1952 Map of Cerro Montoso

About this map

Sevilleta Grant lands dominate this high-desert landscape in Socorro County, where the terrain transitions from the heights of the Pinos Mountains down to the broad expanses of Sepultura Flat. The map documents a sparsely populated ranching territory centered on family operations like Burris and Nunn Ranch and Parker Ranch. These high-altitude pastures relied on a network of remote water sources, including the Upper Montosa Well, John Reynolds Tank, and Patterson Tank. Physical landmarks such as Cerro Montoso and Cerro Pelon provide distinct navigational points above the deep incisions of Bootleg Canyon and Sepultura Canyon. The presence of the Tom Wright Mill and another unnamed mill near Grey Ridge suggests localized industrial activity or resource processing within the expansive grant boundaries during the early 1950s.