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1962 Map of Dunken

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Dunken
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Dunken anchors this cattle-country landscape along the Chaves Co line in the early 1960s, serving as a hub for the scattered homesteads and ranches of the southern Sacramento Mountains. The Rio Peñasco cuts through the canyon-scored terrain, providing a critical water source for the Scharbauer Ranch and the Peñasco River Ranch. This survey captures the rural infrastructure of the day, including the Peñasco Sch and the Dunken PO, alongside a local Cem that marks the community's generational ties to the land.

The topographic detail reveals a complex network of ranching life defined by named wells and windmills, such as the Alamo Well and Juniper Windmill, which were vital for sustaining livestock across the high desert. Notable family landmarks like the Old Higginbotham Ranch and Williams Ranch are situated among prominent drainage features including Big Cherry Canyon and Bluewater Creek, illustrating how the early settlers followed the natural flow of the water and the Cherry Road to establish their holdings.