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1936 Map of El Paso Gap

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of El Paso Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

Guadalupe Ridge and Lonesome Ridge dominate this arid landscape along the border of New Mexico and Texas during the mid-1930s. The region is defined by a sparse network of ranching outposts and vital water sources, as seen at the Thayer Ranch and Irabarne Ranch. Settlement is clustered around a few community hubs, most notably Queen Sch and the El Paso Gap Post Office.

Survival in the high desert is evidenced by the sheer density of named catchment tanks, such as Coats Lake, Pickett Tanks, and the Guadalupe Sheep Company Tank. These features, alongside the Upper Ross Middleton School, illustrate the challenges of maintaining a permanent presence in a terrain cut by deep drainages like Last Chance Canyon and North Branch McKittrick Canyon. The presence of the Old Polk Place suggests a history of transient occupation and the shifting fortunes of early high-altitude ranching.