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1950 Map of Dexter West

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Dexter West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Arid grazing lands and emerging irrigation systems define this landscape west of Dexter, where the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line runs parallel to the Hagerman Canal. The map reveals an economy transitioning between traditional ranching, represented by the Lowe Ranch and Williams Ranch, and specialized agricultural industry. This is evident in the presence of the Bogles Cotton Gin and several specialized aviation sites like the Cotton Dusters Landing Strip.

Water management is central to life here, documented by numerous named wells such as the Greenfield Artesian Recorder Well and the Twin Wells Stock Pens. Natural drainage features like Thirteenmile Draw and Zubi Draw cut across the gridded section lines, illustrating the intersection of the natural topography with the structured homesteading and irrigation patterns of Chaves County at mid-century.