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1918 Map of Dog Mountains

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Dog Mountains
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Alamo Hueco Mountains and Dog Mountains dominate this arid landscape along the United States-Mexico Boundary Line during the early twentieth century. Surveyed by the International Boundary Commission, the map reveals a remote ranching economy dependent on scarce water sources. Isolated outposts like Pierce Ranch, Mono Adams Ranch, and the Dog Spring Ranch are linked by a network of wells, including Jensens Wells and Haskins Wells.

The presence of the Stone Cabin and the historic Dog Spring illustrates the hardscrabble settlement patterns in this corner of Hidalgo County. Deep drainages such as Alamo Hueco Canyon and Wood Canyon cut through the high peaks of Pierce Peak and Hat Top Mtn, while the western edge of the quadrangle opens into the Playas Valley. This survey captures the borderlands just as they were being mapped for strategic and topographical clarity by the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.