BlockBefore

Mills, New Mexico

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1998. It stands in the North Harding census division. It lies in ZIP code area 87730. The Survey maps it on the Mills West quadrangle. It stands 6,115 feet above sea level.

Mills within Harding County

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 9 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Photographs

8 of 11 photographs shown, 1935

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

A corral practically buried by drifted dust. Mills, New Mexico. Therefore, the fertile top soil of a grazing area cannot be utilized
A corral practically buried by drifted dust. Mills, New Mexico. Therefore, the fertile top soil of a grazing area cannot be utilized
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
These farm implements should never have been used for they destroyed a naturally rich grazing area. Mills, New Mexico
These farm implements should never have been used for they destroyed a naturally rich grazing area. Mills, New Mexico
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
An example of how listing soil into furrows helps impede erosion. Mills, New Mexico
An example of how listing soil into furrows helps impede erosion. Mills, New Mexico
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
The rolling lands used for grazing near Mills, New Mexico
The rolling lands used for grazing near Mills, New Mexico
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
Typical farm in the Mills area, New Mexico. These people are to be resettled, their land to revert to cattle range
Typical farm in the Mills area, New Mexico. These people are to be resettled, their land to revert to cattle range
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
Typical Teutonic farm wife and child of Mills, New Mexico, area. Client for resettlement
Typical Teutonic farm wife and child of Mills, New Mexico, area. Client for resettlement
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
Discouraged farmers have been leaving this area over a period of years, leaving their heavy equipment in the fields. Mills, New Mexico
Discouraged farmers have been leaving this area over a period of years, leaving their heavy equipment in the fields. Mills, New Mexico
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress
Dust storm near Mills, New Mexico
Dust storm near Mills, New Mexico
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1935. Library of Congress

Every photograph of Harding County

Fires near this place

4 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 4 fires within 5 miles of Mills between 1996 and 2020, burning about 1,869 acres in total. 2 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural2
Smoking1
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
3 July 2017Natural513 acresLas Vegas DistrictSMITH FIRE
6 June 2020Natural1,355 acresCibola National ForestK107
26 May 1996Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionRIMROCK
23 May 2011Smokingunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionLUCERO

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Harding County

Mines and quarries near this place

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Mills: 3 unknowns, 2 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Manganese, Calcium. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Materials Pit 76-7-SCalciumProducer
Cuba Manganese DistrictManganesePast Producer1926, 1942, 1958
Landers MineManganesePast Producer1926, 1942, 1957
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unnamed PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown

Every working recorded in Harding County

Storms near this place

25 since 2001

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Mills in 25 storm reports between 2001 and 2025: 16 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2025Thunderstorm WindMills-The Mills Canyon RAWS measured a 70 mph wind gust from a severe thunderstorm.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindMills-A mesonet station near Mills measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindMills-A RAWS station near Mills reported a 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
May 2021HailMills-A trained spotter reported nickel size hail in Mills from a strong thunderstorm.
July 2021HailMills-A trained spotter reported nickel size hail from a strong thunderstorm near Chicosa Lake State Park.
July 2021HailMills-A trained spotter reported one inch hail from a severe thunderstorm near Mills.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindMills-Downburst winds up to 70 mph were reported near Mills.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindMills-A peak wind gust up to 58 mph was reported at Mills Canyon.
April 2016Thunderstorm WindMills-Virga bomb from a dry storm at Mills Canyon.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindMills-Mills Canyon reported peak wind of 64 mph from dry thunderstorm passing a few miles north of the site.
September 2011HailMills-Hail size ranged from peas to quarters.
August 2009Tornado (EF0)Mills-Multiple reports of a tornado were received approximately 10 miles north of Roy. No damage was reported.
July 2023HailMills-no account filed
June 2010HailMills-no account filed
May 2005HailMills-no account filed
July 2005HailMills-no account filed
September 2004HailMills-no account filed
June 2003HailMills-no account filed
April 2002HailMills-no account filed
June 2002HailMills-no account filed
June 2002HailMills-no account filed
June 2001HailMills-no account filed
May 2001HailMills-no account filed
May 2001HailMills-no account filed
May 2001Funnel CloudMills-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Harding County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Roy10.2 miles7
Sabino17.0 miles4
Armenta Plaza (historical)19.0 miles7
Yates19.0 miles7
Solano19.1 miles7
Dehaven22.7 miles7
Albert23.1 miles4
Mosquero26.5 miles4

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on MillsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q6859939The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 908762. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.