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1918 Map of Hermanas

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Hermanas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

The El Paso and Southwestern Road dominates this high-desert landscape near the New Mexico border, serving as the primary corridor for movement and settlement during the early twentieth century. The town of Hermanas stands as the central hub of activity, marking a junction point for the railroad and a rare concentration of infrastructure in the arid Luna County terrain. Beyond the rails, the map reveals a scattering of isolated homesteads and cattle operations that characterize the era's ranching economy, including the Dogtown Ranch, Simpson Ranch, and White House Ranch.

Topographic interest is concentrated in the east and south, where the Tres Hermanas Mountains and Cedar Grove Hills rise above the surrounding basin. Vital water sources like Carrizalillo Spring and the drainage of Hermanas Draw dictate the placement of human habitation. The proximity to the United States Mexico border, defined clearly at the southern edge, underscores the strategic importance of this frontier region at the time of the 1917 survey.