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1986 Map of Big Spring

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Big Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1989
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1989

About this map

Big Spring serves as the focal point of this 1980s landscape, situated at the convergence of the Missouri Pacific railroad and a network of desert draws. The terrain is defined by the high, flat mesas of the Iatan Flats and prominent landmarks like Signal Peak and Wildhorse Mountain, which contrast with the drainage basins of Sulphur Springs Draw and Mustang Draw. This era shows the region's deep ties to aviation and energy, noted by the presence of the Big Spring Municipal Airport and the sprawling Spraberry Trend road system to the southwest.

Small agricultural and ranching communities such as Coahoma, Lomax, and South Haven are scattered across the plains of Howard and Glasscock Counties. Genealogists can locate family sites near the Elbow Cem or trace the early settlement patterns of crossroads like Knott and Luther. The map captures a moment when the regional economy remained balanced between the older rail-town infrastructure and the expanding footprint of the oil industry.