Hidalgo County was formed from Grant County in 1919 and Lordsburg is the county seat. One view is that it was named in honor of El Cura Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Liberator of Mexico. Another view is that it was named for Miguel Dolores Hidalgo, who led the revolution in Mexico in 1810, which eventually led to its independence from Spain. Two of the better known towns in the county are Rodeo and Animas. Rodeo is known for it's wonderful art galleries and Animas for it's excellent schools. It's a large county of 3,445 square miles and a population of 5,139 in 2005. Because of it's location in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, it has beautiful weather with over 300 days of sunshine each year.