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1971 Map of Houck

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Houck
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Houck and Allentown serve as the primary focal points along the river corridor in this high-desert portion of the Navajo Indian Reservation. The landscape is defined by the convergence of the Puerco River and Black Creek, creating a natural transportation bottleneck where the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and Interstate 40 parallel each other. Local commerce and communal life are evidenced by the Big Arrow Trading Post, while spiritual and social services are anchored by the Tegakwitha Mission and Good News Mission.

Tracing the topography reveals a reliance on vital water sources like Navajo Joe Spring and Spencers Well in an otherwise arid environment. Evidence of historical transit remains visible through an Old Railroad Grade and numerous Jeep Trails that wind through the surrounding mesas. The map also documents the industrial footprint of the era, including the Houck Pits and several Borrow Pits situated near the highway and rail lines.