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1962 Map of Continental Divide

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Continental Divide
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The high desert landscape of McKinley County is defined by the rugged crest of the Continental Divide, where water begins its journey toward either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. This mid-1960s survey documents a critical transportation corridor through the Cibola National Forest, dominated by the heavy infrastructure of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and the modern path of Route 66. The settlement at Coolidge serves as a focal point for local life, featuring the Coolidge Navajo Ch and a central Post Office.

Evidence of government and industrial presence is scattered throughout the terrain, from the USFS Continental Divide Training Center to various resource extraction sites like a Quarry and Sandpit. The map also captures several deep topographic cuts, including Whitewater Canyon and Smith Canyon, while the South Fork Puerco River winds through the northern sections, illustrating the complex drainage of this high-altitude region.