- Kenna, New Mexico
Kenna is a small unincorporated village in Roosevelt County,
New Mexico ,United States . It is located onU.S. Route 70 , 30mile s southwest of Portales. The settlement was originally known as Urton, probably named for two brothers who came to the region from the state ofMissouri in1884 . A contractor by the name of Kenna camped in Urton during the construction of a roadbed for theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway . Kenna's camp served as a stopping place forstagecoach s to exchange mail as well as passengers.In 1899, when the railroad was completed, the name Kenna remained for the camp. Established first as Urton in 1902 by the opening of a post office, the name was changed back to Kenna in 1906. E. D. Kenna, the vice president of the railroad, may have contributed to the final choice of a name.
Kenna was one of the largest cattle shipping points in the state by 1909. At the peak of its development, the town could boast a bank, two hotels, several stores, a post office, as well as several saloons. By 1912, many homesteaders relinquished their claims due to the drought, and Kenna dropped both in size and importance.
External links
* [http://www.stinkfight.com/2007/10/20/my-rattlesnake-land/ article about land scams in Kenna in the 1950s]
* [http://www.hitsofacid.com/KennaPix/ photos of Kenna]
* [http://www.newmexicohistory.org/filedetails_docs.php?fileID=21168 article about the history of Kenna on the State Historian’s web site]
* [http://www.drivetheost.com/railroadmtnroad.html Kenna's Railroad Mountain Road]
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