That the present county of Quay is hereby abolished and there is hereby created the county of Washington, which said county of Washington shall be described and its boundaries shall be as follows, to wit:

beginning at a point on the boundary line between the states of New Mexico and Texas, the same being the northeast corner of township seventeen (17) north, range thirty-seven (37) east, fractional, N.M. P. M., and running thence west on the township line between townships seventeen (17) and eighteen (18) north to the northwest corner of township seventeen (17) north, range thirty-four (34) east; thence south on the range line between ranges thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34) east, to a point where the same intersects the northwesterly right-of-way boundary line of the Rock Island railroad; thence southwesterly along said northwesterly right-of-way boundary line of the Rock Island railroad to a point where said line intersects the township line between townships thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) north; thence west on the township line between townships thirteen (13) and fourteen (14) north, to a point where the same intersects the east boundary line of the Baca location no. 2; thence south on the east boundary of the said Baca location no. 2 to the southeast corner of said Baca location no. 2; thence west on the south boundary of the Baca location no. 2 to the southwest corner of the same; thence north on the west boundary of said Baca location no. 2 to a point where the same intersects the southeast boundary line of the Pablo Montoya grant; thence southwesterly along the southeast boundary line of the Pablo Montoya grant to a point where the same intersects the range line between ranges twenty-six (26) and twenty-seven (27) east; thence south on the range line between ranges twenty-six (26) and twenty-seven (27) east to the southwest corner of township five (5) north, range twenty-seven (27) east; thence east on the township line between townships four (4) and five (5) north, to the southeast corner of township five (5) north, range thirty (30) east; thence north on the range line between ranges thirty (30) and thirty-one (31) east to the northeast corner of township five (5) north, range thirty (30) east; thence east on the township line between townships five (5) and six (6) north, to the southeast corner of township six (6) north, range thirty-two (32) east; thence north on the range line between ranges thirty-two (32) and thirty-three (33) east to the southeast corner of township seven (7) north, range thirty-two (32) east; thence east on the township line between townships six (6) and seven (7) north, to the southeast corner of township seven (7) north, range thirty-three (33) east; thence north on the range line between ranges thirty-three (33) and thirty-four (34) east, to the southeast corner of township eight (8) north, range thirty-three (33) east; thence east on the township line between townships seven (7) and eight (8) north, to the southeast corner of township eight (8) north, range thirty-four (34) east; thence north on the range line between ranges thirty-four (34) and thirty-five (35) east to the southeast [northeast] corner of township nine (9) [eight (8)] north, range thirty-four (34) east; thence east on the township line between townships eight (8) and nine (9) north to the boundary line between the states of New Mexico and Texas; thence north on the boundary line between the states of New Mexico and Texas to the intersection of the same with the township line between townships seventeen (17) and eighteen (18) north, N.M. P. M., and the place of beginning.

History: Laws 1923, ch. 141, § 1; C.S. 1929, § 33-1801; 1941 Comp., § 15-1801; 1953 Comp., § 15-20-1.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Compiler's notes. — The county of Quay was originally created in 1903 by Laws 1903, ch. 8 from the counties of Guadalupe and Union. Laws 1923, ch. 141 abolished Quay county and established Washington county. Laws 1923, ch. 150, § 1 (4-20-7 NMSA 1978) changed the name of Washington county back to Quay county. This section seems to have made no change in the boundary lines as they existed at that time. As to the validity of changes in boundaries, see State ex rel. Dow v. Graham, 33 N.M. 504, 270 P. 897 (1928).

Laws 1903, ch. 8, § 1, creating Quay county, read: "There is created a county, to be known and called Quay county, out of that portion of the territory of New Mexico included in the following boundaries as indicated by the United States survey, to wit: commencing at the southwest corner of township 5 north, range 27 east of the New Mexico principal meridian; thence north along the range line between townships 26 and 27 east to a point of intersection with the southwest corner of the Pablo Montoya grant; thence along the south boundary of said grant to the intersection with the township line between townships 11 and 12 north; thence along said township line between townships 11 and 12 north to its intersection with the southeast corner of San Miguel county; thence north along said east boundary of San Miguel county to its intersection with the third standard parallel north; thence east along said third standard parallel north to its intersection with the Texas-New Mexico boundary line; thence south along the Texas-New Mexico boundary line to the point of its intersection with the first standard parallel north (projecting eastward); thence west along the first standard parallel north to southwest corner of township 5 north, range 27 east, to the point of beginning."

Laws 1907, ch. 62, § 1 added the following territory to Quay county: "All that portion of the territory of New Mexico now included in the county of Union beginning at a point on the westerly boundary line of the state of Texas between townships 17 and 18; thence west on the line between townships 17 and 18 to the intersection between ranges 33 and 34; thence south on the line between ranges 33 and 34 to the northwesterly boundary line of the right-of-way of the Chicago, Rock Island and El Paso railroad; thence southwesterly along the northwesterly boundary line of said right-of-way of said railroad to the dividing line between townships 13 and 14; thence west on the dividing line between townships 13 and 14 to the eastern boundary line of the Baca location No. 2, the same being the eastern boundary line of the county of San Miguel according to the United States official survey; also all that portion of the territory of New Mexico now included in the county of San Miguel, lying immediately north and adjoining the county of Quay and south of the Baca location No. 2 and the Pablo Montoya grant, is attached to and shall hereafter constitute a part of the county of Quay in this territory."

Since 1941 changes have been made in the boundary between Harding and Quay counties. Legal descriptions of the changes are available in district court files of the respective counties.

Due to an east-west correction on the second standard parallel north, the southeastern line of the county intersects said standard parallel at the northwest corner of township 8 north of range 34 east rather than at the southeast corner of township 9 north of range 34 east. This correction has been indicated by means of the bracketed words inserted by the compiler.

Curry county was created from the southeast portion of Quay county.

Cross references. — For boundaries of Curry county, see 4-5-1 NMSA 1978.

For boundaries of Guadalupe county, see 4-10-1 NMSA 1978.

For boundaries of Harding county, see 4-11-1 NMSA 1978.

For boundaries of San Miguel county, see 4-25-1 NMSA 1978.

For original boundaries of Union county, see 4-31-1 NMSA 1978.