Tucumcari Mountain has long served as a landmark for travelers along the Canadian River. Pathfinder Pedro Vial mentioned it in 1793 while opening a trail between Santa Fe and St. Louis. In 1849, Capt. Randolph B. Marcy led an expedition past here in order to find the best route from Arkansas to California. The town of Tucumcari, founded in 1901, took its name from the mountain, which later signaled to people traveling Route 66 and Interstate 40 that rest was nearby.