Tatum is in Lea County, and in the Southeast New Mexico region. You can locate Tatum at the crossing of US Hwy 380 and state Hwy 206, east of Roswell.
Sometime in August, 1909, James G. Tatum arrived in the Tatum area, and with help of a friend from Ranger Lake, built a combination house and store. It was settled at the intersection of present-day Hwy 380 and Hwy 206. He applied for a post office and his wife, Mattie, was the first post-mistress of Tatum in December of 1909.
Today, Tatum is a great place to get a good meal at one of the three cafe's in town.