1968 Map of Carpenter Mesa NW

About this map

The Pablo Montoya Grant dominates this landscape in San Miguel County, showing a high-desert terrain defined by vital water management. During the late 1960s, this area relied on a network of named windmills and tanks to sustain ranching operations across the mesas. Features like the Doodlebug Windmill, Cow Pass Windmill, and Little Joe Windmill underscore the importance of wind-powered groundwater extraction in this arid environment. The drainage system is clearly marked by several ephemeral watercourses, including Chical Creek, Watrous Creek, and Saint Patrick Creek, which carve through the land toward Carpenter Mesa. For those tracing local history, the map provides a look at the specific placements of Saint Patrick Tank, Watrous Tank, and Tony Tank, which were essential landmarks in an otherwise sparsely populated territory.