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1963 Map of Apache Summit

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Apache Summit
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation defines the high-altitude landscape of this 1963 survey, where tribal lands are dissected by deep canyon systems. The tiny settlement of Apache Summit sits at a critical junction of high-country drainage, marking a point where infrastructure like a Radio Tower and Sewage Disposal Ponds meet the natural terrain. The network of water management features, including Pete Gaines Well and numerous tanks like Chatto Tank or Goat Tank, reveals the essential role of water security in these arid uplands.

Transport and topography follow the path of the North Fork Tularosa Canyon and the South Fork Tularosa Canyon, which converge to form the Rio Tularosa. Family-named landmarks such as Cherokee Bill Canyon and Gaines Canyon provide valuable clues for genealogists and local historians tracing the presence of early residents in the canyons before later developments like the Campground were established.