See individual Counties for more history HENLEY: Health brought the Henley family to New Mexico from Missouri in 1879. Allen and Lucy Henley came to the Roswell area for health reasons, from a plantation near Jefferson City, and established a farm. Soon after they moved to New Mexico their son, Thomas, born in Missouri in 1841, developed asthma, and he and his family moved to New Mexico from Texas where he had been teaching school and practicing medicine with an older Doctor. Tom and his wife, Nancy Melvina Williams, born in Arkansas in 1855, and their children, landed on the Bonito on the first day of November 1880. They filed on 160 acres five miles above Ft. Stanton.
The second year on the farm Tom got a job at Ft. Stanton as a blacksmith. After he left Ft. Stanton he got a job at the "V" ranch as a blacksmith for the Crees. Tom was a schoolteacher and practiced medicine. He wasn't a licensed doctor, but he had gone to medical school in St. Louis, Missouri, but because of finances, he was unable to finish school.
He also served in the Confederate Army during the war between the states. In those days there were very few doctors, and most of the farmers in the area sent for "Uncle Tom." They paid him whatever they felt they could give. He never set a price. Mr. & Mrs. Pat Garrett lived on a ranch adjoining the "V" ranch and Mrs. Garrett gave birth to a baby girl and Tom attended her at birth. This baby girl was Elizabeth Garrett who wrote our state song, "O Fair New Mexico." After eleven years on their farm they sold it and moved to Nogal, where Allen and Tom had a store. There Tom was the Preacher, Teacher, Post Master and had a saloon. By Barbara Branum ©2005