1981 Map of Cowboy Mesa NE

About this map

Cowboy Mesa defines this high-desert region of Lincoln County, where survival and settlement revolved around critical water infrastructure. Surveyed in the early 1970s and finalized in 1981, the landscape is marked by remote ranching landmarks such as Kuykendall Well, East Kuykendall Well, and High Well. The presence of a small Cem and several tanks suggests the presence of isolated family operations in a terrain punctuated by Gypsum outcroppings and modern utilities like a Radio Tower and an expansive Pipeline. This map captures a specific moment in the mid-century New Mexico backcountry before modern consolidation, preserving the locations of ephemeral water sources like Ditch Lake and numerous unnamed wells that served the livestock industry of the era.