Jal, New Mexico
Jal was founded by the establishing of a Post Office and given the name of JAL for
the JAL Ranch cattle brand. It was named by Charles Wesley Justis in 1910 when he built a
mercantile store in Monument Draw. A small school was built in 1911. The first teacher was
James LeRoy Lancaster. Another mercantile was opened in Jal in March of 1916 by Abner N. Chase.
The discovery of oil and gas in the area helped establish the communities heritage.
A farming, oil and natural gas producing community in the SE corner of Lea county,
eight miles north of the Texas border. Named for the old JAL Ranch established in 1886
in Monument Draw, six miles east of present site. The cattle brand was brought to New Mexico
on a herd of cattle purchased by the Cowden Land and Cattle Company from John A. Lynch
of east Texas whose initials formed the name. Uncle Alonzo Edwards sold his ranch to
the Cowden brother. The settlement moved to its present location in 1916. Post office
from 1910 to the present.
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