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1893 Map of Las Cruces

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Las Cruces
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

Las Cruces stands at the center of this late 19th-century survey, positioned as a vital transit hub where the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad follows the valley of the Rio Grande. The landscape is defined by a series of agricultural and mission settlements along the river, including Mesilla, San Miguel, and Chamberino, contrasted against the high, craggy peaks of the Organ Mountains to the east.

The presence of Fort Selden in the north and the cluster of activity around Organ City suggests an era of military presence and mining interests. To the southwest, the Southern Pacific Railroad cuts across the desert floor near Afton, showing how competing rail lines began to shape the commercial geography of Dona Ana County. The map provides a clear view of the complex irrigation and settlement patterns that relied on the river's path before modern water management.