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1955 Map of Fort Bliss SE

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Fort Bliss SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Fort Bliss Military Reservation dominates the northern landscape of this survey, transitioning into the expanding suburban and industrial corridors of El Paso to the south. The map documents a critical period of Cold War era growth, where the massive infrastructure of Biggs Air Force Base and the El Paso International Airport meet rising residential developments. Residential enclaves like Del Norte Heights and Hacienda Heights are shown in detail, many highlighted by purple photorevisions that track the rapid urbanization of the mid-1960s and early 1970s.

Evidence of the region's arid geography and early 20th-century ranching legacy persists through remote water sources such as Bakers Well, Mc Elroy Well, and the evocative Hells Hole Well. The southeastern corner is marked by the natural relief of Jesuit Draw, while local recreation and commerce are represented by a Golf Course, a Trailer Park, and a Drive-in Theater, reflecting the mid-century social landscape of this border city.