Taiban Valley News Archive

Taiban is a settlement in De Baca County, New Mexico, located on US 60-84, 14 miles east of Fort Sumner. A post office was established in 1906 and remains there today. In that year, the Atlantic & Santa Fe Railroad staked out a town side and named it Taiban for Taiban Creek. The creek heads at Taiban Spring and flows southwest, joining the Pecos River south of Fort Sumner. Most sources agree Taiban is derived from an Indian word, but its meaning and origin are obscure. Some say it means horsetail and others three creeks for the three tributaries of Taiban Creek. Most likely its real meaning is lost.

The Taiban Valley News originated in 1907 when Taiban was part of Roosevelt County, New Mexico. It was an English-only publication printed every Friday, an annual subscription sold for $1.00. On the issue dated June 15, 1917, the News lists Mrs. C.I. Speight and Sons as editor and manager. A Democratic paper, the Taiban Valley News reported local, territorial, national, and international news. Significant coverage was dedicated to the events of the First World War in which the United States was involved. In the very first publication of the Taiban Valley News, date June 15, 1917, it reported President Wilson's conditions for ending the fighting: no territorial changes will be made except in the interest of a fair chance of life and liberty.Interestingly, the paper included an article by George Creel printed in Everybody's Magazine about the contributions of various manufacturing companies to the war effort. A jewelry company was able to turn out periscopes with just a few minor changes. A sash chain maker found that his machines could be used to produce cartridge clips for rifles and machine guns. An infant food container was used for shell plugs, and a drug manufacturing and dye works was used to produce high explosives. The News also reported that the Department of Interior had registered 6,000 Indians for the war effort.

The paper also reported that two local men, Herman and Boyd Cornett, had joined the navy. That made 13 enlistments in county, along with the other 32,000 men from New Mexico who had enrolled for selective service. Finally, in 1921, the News reported that a free public library had been established for De Baca County, in Fort Sumner.

The Taiban Valley News ceased publication on October 27, 1922, The paper moved to Fort Sumner, where on November 3, 1922, it assumed the title De Baca County News.