Bloomfield's History

The village of Bloomfield was originally settled in the early 1870’s. Prior to this settlement the area was inhabited by Native Americans. Just like the old western movies, early Bloomfield had its share of outlaws, saloons and excitement. Back them, farming and ranching were the main industries of the valley. As some stories are told, when you mixed the farmers with the ranchers…that’s when the excitement began.

Actually, the real excitement hit town during the 1950’s. Oil, coal and gas reserves were found in the San Juan Basin. A host of oil and gas-related companies set up operations in the area, and, of course, those companies needed workers. The population of San Juan County exploded from 3,500 to 37,000 people.

To this day, the oil and gas industries contribute greatly to the economy of Bloomfield and San Juan County. But the area has developed a balance of businesses in manufacturing, transportation, resource extraction, energy generation, agriculture, retail and services.

Bloomfield is located in the middle of an area rich in prehistoric history. The Bisti Wilderness Area has long attracted men of science looking for answers to our past. It’s also a must visit for shutterbugs in search of that one scene to photograph that will be etched in the soul of mankind for eternity.