Mountainair in Torrance County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Willard Mercantile Company
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 10, 2023
1. Willard Mercantile Company Marker
has been listed in the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1916.
Location. 34° 31.23′ N, 106° 14.421′ W. Marker is in Mountainair, New Mexico, in Torrance County. It is at the intersection of Broadway (U.S. 60) and North Summit Avenue (New Mexico Road 55), on the right when traveling west on Broadway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Broadway, Mountainair NM 87036, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Albuquerque. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sτr Marνa de Αgreda
this page online
Regarding Willard Mercantile Company. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
In 1905 Charles Ilfeld from Las Vegas, New Mexico built a mercantile in Willard in Torrance County and hired B.J. Jackson as its manager. Before the business was completed, Ilfeld decided to merge with John Becker from Belen. They named the business the Willard Mercantile Company
Charles Ilfeld built a second store c.1916, also called the Willard Mercantile Company, on Broadway in Mountainair. The name was soon changed to the Mountainair Trading Company, which became the largest store of its kind in Mountainair and the region.
In the 1930s the name was changed to the HanlonMercantile Store when Earl Hanlon, who worked as the bookkeeper at the Willard Mercantile Company in Mountainair, purchased the company. He then closed the Willard branch stores in Willard and Encino. In the late 1930s Joe Lawson purchased the store and changed the name to Lawson's Mercantile Store. Lawson transformed the store from a general mercantile into a department store.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 10, 20232. Willard Mercantile Company Marker
Joe Lawson decided to semi-retire when his son, Fain, returned from the Second World War. Fain managed the store until the 1960s when he left to work for the Rural Electric Company. Joe returned to work and operated the store until his death in 1969.
Also see . . . Willard Mercantile Company (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 2018. (Prepared by Kent Potter, Manzano Mountain Arts Council, and Steven Moffson, New Mexico Historic Preservation Division; via New Mexico Historic Preservation Division) (Submitted on November 4, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
From the collection of Daisy Montgomery. Used here with her permission.
3. Willard Mercantile Company Building at an Earlier Age
Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 485 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 4, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on June 8, 2025, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
