1963 Map of Cow Springs Mountain

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this high-desert landscape in Luna and Grant Counties, marking a terrain of broad draws and isolated peaks. Water management is the primary signature of human presence here, with a dense network of windmills and tanks such as the Hay Meadow Windmill, Rattlesnake Tank, and Mc Donald Hay Draw Tank supporting the region's ranching economy. The historic Butterfield Trail cuts across the southeast, tracing a path through the flats near Cow Springs Ranch and the base of Cow Springs Mountain. This 1963 survey captures the area at a time when traditional ranching infrastructure, including the Trinity Ranch and namesake Cow Springs, remained the focal points of local geography. The map's detail, including fine fence lines and numerous cattle-watering features like the Thorne Hay Draw Tank, provides a specific record of land use in the New Mexico backcountry.