1955 Map of Hope NW

About this map

Arid grazing lands and deep drainage draws define this mid-1950s landscape along the border of Chaves and Eddy Counties. The map reveals a sparse ranching economy where water management is central to survival, centered on remote outposts like the Kincaid Ranch, the J X Ranch, and the Runyan Place. Topography is dominated by an intricate network of seasonal waterways including North Cottonwood Creek and South Cottonwood Creek, which converge as they flow eastward. Numerous named draws like Earl Draw, Johnson Draw, and Paris Draw carve through the terrain, while man-made features such as Earl Tank and various unnamed wells indicate the critical infrastructure needed to support livestock in the High Plains. The network of light-duty and unimproved roads radiating from the ranch sites illustrates the connectivity between these isolated homesteads and the larger region before the expansion of modern highway systems.