1918 Map of Cienega Springs

About this map

The international boundary between the United States and Mexico defines the southern edge of this 1917–1918 survey of Hidalgo County. The landscape is dominated by the broad Animas Valley, flanked by the Peloncillo Mts and Guadalupe Mts to the west and the Animas Mountains to the east. Human presence is scattered across this high desert terrain, marked by remote outposts like Cloverdale and the Lang Ranch. Water sources were critical to the survival of these early settlements, as evidenced by the mapping of Birch Springs, Fitzpatricks Well, and Cienega Springs. The survey also highlights important transit corridors through the mountain ranges, including Guadalupe Pass and San Luis Pass, which connected these isolated ranching areas. Portions of the Coronado National Forest are visible, showing the early extent of federal land management in this border region during the First World War era.