1918 Map of Bone Spring

About this map

Persimmon Gap serves as a critical passage through the Santiago Mountains, anchoring a landscape defined by the convergence of the Marathon Road and Boquillas Road during the early twentieth century. This arid stretch of Brewster County shows the distribution of early ranching outposts and vital water sources such as Bone Spring and Santiago Spring. The presence of an Old Wax Plant near Maravillas Creek suggests localized desert industry, likely the extraction of wax from candelilla plants common to the region. To the southeast, the terrain shifts into the Sierra Dagger and Sierra del Caballo Muerto, with remote locations like Dog Canyon and Walkers Ranch providing points of reference for early desert navigation. Settlement patterns are sparse, characterized by isolated dwellings like Adobe House and family-named landmarks including Buttrell Ranch and Hendersons Ranch.