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1943 Map of La Mesa

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of La Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Mesilla Valley is defined by a dense network of irrigation systems and agricultural colonies along the Rio Grande as it flows south toward the Texas border. Surveyed just before the mid-century, this landscape reveals a deeply structured rural society centered on the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line. Small farming communities such as La Mesa, Berino, and Chamberino are surrounded by land grants and colonies like Doña Ana Bend Colony and Refugio Colony, reflecting the region's complex history of land tenure.

Beyond the irrigated floodplains, the terrain rises sharply into the Organ Mountains and Franklin Mountains. Local landmarks like Beasley Cave and Peña Blanca dot the higher elevations, while family-named sites such as Mossman Ranch and the Bensley Homestead indicate the persistent ranching efforts in the more arid zones east of the valley. This map provides a detailed view of the infrastructure that sustained New Mexico's southern agriculture, from the Chamberino Lateral to country schools like Liberty Sch.