1970 Map of Alston Ranch

About this map

The Ranger Lake Oil Field anchors the northwest corner of this Lea County landscape, illustrating the critical intersection of energy extraction and ranching in the High Plains. While industrial features like a Gravel Pit and numerous Drill Hole locations mark the ground, the map is defined by a sparse but vital network of water infrastructure. Named windmills, including Goat Windmill, Sartin Windmill, and the curiously titled Old Man Windmill, serve as the primary landmarks across the terrain. These scattered stations, along with the Old Dipping Vat Windmill, point to the enduring livestock operations at the Alston Ranch and Peveler Place during the early 1970s. The distribution of these features reveals how water management dictated the spatial organization of this arid territory before late-century shifts in land use.