1955 Map of Elephant Mountain

About this map

White Sands Proving Ground and the Fort Bliss Military Reservation dominate this mid-century landscape in the Tularosa Valley. The map records a critical era of military expansion and land use in Otero County, where the desert floor meets the rising slopes of the Jarilla Mountains. Significant infrastructure for operations is visible at the Orogrande Range Camp, while the earlier ranching history of the basin remains evident in labels like the McNew Well Camp Ruins and several water catchments including North Tank and the McNew Feeder Tank. Centered on the namesake Elephant Mountain, the topography illustrates the transition from the arid valley basin to the isolated peaks that defined early navigation and modern range boundaries. This document preserves the footprint of both the emerging Cold War military presence and the fading traces of pioneer-era cattle camps.