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1954 Map of Clovis

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Clovis
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Clovis stands as the central hub of this High Plains landscape, where the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad corridor dictates the placement of numerous agricultural settlements across the New Mexico and Texas borderlands. The geography is defined by a series of parallel drainage features, including Frio Draw, Running Water Draw, and Blackwater Draw, which carve through the plateau. These draws historically provided the essential water sources for cattle ranching and early farming before the widespread adoption of modern irrigation.

Strategic military and conservation sites are prominent, from the operations at Cannon AFB to the protected habitats of the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Grulla NWR. Small trackside towns like Grier, Texico, and Farwell illustrate the enduring rail-dependent economy of the era. The transition from the rugged breaks of The Caprock to the expansive Sand Hills highlights the varied topography of this section of the Llano Estacado during the mid-20th century.