1963 Map of Lariat NE

About this map

The High Plains of Texas are defined here by the agricultural and water-management systems of the early 1960s. This land, overseen by the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, reveals a landscape dominated by irrigation infrastructure and scattered rural hubs. The Oklahoma Lane Community Center and the small settlement of Saunders serve as the primary social and geographic markers in an area otherwise characterized by vast agricultural plots and countless water wells. In the northeast corner, the topography shifts slightly as the Running Water Draw cuts through the plains, accompanied by a small Gravel Pit. The map is a record of mid-century groundwater reliance in Parmer County, showing the transition from natural drainage to a highly engineered irrigation economy.