Loading map...

1964 Map of Indian Mesa

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

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Gallinas Mountains dominate this mid-century landscape in Socorro County, New Mexico, where the high elevations of the Cibola National Forest transition into the arid terrain of Indian Mesa. The map captures a high-desert ranching and grazing environment defined by its water sources, marking numerous tanks and windmills essential for survival in this dry climate. Of particular interest to local historians is the Baca Homestead located near the northern edge, a specific family-named site that provides a rare domestic anchor in an otherwise sparsely populated region.

Water management is the primary human footprint on this terrain, evidenced by the distribution of infrastructure like High Lonesome Windmill, Pinto Tank, and North Basin Well. These features, along with names like Long West Windmill and Rene Tank, trace a network of seasonal or permanent water access points across the canyons and flats. The southern portion of the sheet is marked by the Base Line, a surveyor's constant that cuts through the topography near North Lake and Indian Spring.