1948 Map of Broken Back Crater

About this map

White Sands Proving Ground and the Alamogordo Bombing Range dominate the southern landscape of this 1948 survey, reflecting the mid-century expansion of military testing grounds in the high desert. The terrain transitions from the volcanic geology of the Malpais and the namesake Broken Back Crater in the east to the high slopes of Chupadera Mesa. Sparse ranching operations such as Ratcliff Ranch, Gallagher Ranch, and Harvey Ranch Headquarters define the human footprint, relying on a complex network of man-made water sources like School Section Well and Lobo Tank. The map captures a moment when traditional land use in the Cibola National Forest began to intersect with the strategic needs of the Ordnance California Institute of Technology at the dawn of the Cold War.