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1913 Map of Alum Mountain

Name: 1913 Topographic Map of Alum Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument stands as a focal point in this high-altitude landscape, where the Gila River and its numerous forks carve through the terrain of the Datil National Forest and Gila National Forest. The geography is defined by a network of isolated ranches and line cabins that supported early twentieth-century cattle operations, including the V Cross T Headquarters, XSX Ranch, and T Bar Ranch.

Evidence of early industrial activity appears at the Meerschaum Mine and the small settlement of Meerschaum near the southern boundary. This territory, surveyed shortly after New Mexico achieved statehood, reveals a transition from open range to managed forest lands, marked by family names on landmarks like Montoya Ranch and Terry Place. The rugged topography, punctuated by Alum Mtn and Black Mountain Mesa, illustrates the difficult passage required to reach the ancient dwellings and remote outposts of the Southwest.