As the United States approaches its 250th birthday and Cibola County reflects on 45 years of its own identity, I find myself thinking about what it means to belong to a place like this.
Cibola County is more than a line on a map.
Long before it carried its current name, this land was part of older worlds – Native homelands, trade routes, sacred landscapes, and communities that shaped the Southwest long before modern government arrived. Later, this region became part of Valencia County, and eventually, in 1981, Cibola County was born. But the land itself has always mattered.
And so have the people who lived and worked upon it.
Too often, rural America is spoken about as though it is fading into irrelevance. But that is not – and should not be told as the story of Cibola County.
Cibola County has helped build America.
During the great surges of the 20th century, this region contributed to the industrial and energy strength of the United States. The minerals beneath our feet, once disregarded as meaningless crystals and rocks, proved to be hidden sources of power.
The minerals of Cibola County helped power an economy, support national defense, and strengthen the foundations of American prosperity. Fluorspar, uranium, and the many resources of this region made Cibola part of a larger national mission.
Cibola County matters. Places like Grants, Milan, San Mateo, Bluewater, and the communities spread across this county were not spectators to American history. They were participants in it.
Working families in Cibola helped fuel the rise of the modern United States: Miners, truckers, railroad workers, tradesmen, teachers, mothers, fathers, veterans, and laborers all played their part.
Cibola County knows what sacrifice looks like. It knows what work looks like. It knows what it means to contribute.
Cibola has a history worth honoring.
In an age when America is once again being forced to think seriously about energy, industry, and self-reliance, Cibola County should not be overlooked. We are living through a time when domestic production, national resilience, and strategic resources matter again. The country is waking up to the fact that strength is built by communities willing to produce, to work, and to serve.
Cibola can be one of those communities.
Our uranium – our minerals – our land, our location, and most importantly the people of Cibola County still matter. We matter to New Mexico, and New Mexico matters to the United States of America.
If we are wise, if we lead with respect, and if we balance opportunity with stewardship, Cibola County can help write the next chapter of American strength.
That should fill us with pride.
The kind of pride that comes from knowing your home has value.
The kind of pride that comes from understanding your community has helped carry the nation before and can do so again.
The kind of pride that says ‘this county is not forgotten, and it is not finished’.
Cibola County stands in a long line of American places that built, powered, defended, and sustained this country. Our legacy should not be buried and forgotten. It should be remembered, respected, and renewed.
As our nation nears 250 years of independence, and as Cibola marks 45 years under its current name, we must move forward with gratitude for those who came before us and confidence in what may lie ahead.
This is our home. This is our history. This is our legacy. God bless our troops, and God bless Cibola County.