1976 Map of Anton NW

About this map

Spade and its surrounding agricultural grid define this 1976 orthophotoquad of Lamb County, Texas. This specialized survey uses rectified aerial imagery rather than traditional line work, providing a literal view of the High Plains landscape as it appeared in the mid-1970s. The image reveals a highly structured pattern of center-pivot irrigation circles and rectangular cotton fields that dominate the terrain. Unlike standard topographic maps, this orthophotograph allows researchers to see the exact footprint of farmsteads, the texture of the soil, and the precise layout of the small settlement of Spade at the intersection of local roads. It is a stark document of the industrial-scale farming techniques that transformed the Llano Estacado, showing how the land was partitioned and watered during this era of intensive cultivation.