Yetta Kohn (1843-1917)

La Cinta, where the panel sends her, is gone; it stood near what became Conchas Reservoir, about sixty miles from the Las Vegas store she took over when her husband Samuel died. A Jewish immigrant from Bavaria without formal schooling, she moved there in 1882 and ran a store, the post office, a ferry and the 4V cattle. After 1900 the family moved to a railroad stop called Rountree, soon renamed Montoya, and ranched there. Her daughter-in-law Clara bought 117,000 acres of the Bell Ranch in 1946, and the T4 is still family-run.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Yetta Kohn (1843-1917) Matriarch, Cattle Rancher and Business Woman Born in Bavaria and widowed in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Yetta ran the family store and raised four children alone. She later moved to La Cinta on the Canadian River where she opened another store, became the postmistress, started a bank and operated a ferry. She eventually bought land that became the 4V Ranch, which expanded into the T-4 Cattle Company, operated today by her descendants. Official Scenic Historic Marker New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative The New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative was founded in 2005 by members of the New Mexico Women's Forum in a statewide effort to recognize women's contributions to New Mexico history on the state's Official Scenic Historic Markers. The Initiative ensures that women's diverse histories will be remembered and told, and will inspire and provide a guide for future generations. The 2006 Legislature funded the project.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Blue Swallow Motel — 1.2 mi
  A twelve-room tourist court on Tucumcari's stretch of Route 66, built in 1939, run for four decades by one woman, and lit by one of the most photographed motel signs on the road.

More markers nearby

• Comanche Country — 2.0 mi
• Tucumcari Mountain — 2.2 mi
• Tucumcari Mountain — 2.8 mi
• Tucumcari — 2.8 mi