1892 Map of Chaco

About this map

Farmington and Aztec serve as the primary hubs in this late-19th-century reconnaissance of Northwest New Mexico, situated at the confluence of the Animas River, La Plata River, and San Juan River. The landscape is defined by the stark transition from the high Chuska Mountains and the prominent volcanic landmark of Ship Rock in the west to the arid stretches of the Chaco River valley. To the southeast, Chaco Canyon National Monument marks a significant archaeological corridor near Seven Lakes. This survey, incorporating data from the Hayden Survey, illustrates a territory still largely organized around the Navajo Indian Reservation Line and early trading outposts like Jewett and Burnham, predating the more intensive irrigation and development that would later reshape the San Juan Basin.