Lea County, New Mexico was created on March 17, 1917, five years after New Mexico was admitted to the Union as a State. At that time, the region had essentially nothing to offer except the vision of a handful of hardy settlers. The only thing connecting the sparse settlements were wagon roads and cattle trails. There were none of the communication conveniences of telegraph or daily newspaper and the mail was carried via horses. There was no railroad, no running streams or rivers, and no major city. Politicians in Santa Fe considered the area to be an immense, semi-arid pastureland on the southwestern corner of the state. Therefore, they found it hard to justify the creation of a county from such an arid, windswept place. The only natural resources for taxes that were know of were grass and water. However, a great wealth in gas, oil and potash was later discovered._Change and growth has been part of Lea County's history. It's first settlers would find it difficult to believe that the County is now so populated and vital to the sources of energy for the nation. _Lea County now flourishes in oil and gas, agriculture, and the dairy business.

Lea County is home of the single most important oil discovery in the history of the state of New Mexico. On June 13, 1928, when the discovery well in the Hobbs field "struck pay" the event led to the opening of one of the most valuable oil fields anywhere in the world. On an average year, Lea County ranks 1st in oil production and 4th in natural gas production.