Town of Lake Arthur—Lake Arthur was established in 1885 when Arthur V. Russell, a sheep rancher, homesteaded three miles north of the present-day townsite of Lake Arthur. At shearing time each year Mr. Russell would gather his sheep at the lake located south of Lake Arthur.  Over time his name became associated with the small lake and eventually with the Town.

Lake Arthur was incorporated in 1907 while New Mexico was still a territory. At one time Lake Arthur was a thriving town, but after a disastrous fire, the town was never able to fully recover.

At the center of Lake Arthur next to the Town Hall is a 20 foot tall concrete obelisk. The obelisk, mounted on a concrete base surrounded by a gravel filled curb, is one of the few remaining artifacts denoting that Lake Arthur was once located on the Ozark Trail to the West.  Main Street in Lake Arthur was once the main road along the Pecos Valley Route on the Ozark Trails highway.  Though missing its red top light, the marker has retained its integrity of location, design, workmanship and setting.

Estimated population of Lake Arthur is 432.

 

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