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1981 Map of Canon Agua Buena

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Canon Agua Buena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The coal mining legacy of Socorro County is clearly etched into the landscape of the Blackington Hills and surrounding canyons. This early 1980s record captures the industrial transition of the area, featuring the historical footprint of Carthage and the nearby Old Carthage (Site). These settlements grew around the coal deposits that once fueled the regional railroads, an era represented here by the Old Railroad Grade and numerous scattered Mines, including the Hart Mine and Law Mine.

Water management in this arid terrain is a primary theme, with the map documenting a network of livestock tanks and windmills such as Triple A Tank, C Tank, and Ranchito Windmill. The topography is dominated by the winding drainage of Cañon Agua Buena and the San Pedro Arroyo, illustrating the rugged geography that miners and ranchers like those at Del Curto Ranch navigated. For genealogists, the Carthage Cem provides a specific point of interest for tracing families tied to these high-desert industrial outposts.