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1918 Map of Big Hatchet Peak

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Big Hatchet Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

Big Hatchet Peak dominates the center of this 1918 landscape, a period when this high desert corner of New Mexico was defined by isolated cattle ranches and critical water sources. The map details a network of family-held properties including Lanes Ranch, Lambert Ranch, and Dallas Hatchet Ranch, each strategically positioned near breaks in the terrain like Hatchet Gap. The reliance on groundwater is evident through the numerous named wells and springs such as Sheridan Wells and Las Cienegas Spring, which supported the livestock economy in the broad Hachita Valley.

Surveyed in cooperation with the War Department and the International Boundary Commission, the map also clearly delineates the United States Mexico border. Transportation is limited to the Hachita and Alamo Hueco Road, reflecting the area's rural character before modern development. This document serves as a primary source for understanding early 20th-century land use in Hidalgo County, where topographic features like Thompson Canyon dictated the movement of both people and cattle.