1961 Map of Cerro Tinaja

About this map

Cibola National Forest defines the western reaches of this 1961 landscape, where the high terrain of Black Mesa overlooks a complex system of canyons and mesitas. The area is marked by significant Spanish land grants, including the Cebolleta Grant and the sprawling Nuestra Señora de la Luz de las Lagunitas. These historical boundaries intersect with a working landscape of remote outposts like Juan Jose Ranch, Sanchez Ranch, and Gonzales Ranch, which rely on scattered water sources such as Jara Loso Spring and the Juan Chullo Well. The topography transitions from the steep Puente del Cañon to the eroded Badlands near Cerro de Nuestra Señora. This map preserves the mid-century layout of a region where traditional ranching life persisted within the formal constraints of national forest and historic grant boundaries.