Milnesand, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Milnesand, New Mexico
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The U.S. Post Office/gas station/general store in Milnesand, New Mexico c. 2013
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 Milnesand, New Mexico
Location in New Mexico
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Roosevelt |
Milnesand is a small, quiet place in New Mexico. It's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a settlement that doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's part of Roosevelt County. You can find Milnesand in the southeastern part of New Mexico, about 35 miles south of a town called Portales. It sits on a large, flat area of land known as the Llano Estacado. This flat land stretches across parts of eastern New Mexico and western Texas.
Milnesand, New Mexico
Ancient History of Milnesand
For a long time, not many people lived around Milnesand. This was because there wasn't much water that flowed all year round. However, during wetter times, the area had lots of wildlife. This meant plenty of food for the Native American people who lived there.
Scientists have found evidence of ancient bison hunting sites. These sites date back to the Pleistocene era, thousands of years ago. A special type of spearhead, called the Milnesand Point, was first found near here. This point was used by Paleo-Indians, who were some of the earliest people in North America. They lived in this area between 11,000 and 9,000 years ago.
Two main Native American tribes lived in this region: the Comanche and the Apache. In the early 1700s, the Comanche tribe moved into the Llano Estacado. They took over the land from the Apache people who had been living there.
Home of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Milnesand is famous for a special bird called the Lesser Prairie-Chicken. The town even has the nickname "Prairie-chicken Capital of New Mexico." This is because many of these birds live in the area. They prefer the shinnery oak prairie, which is a type of grassland with small oak trees.
From 2002 to 2012, Milnesand hosted the High Plains Lesser Prairie-Chicken Festival every year. This festival celebrated these unique birds. Because of the large number of prairie-chickens, Milnesand has become an important place for studying and protecting them. Scientists and conservationists often come here to learn more about these birds and help them thrive.
