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1966 Map of Columbus SE

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Columbus SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The international border between the United States and Mexico defines the southern reach of this arid borderland survey from the mid-1960s. The landscape is characterized by its vital water infrastructure, tracing the survival of ranching operations through scattered resources like Dean Well, O'Bryan Windmill, and the Little Windmill. Arid drainage patterns are marked by the Seventysix Draw, which cuts across the northern sections towards more level terrain.

Evidence of historical transit and industry is found in the Old Railroad Grade that bisects the map, alongside several Gravel Pits and a Borrow Pit. Near the western edge, Black Hill and the adjacent Stiles Reservoir provide a rare topographic shift in an otherwise uniform desert expanse. The presence of a Landing Area and Radio Tower suggests the modernizing infrastructure of the era, while the distance to the P D L Ranch underscores the isolation of this corner of Luna County.