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1969 Map of Big Canyon Ranch NW

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Big Canyon Ranch NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Big Canyon and the Middle Fork Big Canyon dominate this Trans-Pecos landscape, carving deep drainage patterns through the high ground known as the Big Divide. This 1960s survey captures a working ranching environment where water management and elevation dictated the placement of remote outposts. The map documents established family operations such as Thorn Ranch in the north and Mitchell Ranch further south along the canyon floor.

Transport is centered on U.S. Route 285, which cuts a straight line through the rugged topography, passing industrial markers like the local Gravel Pit and the seasonal Clark Place Draw. The presence of a Drill Hole near the canyon floor suggests the intersection of traditional ranching with mid-century resource exploration. This map is particularly useful for tracing historic property boundaries, as the U.S. Geological Survey has specifically noted fence lines throughout the quadrangle.