1971 Map of Big Lake

About this map

Big Lake serves as the focal point for this West Texas landscape, where the town's grid is dominated by the Price NW Oil Field and John Scott Field. This 1971 survey captures the mid-century infrastructure of the Permian Basin, showing a community built around energy and transportation. The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad cuts across the terrain, linking the industrial fields to the town center. Local life is evidenced by the Reagan County High Sch, the Glen Rest Cem, and recreational landmarks like the Rodeo Ground and a Drive-in Theater. To the south, a significant geological Depression houses the seasonal waters of the actual Big Lake, into which the Big Lake Draw and Taylor Draw descend. This map documents a period of established oil production, marked by numerous wells and pipelines threading through the draws and across the arid plains toward the Price Oil Field.