by Mike Magers

One might think that the town Moriarty was named from the villainous character from the “Sherlock Holmes” mysteries of author A. Conan Doyle, but it was not. Instead, it was named for a settler named Michael Timothy Moriarty who moved to the area from California in the late 1880s, seeking relief from his chronic rheumatism. Situated in Torrance County, it is home to Moriarty High School and the Moriarty Pintos.