore, Plainview also had a post office.
In the case of Knowles, the founding and growth of Lovington, Tatum and Monument
were significant factors in the decline of Plainview and Knowles. Soon these
towns were larger than Plainview, having businesses that Plainview did not have.
Another significant cause for the decline can be found in the type of people in
the community. Unlike Knowles, Prairieview, King, Scott, Midway South View and
High Lonesome, most members of the community were homesteaders. Most proved up
their claims, decided that this part of New Mexico was not for them, and sold
out and left.
Also in 1917, the rural routes were initiated, rendering useless the post offs
to be found at Stanbro, Plainview and Midway. In 1917, it should be remembered
that Lea County became a county. Most of the homesteaders had left Plainview by
1925. In 1928, all that remained of Plainview was a single store and the
cemetery.