Eventually Tatum was granted a post office, and Mattie G. Tatum was the first postmistress. A school was financed with box socials and neighborhood dances. Eventually the Lea County oil boom reached the town in the 1940s and brought some prosperity. Agriculture is still the town's mainstay, although some active oil wells still exist in the area surrounding the town. Travelers sometimes stop when passing through, but the description of a sleepy little town in the West does fit Tatum.
Rodeos are popular entertainment, and there are two parks, a community building, and a library.
The Senior Citizen Center provides a meeting place for the town residents. A local ironworker makes silhouetted scenes in black wrought-iron for street signs, businesses and mailboxes. They are attention-getting because of their individuality. For those who like the slow-paced living of a small town, where getting together with neighbors for potlucks or coffee is a favorite pastime, Tatum bears investigating.