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1958 Map of Las Cruces

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Las Cruces
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Rio Grande valley anchors this mid-century landscape, flowing past the growing hubs of Las Cruces and Mesilla while sustaining a network of agricultural settlements like Hatch and Salem. In the east, the vast military and scientific presence of the White Sands Proving Ground and Holloman Air Force Base dominates the Tularosa Valley, while the New Mexico A and M College sits just south of the Las Cruces city limits.

Resource extraction and transportation infrastructure define the outlying areas, from the Manganese Mine operations in the west to the critical rail corridor of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR. Significant landmarks such as White Sands National Monument and the Caballo Reservoir contrast with the high desert terrain of the Organ Mountains and the Jornada del Muerto. This survey documents a pivotal era of Cold War expansion and institutional growth in Southern New Mexico.