1918 Map of Bone Spring

About this map

Maravillas Creek winds through the heart of the Trans-Pecos landscape during the late 1910s, a period when the Big Bend region was characterized by isolated ranching outposts and specialized desert industry. One of the most intriguing features is the Old Wax Plant near the creek, signaling the early twentieth-century extraction of candelilla wax from local desert plants. The settlement pattern is defined by family-named landmarks like Greens Ranch, Walkers Ranch, and Buttrell Ranch, many of which served as critical water stops in an arid environment. Transportation relied on primitive routes such as the Marathon Road and Boquillas Road, which connected these remote stations. The dramatic geography of the Santiago Mountains and Sierra Del Caballo Muerto frames these outposts, where life centered around reliable water sources like Bone Spring and the Dagger Tank.