1971 Map of Five Wells Ranch NW

About this map

The McFarland East Oil Field and the Magutex North Oil Field dominate this pocket of the Permian Basin, where the industrial footprint of the petroleum industry overlays a sparse ranching landscape. Evidence of the region's mid-century water and oil infrastructure is everywhere, from the Andrews Municipal Aqueduct and numerous pumping stations to a vast network of pipelines and gravel pits. Despite the heavy industrial presence, the map preserves the names of earlier cattle-range landmarks such as the Bird Ranch (Hdqrs) and a series of named water sources like the Uncle John Windmill and Charley Nichols Windmill. Monument Draw cuts through the center of the sheet, providing a natural break in the terrain otherwise marked by the systematic extraction of resources in the early 1970s.