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1917 Map of Camel Mountain

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Camel Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

Isolated ranchsteads and a vital international corridor define this 1917 landscape along the New Mexico and Chihuahua border. Surveyed in cooperation with the War Department, the map captures a period of early 20th-century frontier life where water sources like Mesquite Lake and Indian Basin were essential landmarks for survival. The El Paso and Southwestern railroad cuts a straight line across the desert floor, passing through the small station at Arena and facilitating trade and movement through this arid basin.

Elevation is dominated by volcanic and desert landforms, including the prominent Camel Mtn and the distinctively named Eagle Nest. Family-run operations are sparse but critical, with the Log Cabin Ranch, Engle and Minor Ranch, and Pol Ranch serving as anchors for the local ranching economy. The proximity to the United States-Mexico border and the Luna and Dona Ana county line underscores the region's geopolitical significance during an era of heightened border activity.