IN THE SPRING OF 1887 A FIRST-GENERATION IRISHMAN NAMED MICHAEL TIMOTHY MORIARTY LEFT HIS HOME IN IOWA, BOARDED THE SANTA FE RAILROAD AND CAME OUT TO THE ESTANCIA VALLEY.  ONCE TIWA-SPEAKING PEOPLES HAD LIVED AT THE BASE OF THE MANZANO MOUNTAINS AND HUNTED IN THE GRASSY PLAINS OF THIS VALLEY.  IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY THE KING OF SPAIN GRANTED LANDS TO ONE BARTHOLOME BACA.  BY THE LATER PART OF THAT CENTURY THREE CATTLE OUTFITS, UNDER AMERICAN CONTROL, INHABITED THIS LAND.  THE LAND WAS OPENED UP FOR HOMESTEADING, BUT ONLY THE HARDY, LIKE MR. MORIARTY AND HIS FAMILY WOULD SETTLE IN THIS TREE-BARREN RANGE.

    BY 1903, HOMESTEADING FARMERS WERE FLOCKING TO THE VALLEY, DUE MOSTLY TO THE BUILDING OF THE SANTA FE CENTRAL RAILROAD.  MANY FARMERS SETTLED AROUND TRAIN STATIONS.  ONE STATION NAMED "CALVERT" BY THE RAILROAD WAS SOON CHANGED TO "MORIARTY" IN HONOR OF THE EARLY HOMESTEADER AND FIRST POSTMASTER.  THE TOWNSITE NAMED MORIARTY SOON HAD SEVERAL STORES, A NEWSPAPER OFFICE, LIVERY BARN AND BLACKSMITH'S SHOP, CHURCHES AND CLUB HOUSES ALL ON ITS MAIN STREET.  DRYLAND FARMING BECAME A MAINSTAY, ESPECIALLY THE GROWING OF PINTO BEANS.  FARMERS CONTINUED TO COME TO MORIARTY AND PROVE UP ON THEIR ONE-HUNDRED AND SIXTY ACRES OF HOMESTEADING TURF.

    INTERMITTENT DROUGHT IN THE 'TEENS AND 'TWENTIES GAVE WAY TO THE DUST BOWL OF THE 'THIRTIES IN MORIARTY.  THE TOWN WAS QUICKLY LOSING ITS INHABITANTS.  IN 1937, NM ROAD 6 WAS PAVED EAST FROM SANTA ROSA TO ALBUQUERQUE.  THE ROAD THAT WAS TO BECOME US ROUTE 66 RAN ABOUT  A HALF MILE NORTH OF MORIARTY.  SOON FARMERS, RANCHERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSMEN STARTED BUILDING ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SERVED THE TOURIST AND MIGRANT TRADES.  THE FOCUS OF THE TOWN WAS NO LONGER THE RAILROAD STATION - IT WAS THE TRANSCONTINENTAL HIGHWAY RUNNING NORTH OF TOWN.  GRADUALLY, THE TOWN OF MORIARTY SHIFTED NORTH, ITS SCHOOL AND RESIDENTS ON THE SOUTH, AND ITS CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT FLOURISHING ON OLD ROUTE 66.

    CALLED THE "CROSSROADS OF OPPORTUNITY," THE CITY OF MORIARTY WAS INCORPORATED IN 1953.  MODERN MORIARTY IS A FLOURISHING SMALL CITY ANTICIPATING ITS ROLE IN THE FUTURE WITHOUT FORGETTING THE VALUES AND IDEALS OF ITS DESCENDANTS.