Fort Sumner was named for the fort that was established here in 1862 by General Carleton, naming it after General Edmond Vose Sumner, the commander of the 9th Military District.
The post office has been here intermittently since 1866.
Fort Sumner has played a significant part of New Mexico history. Lucien Maxwell of the famous Maxwell Land Grant in Colfax County area, lived here. Most noteworthy, Pat Garrett killed Billie the Kid here and in Maxwell's bedroom. About 8000 Navajos and 400 Apaches lived here in the 1860s. The AT & SF Railroad had a huge inpact in developement of this area.
Additional Fort Sumner history is in the description of this cemetery's north cache.
This cache is dedicated to the pioneers and settlers of the Fort Sumner area who are buried here. This CO's grandparents, great-grandparents and other relatives are interred here. We solicite your supposrt as a volunteer cacher to place a cache at or near a cemetery of your choice.