1954 Map of Aztec

About this map

The San Juan River and Rio Chama systems anchor this mid-century look at the high country of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The map documents a landscape of significant cultural and federal land management, dominated by the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation and sprawling sections of the Carson National Forest and Santa Fe National Forest. In the west, the community of Aztec serves as a hub near the Chaco Canyon National Monument, while to the east, the D & R G W RR winds through the mountains near Monero and Lumberton. Settlement patterns follow the river valleys, with clusters of small communities like Tierra Amarilla, Los Ojos, and Abiquiu situated along the vital waterways of the Rio Brazos and Rio Nutrias. The presence of several remote outposts, such as the Blanco Trading Post and Escavada Trading Post, underscores the area's history of isolated commerce and trade.