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1892 Map of Canyon De Chelly

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Canyon De Chelly
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

The dramatic convergence of Canyon De Chelly and Canyon Del Muerto serves as the focal point of this late-nineteenth-century reconnaissance. The landscape is defined by vast mesas and isolated spires, including The Captains and Los Gigantes Buttes, which rise abruptly from the floor of the Chin Lee Valley. This survey, conducted before the area became a National Monument, documents a network of vital water sources like Saelitso Springs, Hospitito Spring, and Cheelimeto Spring that sustained life in this arid corner of the Colorado Plateau.

To the east, the map traces the high elevations of the Carriso Mts and Lukachukai Mts, reaching toward the Arizona New Mexico Boundary Line. Topographic details reveal the complex hydrology of the region, from the seasonal Gothic Wash to high-altitude features like Roof Butte and the remote Black Lake. This record captures the geography of the Navajo Indian Reservation as it was understood by government surveyors in the years following the region's initial mapping.