1959 Map of Emory Peak

About this map

Big Bend National Park dominates this high-contrast survey of the Trans-Pecos frontier, capturing the remote desert landscape along the Rio Grande as it stood in the late 1950s. The topographic detail highlights the dramatic ascent from the riverbed through Santa Elena Canyon up to the high-altitude Chisos Mountains, anchored by the summit of Emory Peak 7825. Sparse settlements like Terlingua, Lajitas, and Castolon mark the few human outposts in a terrain defined by ancient geological structures such as The Solitario and the Santiago Mountains. Remote outposts including the Pershington Gap Ranger Station and Boquillas (Rio Grande Village) suggest a landscape transition from working ranchland and mining districts toward a managed wilderness, while named springs like Dull Springs and Cottonwood Spring pinpoint vital water sources in an otherwise arid expanse of Brewster County.