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1954 Map of Carlsbad

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Carlsbad
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Sacramento Mountains and Guadalupe Mountains dominate this mid-century view of southeastern New Mexico, where the high desert meets a network of managed water systems. The landscape is defined by the contrast between the timbered slopes of the Lincoln National Forest and the irrigated corridor of the Pecos River. Along the river, vital reservoirs like Lake McMillan and Lake Avalon support a string of settlements from Artesia down to Carlsbad and Loving.

Genealogists can trace the early footprint of regional industry and military expansion, from the White Sands Missile Range in the Tularosa Valley to the small rail stops along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR. Significant cultural landmarks, most notably the subterranean reaches of Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the vanished Sacramento City (site), provide anchor points for understanding the state's transition from frontier ranching to a modern agricultural and tourism-based economy.