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1951 Map of Dell City

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Dell City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Salt Basin landscape of West Texas is defined by the massive white expanse of the Dry Salt Lake and scattered Salt Ponds, illustrating a high-desert environment where water is the primary driver of human activity. Settlement in the early 1950s is sparse, centered on Dell City and a network of remote family cattle operations including the List Ranch, Lynch Ranch, and TC Ranch. This era shows a community reliant on groundwater, evidenced by a high density of named water features like Hillbilly Windmill, Rigsby Windmill, and Eightmile Tank.

Historical transportation routes cross this arid terrain, notably the Butterfield Trail, which skirts the eastern edge of the salt flats. Aviation infrastructure is visible through the Salt Flat Airfield and a Radio Range Station, alongside multiple private landing strips near the state line. The survey captures the borderlands between Hudspeth County, Texas, and New Mexico at a time when ranching and early irrigation were the dominant livelihoods.