1942 Map of Borrego

About this map

The Finlay Mountains dominate this 1940s landscape on the border of El Paso and Hudspeth counties, providing a window into the hardscrabble ranching and mining efforts of the era. Water sources are the defining features of this arid terrain, with numerous man-made and natural features like Minnie Veale Well, Indian Well, and Shakespeare Tank scattered throughout the basins and draws. The existence of the Old Padre Mine near the western foothills suggests the localized extraction efforts that once dotted this region. A massive Rimrock wall and the Watershed Divide provide clear topographical boundaries across the eastern half of the map, while intermittent drainages like Borrego Draw and Wildhorse Draw carve paths through the scrub. This survey captures a moment when local ranching infrastructure was primary to the region's survival.