1961 Map of Laguna Canoneros

About this map

Cebolleta Mesa dominates this high-altitude landscape on the boundary between McKinley and Valencia counties in the early 1960s. The region is characterized by a complex network of seasonal water sources and named tanks essential for life in the arid highlands, including the John Nelson Tank and Piedra Tank. Small outposts like Cuates Camp and Cañoneros Camp reflect the remote ranching or resource management activity of the era, while the name Casa Fria identifies a specific point of human habitation near the Seboyetita Creek drainage. To the northwest, the Cibola National Forest encompasses the high country near Cerro Cuate. The map also captures a curiously named feature, the Panama Canal, which sits near Laguna de Damacio on the mesa top. Drainage systems such as Seboyeta Creek and Rio Paguate flow from the mesas, carving the canyons that define the local topography.