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1948 Map of Granjean Well

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Granjean Well
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Alamogordo Bombing Range and the White Sands Proving Ground dominate this mid-century landscape in Socorro County. This era of military expansion is mapped over an existing network of high-desert ranching, where water sources like Granjean Well and Bruton Well were vital to survival. The map highlights the transition from private land use to federal defense jurisdiction, notably showing the McDonald Ranch Headquarters and Foster Ranch Headquarters within the military reservation boundaries.

A technical presence is also noted through the California Institute of Technology label, while the southern terrain is marked by the distinct geologic presence of Lava. For those tracing ranching history or the Cold War evolution of New Mexico's desert ranges, the alignment of the Government Road and the various cattle tanks, such as Bruton Tank and Lewis Tank, provides specific evidence of land use before the intensification of defense operations.