1932 Map of Kirtland

About this map

Fruitland and Kirtland anchor the northern edge of this landscape along the San Juan River, where the high desert meets the irrigated river valley. The map reveals a network of remote outposts essential to the era's commerce, including Wheeler Trading Post, Burnham Trading Post, and the Bisti Trading Post in the southeast. This 1932 edition captures a period of early industrial transition within the Navajo Indian Reservation, marked by an Oil Pumping Sta near Table Mesa and a Coal Mine located along the Blanca Arroyo. The dramatic geology of the Hogback Mountain ridge and the prominent Bennett Peak define the terrain, while the Newcomb Farmington Cutoff and the Ship Rock Highway show the evolving transportation routes across the Chaco River basin.