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1918 Map of Big Hatchet Peak

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

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

Big Hatchet Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape in the years following the turn of the century, rising sharply above the surrounding desert floor. The map documents a sparse but vital network of water sources essential for survival in this arid territory, including Las Cienegas Spring, Whitewater Wells, and Sheridan Wells. Along the northern edge of the range, the Hachita and Hueco Road serves as a primary transit corridor, connecting the remote outposts of the southwest New Mexico borderlands.

Family-named ranches are the primary markers of settlement here, with locations like Dallas Hatchet Ranch, Boone Ranch, and Lambert Ranch dotting the map. The extreme southern portion of the survey tracks the United States Mexico Boundary Line, emphasizing the strategic importance of this frontier zone. These labels provide a detailed look at the grazing economy and water management practices used by early 20th-century homesteaders in what was then part of Grant County.