1958 Map of Carlsbad

About this map

Carlsbad Caverns National Park anchors this mid-century survey of the Chihuahuan Desert and the rugged peaks of the Sacramento Mountains. The map reveals a complex water management landscape along the Pecos River, where the Lake McMillan Reservoir and Avalon Lake dominate the arid surroundings near Artesia and Carlsbad. To the west, the high elevations of the Lincoln National Forest provide a sharp contrast to the basin floor, where small ranching outposts and settlements like Dunken and Lakewood dot the terrain. Transportation is defined by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad following the river valley, while the Southern Pacific skirts the base of the mountains near Alamogordo. Notable for genealogists is the inclusion of Sacramento City (abandoned), offering a look at early mountain settlements that had already faded by the 1950s.