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1964 Map of Goat Ridge

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Goat Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The historical Butterfield Trail cuts through the high desert of Luna County, tracing a legacy of mid-19th-century mail and passenger transport across this arid landscape. This mid-1960s survey captures the region's sparse infrastructure, where survival and movement were dictated by water sources like Mountain Well, Butterfield Well, and the Butterfield Windmill. To the south and east, the terrain rises into the distinctive formation of Goat Ridge and Fluorite Ridge, where localized Prospects indicate the area's mineral interest.

Water management is the primary marker of human presence in this environment, evidenced by the Wilson Reservoir and various tanks like China Tank positioned along ephemeral drainages such as China Draw and Porter Draw. This map serves as a vital record for those tracing the physical remnants of the overland stage route and the isolated ranching outposts defined by Windmill No 1 and Perry Windmill.