1940 Map of El Paso Gap

About this map

The Guadalupe Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape, where ranching life in the 1930s centered on vital water sources and family holdings. Settlement patterns are defined by dozens of catchment basins and tanks named for local families, including Ira Lewis Tank, Arch Lewis Tank, and the Thomas Ranch. The survey highlights the essential infrastructure of the era, such as the Queen Sch and Dog Canyon Sch, which served the remote ranching community. The terrain is a complex network of canyons and draws, from the depths of Big Dog Canyon to the heights of Plowman Peak. Strategic passes like El Paso Gap and Klondike Gap provided necessary passage through the limestone ridges, while the Carlsbad Road served as the primary terrestrial artery connecting these isolated mountain outposts.