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1917 Map of Buck Hill

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Buck Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Kokernot Ranch and Wilsons Ranch anchor this West Texas landscape, which is defined by the high elevations of Mitchell Mesa and the prominent peak of Elephant Mtn. Surveyed during the First World War, the map details a sparse ranching economy where water sources like Whirlwind Spring, Duff Springs, and Davenport Spring were essential for survival and livestock.

Evidence of early 20th-century habitation and ranching infrastructure is preserved through labels like Sid Place and the already noted Loy Place (Abandoned). The network of desert roads, including the Marfa Road and the Chalk Draw Road, connects these remote outposts across the drainages of Calamity Creek and Terlingua Creek. Distinctive landmarks such as Butcherknife Hill and Straddlebug Mtn provide the primary navigational points in this arid region of Brewster County.