Loading map...

1963 Map of C Bar Ranch

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of C Bar Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this high-desert ranching landscape in southwestern New Mexico, defining the drainage patterns of the Gila National Forest. The map documents a scattered network of family-held operations, including the central C Bar Ranch, Glaze Ranch, and Jones Ranch. This 1963 survey (with 1978 updates) reveals how water management dictated life in the arid environment, with dozens of named wells, windmills, and tanks such as the Taylor Windmills and Glaze Reservoir providing the only reliable points of interest across the vast system of canyons.

Deeply carved drainages like Picnic Canyon, Walking X Canyon, and Horse Canyon break up the high flats, leading toward the Langford Mtns in the south. The presence of a Jeep Trail and remote markers like the Mine Tank suggest a landscape used for both livestock and mineral prospecting, while the lack of established towns emphasizes the isolation of these Grant County ranching outposts during the mid-20th century.