Village of Hope—before Anglos settled in southeastern New Mexico, the area surrounding the Village of Hope was part of the Mescalero homeland.  New Mexico became a territory in 1847 and the interest in settling in New Mexico increased.  The first Anglo trail was blazed in 1849 connecting Fort Bliss at El Paso to northwestern Texas.  Because of the presence of American military forces, settlers and investors were more confident about settling in New Mexico.  The Butterfield Trail from 1858 to 1880 was developed as a stagecoach route to connect St. Louis to Stockton, California.  It carried mail and travelers who could afford to travel in “luxury”.  The Emigrant Route connected El Paso and Amarillo was used between 1865 and 1881.  This route probably brought the first farmers and ranchers to the area and traveled through the area where Hope stands today. 

The Village of Hope was settled around 1886 and was originally known as Badgerville or Badger because the settlers lived in dugouts.  It was first located on the banks of the Penasco River, but moved to higher ground to the north and west. When the post office was established in 1890 it was called Hope. There are different legends as to how the village got its name. One legend is that a store owner, Jasper Gerald “hoped” for a post office and the mail carrier, Tom Tillotson “hoped” to increase his mail route and income. The other legend is that two early settlers, Elder Miller and Joe Richards, decided by tossing a dime in the air and shooting it with pistols.  Richards is reported to have said “I hope you lose,” and Miller did, hence the name Hope.

Early twentieth century railroad lines were extended into southeastern New Mexico including a Santa Fe Pacific route that connected Clovis to Roswell, Artesia, Carlsbad, (then called Eddy), and southward. A spur line was proposed to Hope around 1908, with part of a road bed completed. Legend is that a British financier was to have supplied the funds to extend the line; he was one of the victims of the Titanic in 1912, so Hope did not become part of the railroad route.

In the first part of the twentieth century the village had over 400 residents and in 1920 there were 420.

Hope did not meet the early settlers’ expectations, it became a farming and ranching center.  Hope’s post office serves other small rural communities in the area. 

With the scarcity of water in the Penasco River the farming community diminished, leading to a “ghost town” image and a shrinking population. The new residents that have moved to Hope have done so because of the tranquility and affordability. They commute to jobs in the Artesia area.

Hope’s population is estimated to be 107.

 

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