1967 Map of Dark Canyon

About this map

The South Wichita River defines the northern edge of this remote rangeland, where deep drainages like Dark Canyon and Buffalo Creek carve through the Texas landscape. During the late 1960s, the area remained a hub of livestock operations and resource extraction, anchored by the Bateman Ranch and smaller outposts such as Eight Camp and Pickett Pens. The map reveals a pastoral economy dependent on scattered water sources, including the Dark Canyon Tank and a network of windmills like Ash Windmill and Lobo Windmill. Evidence of industrial activity is present throughout the central and southern portions of the sheet, where numerous Oil Well sites and Drill Hole markers dot the terrain. Infrastructure is sparse, primarily consisting of the ranching camps, a major east-west Pipeline, and a historic Pack Trail winding through the hills near the river.