1963 Map of Chrisman Ranch

About this map

The Chrisman Ranch serves as a lone human waypoint in this high-desert landscape of Sweetwater County, which was extensively documented during the early 1960s and updated via aerial photography in 1977. The terrain is dominated by the massive Blue Rim escarpment, where multiple drainages like the North Branch Water Gap Wash and South Branch Water Gap Wash cut through the elevation. Water management is a primary theme of the settlement pattern here, evidenced by a string of livestock or irrigation catchments including Blue Rim Res No 2, Blue Rim Res No 3, and Blue Rim Res No 4. The map reveals a network of primitive transportation via a Trail and several Jeep Roads that navigate the Badlands Hills and connect remote features like Alkali Spring.