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1954 Map of Dalhart

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Dalhart
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Capulin Mountain and the high volcanic peaks of Sierra Grande anchor the northwestern corner of this High Plains landscape, where the borders of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas converge. The map documents a mid-century cattle and energy economy, scattered with numerous windmills and emerging gas wells across the shortgrass prairie. Transportation is defined by the intersection of major rail lines like the Colorado and Southern and the Chicago Rock Island & Pacific, which served as the lifeblood for regional hubs like Dalhart and Clayton.

Of particular interest to historians is the preservation of the Old Santa Fe Trail, winding through the terrain near Boise City. Industrial markers of the era include a Dry ice plant and Carbon Dioxide Works in the southwest, while the drainages of the Cimarron River and North Canadian River illustrate the vital importance of surface water in an arid environment managed by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.